These banana pudding brownies are soft, chewy, and moist, with loads of banana flavor and a deliciously rich banana cream topping. Complete with Nilla Wafers, they have everything you love about banana pudding baked right into the best brownie bars you have ever tasted!
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If you’re looking for banana pudding brownies that are rich and fudgy with a ton of banana flavor, you’ve found your new favorite recipe.
There’s a simple trick to getting that extra fudgy banana flavor. Use banana pudding mix in the actually brownie batter! It not only adds more banana flavor, but it adds more moisture making a over-the-top rich brownie.
Of course, this recipe also uses fresh mashed banana for even more banana flavor.
If you have tried my recipes for banana pudding, condensed milk brownies or air fryer brownies, you are especially going to love this recipe. It is a fun, banana twist on a classic dessert.
Looking for a different topping? Try these blondie brownies topped with cream cheese frosting like my Cool Whip cream cheese frosting or even a small dab of this peanut butter cream cheese frosting.
And, honestly sometimes I even top them with a little 3 ingredient banana pudding because, why not?!
Ingredients for Banana Pudding Brownies
- Butter – Unsalted butter, melted
- Brown Sugar
- Banana – Around ½ of a banana
- Egg – Room temperature
- Vanilla
- Flour
- Banana Pudding Mix – Instant pudding mix, not “cook and serve”
- Topping – Heavy whipping cream, pudding mix, and Nilla Wafers.
How to Make Banana Pudding Brownies
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare an 8×8 inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper.
STEP TWO: In a large bowl, cream together the brown sugar and butter until the mixture is smooth and combined. Then, add the mashed banana, egg, and vanilla extract to the bowl, whisking until well combined.
STEP THREE: Use a different bowl to whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, banana pudding mix, and salt.
STEP FOUR: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet mixture. Stir until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
STEP FIVE: Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, carefully pouring and spreading it into an even layer.
STEP SIX: Bake the brownie bars until the edges are a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center only shows a few crumbs. This usually takes about 35 minutes.
STEP SEVEN: Remove from the oven and keep the brownies in the pan to cool completely. Once cool, use the parchment paper to remove and then slice into your desired size.
STEP EIGHT: Fit your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Add the heavy cream to the bowl and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, until thick and foamy.
STEP NINE: Next, add in the instant pudding mix and continue to beat for another 1-2 minutes until stiff peaks form.
STEP TEN: Either pipe or spread the whipped banana cream onto the brownies and then sprinkle with crushed Nilla Wafers.
Can I use overripe bananas for banana pudding brownies?
Just like banana bread recipes, this banana pudding brownies recipe is perfect for using up bananas that are slightly past their prime.
Overripe bananas are fine; you just want to be sure they aren’t rotten.
Brown and black skin on the outside is fine, but if you smell any odd, fermented smells or see any fluid leaking from the banana, go ahead and toss them.
Can I use banana extract instead of fresh bananas?
While banana extract is a great way to add banana flavor to a recipe, it doesn’t quite work as a replacement for fresh.
Ripe, mashed bananas add flavor, and they also help bind ingredients together and add lots of moisture.
Between the fresh fruit and banana pudding mix, these brownies are already bursting with yummy banana goodness.
Can I use a different type of flour for this banana pudding brownies recipe?
If you want to experiment with whole wheat flour, almond flour, a gluten free baking mix, or any other alternative flour, feel free. With a few tweaks, you can also make these brownies with a cake mix.
Just be aware that, with any changes, the taste and texture of your blondie brownies might be altered.
For example, flours like almond or coconut could leave you with extra dense brownies. Have fun experimenting, and please let me know how it goes!
How do you keep pudding brownies soft?
To keep your banana pudding brownies soft, transfer them to a Ziploc bag or other airtight container, using parchment paper in between layers. Add a piece of fresh sandwich bread on top of the brownies before sealing the container.
The moisture from the bread will spread to the leftover brownies, keeping them moist and soft. It may seem like an odd solution, but I promise it works!
How should I store my banana pudding brownies?
Once cooled and sliced, banana pudding brownies should be transferred to an airtight container. Since they are made without cream cheese or milk, they can safely stay at room temperature for 1-2 days without the whipped topping.
After that, these brownie bars will stay good for about 5 days in the refrigerator or about 3 months in the freezer.
Due to its dairy content, put any leftover topping — or brownies with the added topping — in the refrigerator as soon as possible.
Banana Pudding Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup mashed ripe banana
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup instant banana pudding mix
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For topping
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons instant banana pudding mix
- 2 tablespoons crushed nilla wafers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and light brown sugar until combined and smooth.
- Add the mashed banana, egg, and vanilla extract and whisk until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, banana pudding mix, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until combined– you don’t want to overmix!
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out into an even layer.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- Allow the blondies to cool completely in the pan.
- Once cool, remove them from the pan using the parchment and slice them into your desired-size brownies.
For the topping:
- Add the cold heavy cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until it is thick and foamy– about 1 minute.
- Next, add the instant pudding mix and beat until it forms stiff peaks– another 1-2 minutes.
- Spread or pipe the whipped cream onto the blondies and sprinkle over the crushed nilla wafers.
- Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Make sure to use instant (not cook-and-serve) pudding mix.
