Description
Delightfully soft and flavorful Banana Pudding Cookies featuring a blend of mashed bananas, instant banana pudding mix, white chocolate chips, and dried banana chips. These cookies are topped with a smooth cream cheese whipped frosting and a sprinkle of crushed Nilla Wafers, perfect for a nostalgic dessert that’s both fun and delicious.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3.4 ounce box Instant Banana Pudding mix
- 1/2 cup mashed bananas (about 1 large ripe banana)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 11 ounce white chocolate chips (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 cup dried banana chips
Topping
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup crushed Nilla Wafer Cookies
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set it aside for later.
- Mix Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with the light brown and granulated sugars for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is creamy and well combined.
- Add Banana and Pudding Mix: Beat in the instant banana pudding mix, mashed banana, and pure vanilla extract until evenly incorporated into the butter and sugar mixture.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Mix just until the dry ingredients are combined; avoid overmixing.
- Add Chips and Banana Chips: Fold in the white chocolate chips and dried banana chips evenly throughout the dough.
- Scoop and Bake: Using a large cookie scoop (approximately 3 tablespoons), drop cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Be careful not to undercook.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Topping: For the frosting, beat the softened cream cheese with powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream using a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Scrape down the sides as needed during whipping.
- Decorate Cookies: Once the cookies have cooled completely, spoon the whipped frosting into a piping bag fitted with an open star tip. Pipe the frosting on top of each cookie and immediately sprinkle with crushed Nilla Wafer cookies for added texture and flavor.
Notes
- Ensure the butter and cream cheese are softened to room temperature for smooth mixing.
- Do not underbake the cookies; the edges should be lightly browned for the best texture.
- Feel free to substitute dried banana chips with chopped nuts if desired.
- The frosting should be used immediately after piping to allow the crushed Nilla Wafers to stick properly.
- Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese topping; consume within 3-4 days for best freshness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
