Originally posted: 10/01/2003
Last updated: 04/11/2009

Judy's Banana Pudding

This recipe comes from "Jack Daniel's Old Time Barbecue Cookbook" by Vince Staten. This book is out of print, but can be found occasionally as a used book.

The recipe uses convenience items that make it easy to whip up, but don't let that fool you--it's tasty!

Allow the frozen whipped topping to soften in the refrigerator for 4 hours before preparing this recipe.

Peel the bananas and slice about 1/4" thick, then set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the pudding mix and milk, whisking until it's creamy and starting to thicken. Add the dessert topping and sour cream and whisk until well combined.

In the bottom of a large serving bowl, place a layer of vanilla wafer cookies, then a layer of banana slices, then 1/3 of the pudding mixture. Use a spatula to spread the pudding evenly over the bananas. Repeat for two more layers.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with extra cookies around the edge of the bowl and maybe a few banana slices arranged in the middle.

Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

This recipe comes courtesy of Paula Deen and her show "Paula's Home Cooking" on Food TV. What I like most about this recipe is that it gets its banana flavor only from real bananas!

Line the bottom of a 9"x13"x2" baking dish with one bag of cookies. Layer the banana slices over the cookies and set aside.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine milk and pudding mix. Blend according to package instructions using an electric hand mixer. Set aside.

In another large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and condensed milk using the electric hand mixer until smooth. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. When combined, fold the cream cheese mixture into the pudding mixture.

Pour the mixture over the bananas and cover with one bag of cookies. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours before serving so the pudding has a chance to set.

Just a note about arranging the cookies. Each bag contains 24 cookies. I was able to fit 23 cookies into the bottom of the pan (I ate the leftover cookie), but as you can see in the photo, 24 cookies will not cover the pudding completely because the pan is wider at the top than at the bottom. You might try arranging the cookies into 4 rows of 6 cookies instead.