This pudding is the ultimate fluffy and delicious pudding. Definitely not like your Mom’s pudding either. Remember when the pudding they made was sort of a heavy taste? Yeah, but we loved it then. This recipe will make it so that you will fall in love all over again! This is also called Chessman pudding. Or Nilla Pudding! This is a delightful dessert that is really so simple to make and will have everyone at the table screaming for more.
I have always considered this the best dessert in the Spring or Summer, however, I like this pudding so much that I think it should be eaten all year long. It is not as simple or plain as the puddings used to be. We change this up to give it a rich and decadent flavor. It is made with French Vanilla Pudding and cream cheese. You will also be using butter cookies and whipped topping.
I am sure that across the states you will find that there are many different variations to this recipe. This is the one that sticks out to me as being the most flavorful and yet definitely does not taste like my Mother’s Banana pudding. I have heard of people turning this into a chocolate flavored dessert and also some that made it into a fruity type dessert using jello mix and vanilla pudding. Those people swear by that for summertime.
TIPS AND TRICKS
- Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies were used in the basic recipe. It was delicious with the Chessmen cookies; however, some people prefer Nilla Wafers.
- Make sure your bananas are evenly sliced and evenly distributed over the wafers. The original recipe called for 6-8 bananas, and I believe I used roughly that many the first time I made it.
- Using a handheld mixer, thoroughly mix together the milk and pudding mix. I have discovered that using two small boxes and three cups of milk results in a great pudding texture. It is flawlessly set!
- Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture, then stir the cream cheese and pudding mixtures until fully blended. Drizzle this over the cookies and bananas, then top with the rest of the cookies.
- Store the banana pudding in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Begin with ripe, fresh bananas. Ideally, firm bananas, as the bananas will soften even more while the recipe sets in the fridge. If you do not like bananas, you can easily replace them with another fruit of your choosing! Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and other berries can also be used in this recipe.
- Folding: Do not worry if you are not familiar with this method. All folding entails is slowly mixing two batches together as if they were being folded into one another. It is a trick for keeping your mixture light and soft!
- The most difficult aspect of this recipe is waiting for it to set. Allow for at least 2 hours of chilling time so that everything firms up and does not turn into an oozy mess. It would be even great if they could stay the night in the fridge.
- Feel free to play around with the layers and use your favourite types of pudding! You can use a variety of flavours, such as butterscotch, chocolate, and caramel.
- The most effective approach to thicken pudding without adding extra thickeners is to keep track of how much you are mixing it up. It can get overly watery if you mix it too aggressively. The ingredients will not combine properly if you mix it too lightly. Trying to figure out how much mixing you should do to bring the pudding to the appropriate thickness might be time consuming. It could be that you read a recipe wrong and somewhat messed up the ingredients for some individuals, rather than the manner you mix the pudding. If you are dealing with a pudding dish for the first time, pay attention to how often and how aggressively you mix the pudding.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Do I need to use French Vanilla pudding mix?
That is the flavor that we are using for this recipe. If you use banana flavored pudding, it will end up tasting just like your mothers pudding.
- Can I leave out the Cream Cheese?
Again, it is part of what makes this pudding taste so good. If you leave it out, it will not taste the same. If you leave it out, it will be french vanilla pudding.
- Chessman cookies are expensive, can I use a different type of cookie?
I understand that, yes you are able to use different butter flavored cookies if you would like. I have used Nilla wafers and found that they work just as well as the Chessman cookies.
- Why do bananas turn black in banana pudding?
When bananas come into contact with air, they become black. The more time your banana pudding stays in the refrigerator, the more probable the bananas will darken. It is okay to eat them like this; they just are not as appealing. However, by laying the bananas in the middle of the pudding rather than on top, they are exposed to less air.
- How do I store this recipe?
This banana pudding will last approximately 2 days in the fridge. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap or store it in a sealed container. This dish can be frozen for up to 2 months, however the texture will alter slightly. Enclose the pan snugly in plastic wrap AND aluminium foil to keep the banana pudding fresh for up to two months, or move to an airtight container and freeze for up to two months. Place in the refrigerator overnight to defrost until ready to serve.
- What category of milk should I use for this pudding?
Any kind will suffice! It does not matter if it is dairy or not. Since I prefer a stiffer pudding, I normally use far less milk than the pudding package suggests, but feel free to follow the directions on the pudding package completely.
- Can I make this in advance?
Yes! I would suggest preparing this dish a day ahead of time so it can properly set! This dish can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead of time, however it should be consumed within two days for the best effects. Make sure the bananas are totally covered in the pudding mixture so they do not get any air.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE BANANA PUDDING?
2 bags of Chessman Cookies
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
1 small box of French Vanilla, instant pudding mix
2 cups milk
8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
12 ounces whipped topping, such as Cool Whip
HOW TO MAKE BANANA PUDDING?
FIRST STEP:
Line the bottom of a 13×9 baking pan with one package of Chessman Cookies.
Place a layer of sliced bananas on top of the cookies
SECOND STEP:
In a large bowl, combine the pudding mix and the milk and combine well.
In another bowl mix the cream cheese with the sweetened condensed milk and mix that well
THIRD STEP:
Using a spoon, gently fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.
Add the cream cheese mixture into the pudding mixture and stir until combined
FOURTH STEP:
Pour the mix over the bananas and cookies in the pan and then place another layer of cookies over the top.
Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
How To Serve?
Naturally, this is amazing on its own, but if you want to make it even more decadent, smear chocolate sauce all over the top. Chocolate and bananas go together like a dream. I am having a hard time not eating this right out of the pan!
CONCLUSION
One bag of cookies should be used to line the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish, and bananas should be layered on top. Add milk and pudding mix in a mixing bowl and beat well with an electric mixer. Mix together cream cheese and condensed milk in a separate dish until smooth. Next, fold in the whipped topping. Stir the cream cheese mixture into the pudding until it is completely blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas, then top with the rest of the cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
The most difficult part of making this dish is waiting for the pudding to set! This is not your run-of-the-mill pudding, either. When it comes to flavour, richness, and creaminess, this recipe is unrivalled. Whatever you are looking for in a banana pudding, you will find it in this recipe. Serve this to someone who you are trying to win over.
No-bake desserts are always handy to have on hand. It can not get much easier than this for a dessert: you do not even need to turn on the oven! This Chessman banana pudding is ridiculously easy to prepare and incredibly tasty.
The perfect fluffy, delicate, and velvety banana pudding recipe, Not My Mom’s Banana Pudding (or Chessman Banana Pudding), will be the only one you will ever need!
NOT MY MOM’S BANANA PUDDING

Ingredients
- 2 bags of Chessman Cookies
- 6 to 8 bananas, sliced
- 1 small box of French Vanilla, instant pudding mix
- 2 cups milk
- 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 12 ounces whipped topping, such as Cool Whip
Instructions
FIRST STEP:
Line the bottom of a 13×9 baking pan with one package of Chessman Cookies.
Place a layer of sliced bananas on top of the cookies
SECOND STEP:
In a large bowl, combine the pudding mix and the milk and combine well.
In another bowl mix the cream cheese with the sweetened condensed milk and mix that well
THIRD STEP:
Using a spoon, gently fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.
Add the cream cheese mixture into the pudding mixture and stir until combined
FOURTH STEP:
Pour the mix over the bananas and cookies in the pan and then place another layer of cookies over the top.
Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 285Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 132mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 2gSugar: 22gProtein: 4g
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