Indulge in the ultimate dessert experience with our no bake Banana Pudding Cheesecake Squares with Brown Butter Vanilla Wafer Crust. Each bite offers a delightful combination of flavors and textures, making these bars a standout treat for any occasion.
Banana pudding is a classic dessert that combines whipped cream, banana pudding, and Nilla wafers. I've turned it on its head to make a sweet, no-bake banana pudding bars recipe that you'll love to make!
No bake equals no water bath for this cheesecake bar recipe! If you love cheesecake recipes, this is one the whole family will love.
Perfect for when it's hot out and you don't want to turn on the oven. I also love Coconut Chocolate Bars and Turtle Pie for a no-bake treat!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No-bake, so it's safe and easy for novices and kids alike.
- Banana cream cheesecake bars can be made ahead, making it easy to plan for events.
- The layers have all different textures, which is really fun in a dessert! You get creamy, crisp, and whipped all at once.
- I don't know about you, but I always need a new idea for those bananas ripening on the counter! Another great option is a loaf of Chocolate Espresso Banana Bread.
Recipe Ingredients
- Brown Butter - Make it fresh or a few days ahead of time then store it in the fridge. Brown butter brings a nutty toffy like flavor that is unmatched. Try it in Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies!
- Nilla Wafers - Find these classic cookies at your local grocery store. Simply put, these vanilla wafers are a vanilla flavored cookie. Save a little extra for the top of the cheesecake bars!
- Almond Extract - This gives a little bit of a different flavor to the crust that we love! Almond extract can be found in the spice aisle near the vanilla extract.
- Banana Pudding - I use the classic banana pudding instant pudding mix.
- Fresh Bananas - Use ripe bananas with some brown spots for a sweet flavor.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Traditional Graham cracker crust would be a delicious twist for the crust. Try cinnamon or chocolate graham crackers in place of the vanilla wafer cookies.
- Classic Banana pudding cheesecake bars are very banana-forward, but you could always try changing out your pudding to white chocolate, vanilla, or cheesecake flavors for a more subtle banana flavor.
- Make your own fresh whipped cream using heavy whipping cream, vanilla and powdered sugar in place of Cool Whip. I use fresh whipped cream in this Gingerbread Cream Pie!
- Find a homemade caramel sauce to drizzle over the top of these banana pudding cheesecake bars in this Apple Snack Cake recipe!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make Banana Cheesecake Bars
Step 1: Blend Nilla Wafers, brown butter, salt and almond extract in food processor until you have a fine crumb.
Step 2: Press cookie crumbs into a parchment paper lined 9x9 baking dish.
Step 3: Using an electric hand mixer, blend cream cheese in a large bowl on medium speed for 1 minute until smooth. Mix in banana pudding and vanilla extract.
Step 4: Mixture will look thick and have a yellow tint.
Step 5: Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat with butter. Once melted add brown sugar, fresh bananas and salt. Cook 3-4 minutes until bubbly and slightly caramelized. Cool banana mixture.
Step 6: Blend cooled mashed banana mixture into banana pudding mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Fold in whipped cream.
Step 7: Spread banana cheesecake filling into prepared pan then chill overnight.
Step 8: Cut creamy banana pudding cheesecake squares into desired size then top with whipped cream and leftover Nilla Wafers. Garnish with fresh banana slices if you'd like.
Love the flavor profile of brown butter? Once you've gotten the technique down, make baked banana bars with brown butter frosting!
The deep, caramelized flavor really adds to your dessert recipes. Enjoy cheesecake? Baked Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars will take you right into fall.
Expert Tips
- Don't walk away from your butter! It can quickly go from browned to burned. Make a little extra brown butter to use in Sweet Potato Pudding!
- Save a little whipped cream and cookies to top the no bake banana pudding cheesecake squares just before serving. This way the cookies won't get soggy.
- Fully cool banana butter mixture before adding to the cream cheese.
- Chill Banana Pudding Cheesecake Squares for at least 6 hours before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Melt your butter in a sauce pot over medium - low heat. Stir it occasionally to ensure even melting. Butter will start sputtering and crackling. This is normal, it's what you want. Start keeping a close eye on your butter at this point. Swirl butter around every 20 seconds or so. You can also stir it with a whisk or wooden spoon.
The butter will start to brown slightly on the bottom of the pan. You know the butter is ready when it "quiets down". Once it stops sputtering that's usually a good indicator that it's brown and ready to come off the heat. The butter should be a nice golden amber color. Immediately pour the butter out of the pan into a heat proof container and set it aside until needed. Go ahead and use a rubber spatula to get all of the butter and the brown specks too. Now you have brown butter!
Make these bars in a pan that includes a lid, use an airtight container or use plastic wrap to cover them. You absolutely want to make them ahead so they can chill and set, and then you can store them the same way for up to 3 days after making. I don't recommend adding toppings until serving.
I love nestling whole cookies on top of a spoon of whipped cream. You can also crumble cookies over the whipped topping. Toasted coconut is also a tasty combo! And of course, you can serve them as-is because the crust and cheesecake layers are divine on their own. You could even try topping these bars with Cheez-its or Muddy Buddies like my sweet and salty Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake recipe.
If you're in a hurry and don't have time to let the cream cheese come to room temperature on the counter, there's a quicker way! Remove cream cheese from foil wrapping, place in a microwave safe dish then heat in 30 second increments on 50% power in the microwave. Do this just until softened, do not heat it.
Overripe bananas are best. Yellow with brown spots. This will bring the most flavor and sugar to these banana pudding bars. This is the same type I use when baking breads like banana bread with almond and honey.
More Dessert Recipes You'll Love
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📖Recipe
Banana Pudding Cheesecake Squares
Equipment
- 1 9x9 baking pan
Ingredients
Crust
- 11 oz Nilla Wafers
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter browned
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Banana Pudding Cheesecake
- 24 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 3.4 oz banana pudding mix Jell-O brand
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 ripe bananas sliced into circles
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups cool whip refrigerated, not frozen
Optional Toppings
- 4 oz Nilla Wafers
- 1 cup cool whip refrigerated, not frozen
Instructions
Crust
- Blend Nilla Wafers, cooled brown butter, almond extract and salt in a food processor until you have a fine crumb. Firmly press crumbs into a parchment lined 9x9 baking pan. Place pan in the freezer while preparing filling.
Banana Pudding Cheesecake Filling
- Using an electric hand mixer, blend cream cheese on medium speed for 1 minute until smooth. Blend in banana pudding mix and vanilla extract.
- Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add brown sugar, bananas and salt. Cook 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally until bananas are bubbly and slightly caramelized. Allow mixture to cool.
- Add cooled bananas to food processor then blend until smooth
- Using the electric hand mixer, blend banana into cheesecake mixture then fold in whipped cream.
- Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan then refrigerate overnight.
- Cut banana pudding cheesecake squares into desired size then top with whipped cream and Nilla wafers
Amber
I really liked this recipe because it was really easy to follow and the supplies didn’t break my budget. It was a big hit at our Super Bowl party.
Krista Stechman
Thanks, Amber! Happy to hear that!
Emma
These were delicious!!
Krista
This easy no bake dessert brings back childhood memories! Creamy banana pudding cheesecake with Nilla wafer crust is soooo good!