Banana Pudding Cheesecake is a combo of my two most favorite classic desserts! Real bananas and vanilla cookies fill the cheesecake, which all sits on a vanilla cookie crust and topped with fluffy whipped cream, more cookies and caramel! A total signature dessert!
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies (approximately 60), plus 17 more to rim the pan
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Cheesecake
- 4 (8- ounce) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 12 coarsely chopped vanilla wafer cookies
- 1 large, or 2 small bananas thinly sliced
Topping
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 10 vanilla wafer cookies to decorate
- ¼ cup caramel sauce to drizzle
Instructions
Crust:
| 1 | Preheat oven to 350° F. |
| 2 | In a large bowl combine the crushed vanilla wafer cookies, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine. |
| 3 | Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9- inch springform pan. Press the 17 whole vanilla wafer cookies around the sides of the pan. |
| 4 | Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden, and set aside while you make your cheesecake. |
Cheesecake:
| 1 | In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed, until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. |
| 2 | Turn the mixer to low and add the sour cream and vanilla; mix well, scraping sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until mixed. Don’t over mix. Pour half of the cheesecake over crust and spread evenly. |
| 3 | Sprinkle the coarsely chopped vanilla wafer cookies evenly on top of the cheesecake, and top with the sliced bananas. Spread the remaining cheesecake on top, and spread evenly. |
| 4 | Double wrap the bottom of the springform pan with foil, sealing it tightly to prevent water from getting into the pan. |
| 5 | Place the springform pan into a larger pan and pour very hot water into the pan, until it’s 3/4- inch deep, careful to make sure the water level doesn’t come up higher than the foil. |
| 6 | Bake for 60-70 minutes or until the center is almost set. The center will still jiggle while the edges will be set. |
| 7 | Carefully run a knife around the rim of pan to loosen cake. Allow the cheesecake to cool at room temperature for at least an hour, then cover and transfer into the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. |
Topping and Assembly
| 1 | When you’re ready to serve the cheesecake, pour heavy cream into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. |
| 2 | Add the powdered sugar and mix on medium-high speed for approximately 2 minutes, until cream is thickened and stiff peaks form. |
| 3 | Release the sides of the springform pan, and pat dry with a paper towel if any condensation has built up. |
| 4 | Fill a piping bag fitted with a large tip with the whipped cream. Artfully pipe the whipped cream on top of the cheesecake. Alternately, you can simply spread the whipped cream on with a spoon or offset spatula. |
| 5 | Place the remaining 10 vanilla wafer cookies into the whipped cream and drizzle with caramel sauce, if desired. |
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