Banana Pudding Cheesecake

Banana Pudding Cheesecake has a Vanilla Wafer crust and a creamy banana filling flavored with fresh bananas and brown sugar. Makes a showstopper dessert.

This creamy dessert flavored with fresh banana is a combination of two of my favorite desserts- cheesecake and banana pudding. I’m a huge fan of banana pudding anything and everything. In the past I’ve made Banana Pudding Pancakes, Banana Pudding Bars, Banana Pudding Cupcakes, Banana Pudding Cake, Twinkie Banana Pudding and Banana Pudding Ice Cream.

Banana Pudding Cheesecake starts off with a vanilla wafer crust – because it’s not banana pudding without nilla wafers 🙂 . Just to make sure there’s enough Nilla Wafer goodness a ring of whole vanilla wafers is placed along the circumference of the springform pan. If you wanted even more vanilla wafers in your Banana Pudding Cheesecake, you could also do a layer of them in the middle of the filling.

INGREDIENTS

2 blocks (16 oz.) cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sugar
2 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 3/4 c. whole milk
1 prepared graham cracker crust
3 bananas, sliced, plus more slices for garnish
30 Nilla Wafers, plus more for garnish
Whipped cream or Cool Whip, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Make cheesecake filling: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese until fluffy and no clumps remain.
Add sugar and beat until combined. Add heavy cream and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk. Let pudding stand for 3 minutes in the fridge until thickened. Fold into cheesecake mixture until combined.
Pour half the filling into graham cracker crust. Add a single layer of sliced bananas and Nilla Wafers (23 total), then pour over remaining half of mixture. Smooth top and garnish with crushed Nillas.
Refrigerate until cheesecake is firm, at least 6 hours and up to overnight. (If the cheesecake stills feels too soft to slice, transfer to the freeze for up to 1 hour.)
Before serving, top with dollops of whipped cream or Cool Whip around the border of the cheesecake. Top each dollop with a banana slice and Nilla wafer, then garnish the whole cheesecake with more Nilla Wafers
source : Allrecipes.com