Banana Pudding Cookies Recipe
This banana pudding cookies recipe combines instant banana pudding mix, vanilla wafers, and white chocolate for soft, nostalgic cookies everyone loves!
The Perfect Bite in Cookie Form
This banana pudding cookies recipe transforms classic Southern banana pudding into soft, chewy cookies studded with broken vanilla wafers and white chocolate chips—each bite delivers creamy banana flavor, vanilla wafer crunch, and melty white chocolate sweetness that tastes exactly like your favorite dessert in handheld form.
I’ll never forget the first time I turned my grandma’s famous banana pudding into cookies. She thought I was crazy, but after one bite, she grabbed the recipe card from my hands! These banana pudding flavored cookies capture everything magical about the classic dessert—that creamy banana flavor, the crunch of vanilla wafers, the sweet surprise of white chocolate—all baked into perfectly soft cookies.
If you’re obsessed with nostalgic desserts like I am, you’ll also love our easy strawberry cheesecake banana pudding that takes the classic up a notch.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Banana Pudding Cookies Recipe
Banana pudding cookies are about to become your new favorite batch for good reason. They’re ridiculously easy—no chilling required, which means you can go from craving to cookie in under 30 minutes.
The secret ingredient? Instant banana pudding mix gives these cookies an authentic, creamy banana flavor without any mushy bananas that can throw off your dough texture.
I tested this recipe seven times (my husband wasn’t complaining) to get the perfect ratio of crispy vanilla wafer pieces to melty white chocolate. The wafers stay crunchy even after baking, giving you that essential texture contrast. Plus, these cookies stay soft for days, which is a minor miracle in the cookie world.
According to King Arthur Baking, adding pudding mix to cookie dough doesn’t just add flavor—it also contributes extra starch that keeps cookies tender and prevents them from spreading too thin. Smart, right? If you’re looking for more creative cookie combos, check out our white chocolate and raspberry cookies for another unexpected flavor pairing.
Nutritional Peek
| Per Cookie | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 165 |
| Protein | 2g |
| Carbs | 22g |
| Fat | 8g |
Ingredients for Banana Pudding Cookies with Vanilla Wafers
These banana pudding cookies with vanilla wafers come together with pantry staples and one special box of pudding mix. Here’s everything you’ll need to create 24 cookies that’ll disappear faster than you can say “just one more.”
| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | salted butter, softened |
| 3/4 cup (150g) | brown sugar |
| 1/4 cup (50g) | granulated sugar |
| 2 large | eggs |
| 2 teaspoons | vanilla extract |
| 2 3/4 cups (388g) | all-purpose flour |
| 1 (3.4-ounce) box | instant banana pudding mix (This is the magic ingredient!) |
| 1 teaspoon | baking soda |
| 1/2 teaspoon | salt |
| 1 cup | broken up Nilla Wafers (Break them into bite-sized pieces, not crumbs) |
| 1/2 cup | white chocolate chips, plus more for decorating |
Pro tip: I always grab an extra handful of vanilla wafers for “quality control” taste testing. Just me?
Equipment You’ll Need
Essential tools:
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- Two baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Small cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons)
- Rubber spatula
Optional but helpful:
- Wire cooling rack
- Kitchen scale for precise measuring
Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Banana Pudding Cookies
Let’s walk through this banana pudding cookies recipe together—it’s easier than you think, and I’ll share all my little tricks along the way.
Prep your oven and pans. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Don’t skip the parchment—it prevents sticking and gives you evenly browned bottoms without any burnt spots.
Cream the butter and sugars. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer) for 2-3 minutes until the mixture looks light, fluffy, and almost mousse-like. This step incorporates air that keeps your cookies tender rather than dense and flat.
Add eggs and vanilla. Crack in the eggs and pour in the vanilla extract, then beat again, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl with your spatula. (Cookie dough loves to hide in those corners!)
Mix in the dry ingredients. Add the all-purpose flour, instant banana pudding mix, baking soda, and salt all at once, then mix just until you don’t see any dry flour streaks—overmixing develops too much gluten and creates tough, chewy cookies instead of soft, tender ones.
Fold in the fun stuff. Add your broken Nilla Wafers and white chocolate chips, then switch to a spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold them in. This prevents crushing the wafer pieces and ensures even distribution throughout the dough.
Scoop and decorate. Use a small cookie scoop to portion mounds of dough onto your prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart so they have room to spread. Press a couple extra pieces of vanilla wafer and white chocolate chips into the top of each mound—this makes them look bakery-gorgeous.
Bake to perfection. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges look set and lightly golden but the centers still appear slightly underbaked and soft. The cookies will continue cooking on the hot pan after you remove them, so don’t overbake or they’ll turn crispy instead of chewy.
Add the finishing touch. Immediately after pulling the cookies from the oven, press a few additional white chocolate chips into the tops while they’re still warm and melty. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for 10 minutes to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Pro Tips & Guidance for Banana Pudding Flavored Cookies
Room temperature butter is non-negotiable. Your butter should be soft enough to leave a fingerprint but not so warm it’s greasy or melting. Room-temperature ingredients incorporate more evenly, creating a stable emulsion that gives you uniform texture throughout.
According to King Arthur Baking, a temperature difference greater than 10°C between ingredients can cause the batter to break, resulting in grainy, separated dough instead of smooth, cohesive cookies.
Break your wafers, don’t pulverize them. I like chunky, bite-sized pieces of vanilla wafers—about quarter-size. If you crush them into fine crumbs, they’ll just dissolve into the dough and you’ll lose that satisfying crunch.
Watch your baking time like a hawk. The difference between perfectly chewy and disappointingly dry is literally one minute. Set your timer for 8 minutes, then check every 30 seconds after that. The cookies should look barely set in the middle when you pull them out.
Chill shaped dough for extra-thick cookies. If you prefer thicker, bakery-style cookies, scoop your dough onto the baking sheets, then refrigerate the shaped cookies for 15-20 minutes before baking. Cold dough spreads less in the oven, giving you taller cookies with chewier centers.
Banana Pudding Cookies Recipe Troubleshooting Guide
Why are my cookies spreading too flat? Your butter was probably too warm, or you undermeasured the flour. Make sure your butter is properly softened (not melted), and consider spooning and leveling your flour rather than scooping directly from the bag, which compacts it and gives you less flour than the recipe needs.
What if my cookies turned out dry or cakey? You likely overbaked them by a minute or two. Remember, they continue cooking on the hot pan after removal, so pull them when they still look slightly underdone in the center. Also check that you didn’t add too much flour—measuring by weight (388g) is most accurate.
Can I use a different pudding flavor? Absolutely! Vanilla, cheesecake, or even chocolate pudding mix would work beautifully. Just keep the same amount (one 3.4-ounce box) and adjust your mix-ins accordingly—swap the vanilla wafers for graham crackers or chocolate cookies if you’d like.
My white chocolate chips aren’t melting on top—help! Press them into the cookies immediately after removing from the oven while they’re still piping hot. If they’ve cooled too much, pop the baking sheet back in the turned-off oven for 30 seconds to warm them up again.
Variations & Twists
Banana pudding cookies are incredibly versatile—here are my favorite ways to switch things up.
Chocolate lovers’ version: Swap half the white chocolate chips for semi-sweet chocolate chips, or add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to the dough for a banana-chocolate combo that’s absolutely addictive.
Gluten-free adaptation: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend (I like Bob’s Red Mill) in place of all-purpose flour. The pudding mix already contains starch, so the texture stays wonderfully soft. For more gluten-free baking guidance, explore our dedicated gluten-free cookie techniques article.
Peanut butter banana: Add 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter to the butter and sugar mixture for cookies that taste like an Elvis sandwich in the best possible way. You might need to add 2-3 tablespoons more flour to compensate for the extra moisture.
Toasted coconut upgrade: Fold in 1/2 cup toasted sweetened coconut flakes along with the wafers and white chocolate for a tropical twist that screams summer vacation.
Serving, Storage & Reheating
Serving these beauties: I love serving banana pudding cookies slightly warm with a cold glass of milk or alongside vanilla ice cream for the ultimate banana pudding sundae experience. They’re also perfect for potlucks, cookie exchanges, or bribing your kids to clean their rooms (no judgment here).
Storage secrets: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Tuck a slice of bread in the container—it releases moisture that keeps the cookies soft and chewy. If your cookies do firm up, microwave one for 8-10 seconds to restore that fresh-baked softness.
Can you freeze banana pudding cookies? Yes! Freeze baked and cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. You can also freeze scooped cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag and bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time. It’s like having fresh cookies on demand!
No-Waste Kitchen Magic
Leftover pudding mix: Use the rest of that pudding box to make actual banana pudding (shocker!), or stir a tablespoon into your morning yogurt for breakfast that tastes like dessert.
Broken wafer crumbs: Don’t toss those fine crumbs at the bottom of the bag! Sprinkle them over ice cream, mix into whipped cream, or use as a crust layer in our Crumbl cookie recipe adaptations.
Stale cookies (if that somehow happens): Crumble them over banana pudding, crush them into a crust for cheesecake, or blitz them in a food processor to make cookie butter—just add a bit of melted butter and blend until smooth.
FAQs About Banana Pudding Cookies
Can I make banana pudding cookie dough ahead of time?
Yes! You can refrigerate the dough in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Just let refrigerated dough sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before scooping and baking so it’s easier to work with.
What’s the best substitute for instant banana pudding mix?
If you can’t find banana pudding mix, use vanilla pudding mix plus 1/2 teaspoon banana extract. It won’t be quite as intensely banana-flavored, but it’ll still taste amazing. Cook-and-serve pudding won’t work here—you need the instant variety.
Why do my cookies have a weird aftertaste?
This occasionally happens if your pudding mix is old or has been stored in a humid environment. Check the expiration date and make sure you’re using instant (not cook-and-serve) pudding mix. Fresh pudding mix should smell sweet and slightly artificial in a good way.
Can I use homemade vanilla wafers instead of Nilla Wafers?
Absolutely! Just make sure they’re fully cooled and crisp before breaking them up. Homemade wafers sometimes have more moisture, so you might want to bake them an extra 2-3 minutes to ensure they stay crunchy in the cookie dough.
Time to Bake Up Some Magic
There you have it—the ultimate banana pudding cookies recipe that turns a beloved Southern classic into the cookie jar MVP. These tender, flavor-packed cookies prove that sometimes the best recipes come from thinking outside the (pudding) box. Go ahead, make a batch today, and I guarantee someone will ask you for the recipe before the cookies even cool.
I’d love to see your banana pudding cookies! Tag me on social media or drop a comment below telling me how yours turned out. Did you add any creative twists? What’s your favorite way to enjoy them?
Baked with love by Rebeccah Ellene
Banana Pudding Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Small cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons)
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar 150g
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50g
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 388g
- 1 box instant banana pudding mix 3.4-ounce box
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Nilla Wafers broken into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup white chocolate chips plus more for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Don’t skip the parchment—it prevents sticking and gives you evenly browned bottoms without any burnt spots.
- Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer) for 2-3 minutes until the mixture looks light, fluffy, and almost mousse-like. This step incorporates air that keeps your cookies tender rather than dense and flat.
- Crack in the eggs and pour in the vanilla extract, then beat again, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl with your spatula. Cookie dough loves to hide in those corners!
- Add the all-purpose flour, instant banana pudding mix, baking soda, and salt all at once, then mix just until you don’t see any dry flour streaks—overmixing develops too much gluten and creates tough, chewy cookies instead of soft, tender ones.
- Add your broken Nilla Wafers and white chocolate chips, then switch to a spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold them in. This prevents crushing the wafer pieces and ensures even distribution throughout the dough.
- Use a small cookie scoop to portion mounds of dough onto your prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart so they have room to spread. Press a couple extra pieces of vanilla wafer and white chocolate chips into the top of each mound—this makes them look bakery-gorgeous.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges look set and lightly golden but the centers still appear slightly underbaked and soft. The cookies will continue cooking on the hot pan after you remove them, so don’t overbake or they’ll turn crispy instead of chewy.
- Immediately after pulling the cookies from the oven, press a few additional white chocolate chips into the tops while they’re still warm and melty. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for 10 minutes to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
