Banana Pudding Cheesecake
A New York style cheesecake built around real mashed bananas on a Nilla wafer crust — the flavor of Southern banana pudding in cheesecake form.
- Prep Time
- 30 min
- Cook Time
- 1 hr 15 min
- Total Time
- 5 hr 45 min
- Servings
- 12 servings
If you're from the South, you know Banana Pudding is not something we mess around with — it has to be good, or it's not worth serving. This cheesecake takes that same seriousness and turns it into a slice.
It still surprises me how fast this one sells out at Krafty Draft Brew Pub, and how many people request a whole cheesecake in this flavor for a birthday. The real mashed banana keeps the filling from tasting overly sweet or rich, and you get to decide how smooth or chunky you want the texture by how much you mash the bananas down.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 1/2 cups Nilla wafer crumbs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling
- 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup mashed bananas (very ripe)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon banana extract
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
For the Topping
- 4 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed
- Nilla wafers
Instructions
- 1Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Double-wrap the outside of a 9 inch springform pan with heavy duty aluminum foil and place inside a 12 inch cake pan.
- 2Toss the Nilla wafer crumbs in a small bowl, add the melted butter, and mix with your hands until combined. Press evenly along the bottom of the springform pan.
- 3Bake the crust for 7 minutes, then remove and set aside.
- 4In a standing mixer, beat 8 oz. cream cheese, the cornstarch, and 2/3 cup sugar at medium speed until smooth. Add another 8 oz. cream cheese with 1/3 cup sugar and beat until smooth, then add the remaining cream cheese and sugar and beat until smooth.
- 5Slow the mixer to stirring speed, add the extracts and eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides between additions.
- 6With the mixer on stirring speed, slowly add the mashed bananas and heavy cream, mixing just until combined — do not overmix.
- 7Spoon the batter into the springform pan on top of the crust and spread into an even layer.
- 8Pour warm water into the larger cake pan to create a water bath, coming up at least 1 inch around the springform pan (this prevents cracks).
- 9Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes, until lightly browned on top.
- 10Remove from the oven, pull the springform pan out of the water bath, and cool on a rack for about 4 hours. Remove the foil.
- 11Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to set.
- 12Release the springform sides, flip the cheesecake onto a flat surface to remove the pan bottom, then flip back onto a serving plate.
- 13Cut into slices with a sharp, straight-edged knife, wiping the blade between cuts. Garnish with whipped topping and Nilla wafers.
Tips
- You control the texture by how much you mash the bananas — mash smooth for a silky filling, or leave a few small chunks if you like more texture.
Storage & Reheating
Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Love this recipe? You'll love All I Want Is Cheesecake Cookbook
Over 75 New York–style cheesecake recipes, from classic flavors to fun, happy-hour-inspired twists. Beginner-friendly and dangerously easy to fall in love with.
