Melanie’s Banana Pudding Dessert

by | Aug 27, 2022 | Bread & Cake Recipe

When we lived in Knoxville Tennessee, we had a favorite Mexican restaurant that  had the BEST fajitas you have ever had.  Even more than the fajitas, the banana pudding for dessert was one of the things that kept us coming back.  It was the best stuff.   Sadly, the one in Knoxville closed up one day.  It didn’t stop us from getting our favorites though.  We would spend a Saturday and drive up to the one in Columbus Ohio just to get our fix.  Yes, we take our food pretty seriously.

We haven’t lived near one for awhile, so it has been years since we had their banana pudding.  One day while we were at a church function, we tried a banana pudding that a friend had brought.  We all immediately said it reminded us very much of our long lost favorite.  It wasn’t made the same but the taste was very familar.  I immediately asked my friend Melanie for the recipe.  Believe me, I was ready to beg and plead for it.  She happily gave it to me and we LOVE her for it.  She got the recipe from somewhere else, but for us it will always be Melanie’s Banana Pudding Dessert.  What’s even better, it is low fat too!

THANK YOU Melanie!!  You have made us a very happy family!  🙂

Melanie’s Banana Pudding Dessert

Author: Shari Blogs – All Things Simple & Delicious :

Ingredients

  • 24 reduced fat Nilla wafers, finely crushed
  • 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 pkg. (8oz) Neufchatel Cream Cheese, softened
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tubs Cool Whip Fat Free, thawed
  • 6 medium ripe bananas
  • 3 cups fat free milk
  • 2 pkgs (4 oz serving) Jello Vanilla Fat/Sugar Free instant pudding mix

Instructions

  1. Mix together the crushed Nilla wafers and melted butter in a small bowl.
  2. Press them firmly into the bottom of a greased 9×13 glass baking dish.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together the Neufchatel cheese and powdered sugar. Blend well.
  4. Gently stir in 1¼ of the Cool Whip containers
  5. Spoon this mixture evenly over the crust. Be careful when spreading.
  6. Cut bananas in half crosswise. Arrange them over the cheese mixture.
  7. Pour milk into a large mixing bowl. Add the dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisks with an electric mixer or by hand for 2 minutes.
  8. Spoon over the bananas.
  9. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining Cool Whip over the top. Gently spread evenly.
  10. Refrigerate at least 3 hours (more is even better) before serving.
  11. Enjoy!!

Notes

This is one of my family’s favorite desserts. When I cut into squares to serve, I also add a Vanilla wafer to the top of the slice. Yum!!
I am working on creating another similar recipe to this that will be an even closer match to the one that we used to love.  I will hopefully be sharing that soon!  🙂