I love a good banana pudding, so I decided to turn my favorite pudding flavor into banana pudding cookies! I filled them with Nilla wafers, and my family just eats them all up!
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My Family Favorite Banana Pudding Cookie recipe
My son Connor is obsessed with banana pudding, but after he requested it almost every week, I knew I needed to change it up. And, my banana pudding cookies were the best way to do that.
Since he loves the taste of banana pudding, I wanted to resemble the flavor and look as much as possible. He always has Nilla wafers on top of it, so I even kept those in for the added sweet flavor!
Plus, Connor still gets to help me put my banana pudding cookie recipe together by crushing the Nilla wafers in a Ziploc bag and hitting the bag with a rolling pin. He says it makes him feel strong, and it’s less work for me.
And if you love good banana recipes, try my recipes for 3 ingredient banana pudding, bananas foster pancakes, banana bread using cake mix, banana pudding brownies, and banana pudding cake.
Banana Pudding Cookies Recipe Ingredients
- Butter – I use unsalted butter so I can better control the salt in my recipe.
- Sugars – I use a mix of regular and brown sugar to bring my cookies their sweetness. While only regular sugar can be substituted, I prefer the added hint of molasses flavor that brown sugar gives.
- Banana pudding mix – Instant pudding is needed to gives the cookies some volume. I find it works similar to adding cornstarch to cookies, but this mix gives that boost of banana flavor.
- Eggs – Acts as a binder to keep the dough together.
- Vanilla – Banana and vanilla just taste amazing together and I like the taste with the mix of the two.
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour for the base of the cookies.
- Salt – Salt always enhances the natural flavors of the other ingredients. If I end up using salted butter, I omit the added salt.
- Baking soda and baking powder – I use both in my recipe to help the cookies rise evenly.
- White chocolate chips – I love the addition the chocolate gives to the cookies. Regular semi-sweet chocolate chips can be substituted, but I like the white chocolate in these best.
- Nilla wafer cookies – My favorite part of my recipe! These add some crunch and banana pudding flavor. While they can be omitted, I love them!
How to Make Banana Pudding Cookies
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 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In a separate, larger bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
STEP THREE: Add the dry pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract to the bowl, and continue mixing until it’s well combined.
STEP FOUR: Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix the dough!
STEP FIVE: Fold in the white chocolate chips and ¾ cup of the Nilla wafers. The dough should feel thick — exactly like it should be at this point.
STEP SIX: Scoop the cookie dough onto the parchment-lined cookie sheets and gently press the remaining Nilla wafers into each banana pudding cookie. Bake them for 10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown and the centers are still soft.
STEP SEVEN: Place the cookie sheet on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips for the Best Banana Pudding Cookie Recipe
- I cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy to get the right texture. It can take a few minutes!
- I always use softened butter. I like to soften it on the counter, but also use the softened butter option in my microwave in a pinch. Just don’t let the butter melt!
- Don’t overmix the dough! This is so important that I have to mention it twice. Overmixed cookie dough will lead to tough cookies. When I add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, I mix only until just combined.
- Watch the baking time. My cookies are done when the edges turn golden brown, and the centers are still soft.
Banana Pudding Cookie Variations and Substitutions
- Skip the brown sugar and just use regular sugar. My cookies still taste fantastic with just granulated sugar, but will lose that hint of molasses from the brown sugar.
- Use salted butter instead of unsalted butter. I love to control the amount of salt in my recipes, but when I only have salted butter, I just omit the extra salt.
- I use different kinds of chips. While white chocolate chips are my favorite in this recipe, I’ve also had success with semi-sweet chocolate chips and even dark chocolate chunks!
- I love to add in some nuts for an added crunch. I’ve tried pecans, almonds, and chopped peanuts.
- Use graham crackers instead of Nilla wafers. It still brings that crunch in! I’ve even made the cookies without the wafers and it still tastes full of banana pudding flavor.
Banana Pudding Brownies FAQs
How to store leftovers of my banana pudding cookies recipe
I let the cookies cool completely, then place them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. They will store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Can I use regular pudding mix instead of instant pudding?
No, I do not recommend using cook and serve pudding mix instead of instant. The instant pudding includes ingredients to thicken up the cookies exactly as they are intended. Using the cook and serve kind can affect the texture and consistency of the cookies.
Can I use fresh bananas instead of pudding mix?
I love using fresh fruits in my baking, but adding extra moisture can mess with the texture of the cookie. I recommend baking these cookies exactly as listed to get the best results.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Hershey kiss cookies
- Oreo fluff recipe
- Pineapple dump cake
- Cool whip fruit dip
- 3 ingredient peanut butter balls
- Canned peach pie
Easy Banana Pudding Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar lightly packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3.4 ounces banana instant pudding mix
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup Nilla wafer cookies crushed and divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
- Add the dry pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract, and continue mixing until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined, making sure not to over mix the dough.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips and ¾ cup of the Nilla pieces. The dough will feel quite thick (this is the correct consistency).
- Scoop even mounds of the cookie dough onto the parchment-lined cookie sheets, making sure to space them out by 1 inch.
- Gently press the remaining Nilla pieces into each cookie.
- Bake them for 10 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown and the cookies are still soft in the center.
- Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before enjoying.
Notes
- Cream the butter and sugars together for a few minutes until it gets a light and fluffy texture.
- Don’t overmix the dough! Overmixed cookie dough will lead to tough cookies. When you add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, mix only until just combined.
- The cookies are done when the edges turn golden brown, and the centers are still soft.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. They store in the freezer longer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
