Paula Deen Banana Pudding

heavy cream

🥗Healthier: coconut cream

💰Cheaper: whipped topping

Coconut cream adds richness with fewer calories.

vanilla pudding mix

🥗Healthier: homemade custard

💰Cheaper: instant pudding

Homemade custard enhances flavor without preservatives.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: agave syrup

Honey adds sweetness with a unique flavor.

vanilla extract

🥗Healthier: almond extract

💰Cheaper: imitation vanilla

Almond extract provides a different but pleasant flavor.

Lay shortbread cookies in the bottom of an 8x8 cake pan in no particular order, using cracked or broken ones at the bottom.

Slice bananas by cutting down the back and then cutting about 3/4 of the way down into slices, then peel and lay them out on the shortbread cookies.

In a large bowl, combine room temperature cream cheese and the entire can of sweetened condensed milk, mixing until there are hardly any large clumps.

Add both packages of French vanilla instant pudding and mix with cold milk according to package instructions until smooth.

Fold in the tub of whipped topping until the mixture is one solid color and fluffy.

Pour the mixture into the cake pan over the layer of bananas and cookies, smoothing it out with a spatula to remove air pockets.

Place additional shortbread cookies on top of the pudding mixture, arranging them neatly without doubling up on designs.

Cover the cake pan and refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens