Banana Pudding Brownies: A Deliciously Fun Twist on the Classic Flavors You Love

Calling all banana lovers! If you can’t get enough of the flavors of banana pudding or banana cream pie, there’s one dessert you’ll want to get your hands on: banana pudding brownies. They’re a cozy comfort treat — and one we can’t get enough of. “They’re like banana pudding in bar form, so not only are they delicious, they travel well too,” shares Woman’s World Test Kitchen Director Susan Chiusano. Best of all, they can be made with banana-flavored instant pudding mix, so you don’t have to spend extra time in the kitchen mashing bananas. Keep reading for our easy recipe for banana pudding brownies, plus three more banana desserts guaranteed to be a hit.

What makes banana pudding brownies so special

Classic banana pudding features layers of sweet custard, bananas and vanilla wafers. And to bake up those flavors into bars, we start by crushing vanilla wafers and adding them into our batter mixture. Then for an irresistible topping, we stir cream cheese with banana pudding mix. And it’s all finished with a Nilla wafer!

For extra banana goodness, Susan says you can top with banana slices — just be sure to do for right before serving so the bananas don’t turn brown. (Can’t get enough banana desserts? Click through for our best-ever banana pudding parfaits.)

Even better: This recipe is easy to customize with other flavors just by swapping the banana pudding. Susan suggests trying chocolate or vanilla pudding. “Or for tropical flavor, sub in coconut pudding, then top with toasted coconut,” she suggests.

How to make banana pudding brownies + 3 bonus desserts

Ready to try banana pudding brownies yourself? Just keep scrolling for our easy recipe, plus more banana treats.

Banana Pudding Brownies

For more a traditional chocolaty brownie taste, simply swap in chocolate wafers.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Nilla wafers, finely ground + additional for garnish
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, at room temp.
• 1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. banana cream instant pudding and pie filling
• ½ cup milk

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13”x9” baking pan with enough foil for 2” overhang; coat with cooking spray.
2. In bowl, combine flour, ground wafers, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, combine butter, sugar, 3 eggs and vanilla; stir in flour mixture. Spread in pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 min.
3. On low speed, beat cream cheese, pudding mix, milk and remaining 2 eggs until smooth. Spread over crust. Bake until set, 15 min. Top with 15 Nilla wafers. Cool. Cut into squares. Serves 15.

Banana Pudding Ice Pops

Stash a batch of these in the freezer for a delicious anytime treat.

Ingredients:

• 6 vanilla wafer cookies
• 2 large bananas, cut into thirds
• 1 pint vanilla or coconut ice cream, softened
• 1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips, melted
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Place cookies in bottom of six 4 oz. wax-paper cups. Insert toothpick or Popsicle stick in one end of banana pieces. With mixer on medium speed, beat ice cream 30 sec.; fill cups two-thirds of the way. With stick, press bananas into ice cream to encase. Freeze 4 hrs. or until firm.
2. In bowl, blend melted chocolate and oil; let cool to room temp. Peel cups from pops. Dip pops in chocolate to coat. If desired, sprinkle on chopped nuts. Freeze on lined baking sheet until firm or serve immediately. Serves 6.

Choco-Banana Pudding Tartlets

These individual-sized treats are so easy to make, yet so impressive.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups toasted pecans, ground
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 box (3.4 oz.) instant banana-cream pudding mix
• ½ cup bittersweet chocolate morsels, melted

Directions:

1. In bowl, combine first 3 ingredients. Divide nut mixture evenly among four 4½” tartlet pans with removable bottoms; press into bottom and sides. Place pans on baking sheet; bake 10 min., or until just golden. Let cool 5 min.
2. Prepare pudding mix according to package directions for traditional pudding pie. In bowl, stir together 1 cup pudding and melted bittersweet chocolate morsels.
3. Divide pudding-chocolate mixture evenly among crusts, spreading to edges. Top each with remaining banana pudding. Chill 1 hr., or until set. Garnish with whipped topping, raspberries, banana slices and pecan halves, if desired. Serves 4.

Peanut Butter and Banana Pudding Cupcakes

Banana pudding mix in the batter guarantees these cupcakes bake up moist and tender.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) instant banana pudding mix
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1¼ cups milk
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup butter, melted, cooled
• ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 can (16 oz.) vanilla frosting
• Chopped candy bars

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 12 muffin cups with cupcake liners. Combine flour, dry pudding mix, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine milk, egg, sugar and butter. Stir in flour mixture until smooth. Divide among muffin cups.
2. Bake 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool. Stir peanut butter into frosting; spread over cupcakes. Top with chopped candy bars. Serves 12.

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For more sweet ways to use bananas, check out these stories:

Wake Up To Mmm! This 3-Ingredient Banana Waffle Recipe Preps Fast In Your Blender

Korean Banana Milk Is the Ultimate Sweet and Creamy Sip — Here’s How To Make It

This Recipe for Air-Fried Roasted Bananas Is Delicious — And Ready In Less Than 10 Minutes

Dolly Parton’s Banana Split Cake in a Jar Is So Good, You’ll Want To Take It Wherever You Go

A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.