Banana Pudding Cheesecake (Printable Version)
# What You'll Need:
→ Crust Layer
01 -
Light or dark packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons
02 -
Unsalted butter, melted, 1/2 cup
03 -
One box of Nilla Wafers
→ Cheesecake Center
04 -
White sugar, 3/4 cup
05 -
Fresh ripe bananas, mashed, 2
06 -
Room temperature cream cheese, 24 ounces
07 -
Crushed Nilla Wafers, 1 cup
08 -
Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
09 -
Large eggs at room temperature, 4
10 -
Sliced bananas, 2
11 -
Heavy cream at room temperature, 1/4 cup
12 -
Room temperature sour cream, 1/2 cup
→ Vanilla Topping
13 -
Chilled heavy cream, 1 cup
14 -
Crushed Nilla Wafers, for garnish
15 -
3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix
16 -
Cold milk, 1 cup
17 -
Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
# Preparation Steps:
01 -
Start by heating your oven to 325°F. Blend the Nilla Wafers into tiny crumbs. Mix the crumbs with melted butter and packed brown sugar. Push this mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and bake for 11 minutes.
02 -
Mix together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla, and heavy cream. Blend in the eggs gently. Pour half of this over the crust, layer on slices of banana and crushed wafers, then add the rest of the filling.
03 -
Put the springform pan in a water bath. Bake for 80-90 minutes—edges should look done, with a slight wobble in the middle. Let it sit in the oven with the door open for 30 minutes, then cool fully on a rack. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
04 -
Whisk the cold milk with pudding mix for a couple of minutes. Separately whip the heavy cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding.
05 -
Take the cheesecake out of the springform pan. Spread over the whipped topping, then sprinkle with crushed Nilla Wafers for some crunch.
# Additional Tips:
01 -
Bring all your dairy items to room temperature first
02 -
Choose any water bath method to avoid leaks
03 -
Needs a minimum of 6 hours to chill completely