Craving a banana pudding cheesecake that tastes like childhood nostalgia meets fancy dessert? This creamy, dreamy recipe combines a buttery Nilla wafer crust, silky banana cheesecake filling, and all the nostalgic toppings you love — and yes, it’s every bit as good as it sounds.
There’s something about banana pudding that just feels like home, right? I took that classic comfort food energy and mashed it (literally — with ripe bananas) into the most luscious cheesecake you’ve ever tasted.
If you’ve been searching for the perfect banana cheesecake recipe, your search ends here. Fair warning: you will be asked to make this again. And again.
Table of Contents
What Makes This Banana Pudding Cheesecake So Good
This isn’t just a banana cheesecake dessert — it’s a full-on experience. You’ve got a buttery, crunchy Nilla wafer crust that tastes like the bottom of a banana pudding bowl (the best part, obviously), a thick and creamy filling loaded with real mashed banana and banana cream pudding mix, and a fluffy whipped cream topping with fresh banana slices and more Nilla wafers piled on top.
It’s rich without being too heavy, intensely banana-flavored without tasting artificial, and completely showstopping. Whether it’s for a birthday, a holiday, or a Tuesday when you just need something spectacular — this delivers.
Banana Pudding Cheesecake
Equipment
- 9-inch springform pan
- Food processor
- mixing bowls
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- Roasting pan
- aluminum foil
Ingredients
Nilla Wafer Crust
- 3 cups Nilla wafers, crushed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Banana Pudding Cheesecake Filling
- 32 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup mashed ripe banana
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 box banana cream pudding mix instant
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
Optional Toppings
- 2 cups whipped cream
- 1-2 bananas sliced
- 10-20 Nilla wafers
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Mix crushed Nilla wafers, sugar, and melted butter. Press into a springform pan and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the water bath.
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add mashed banana and sour cream, mixing well. Add sugar, pudding mix, and vanilla, and mix until combined.
- Lightly beat eggs and mix into the filling on low speed until just combined.
- Wrap the pan in foil, place in a roasting pan, pour filling over crust, and add boiling water around it.
- Bake for 70–80 minutes until edges are set and center slightly jiggles. Turn off oven, crack door, and cool inside for 1 hour.
- Cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 5–6 hours or overnight.
- Top with whipped cream, banana slices, and Nilla wafers before serving.
Notes
Ingredients
Nilla Wafer Crust
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Whole Nilla wafers, crushed | 3 cups (180g / 1⅔ cups crushed) |
| Granulated sugar | ¼ cup (50g) |
| Unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled | 5 tablespoons (70g) |
Banana Pudding Cheesecake Filling
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature | 32 oz (4 blocks / 905g) |
| Mashed ripe banana | 1 cup (2 large ripe bananas / 250g) |
| Full-fat sour cream, room temperature | ½ cup (115g) |
| Granulated sugar | 1 cup (200g) |
| Dry instant banana cream pudding mix (NOT cook & serve) | 1 (3.4 oz) box |
| Pure vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon |
| Large eggs, room temperature | 4 |
Optional Toppings
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Whipped cream or whipped topping | 2 cups |
| Bananas, sliced | 1–2 |
| Nilla wafers | 10–20 |
How to Make Banana Pudding Cheesecake
Step 1: Make the Nilla Wafer Crust
Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Now for the most satisfying part — crushing those Nilla wafers. Toss them in a food processor until they’re fine crumbs, or seal them in a ziplock bag and go to town with a rolling pin (great stress relief, 10/10 recommend).
Mix the crushed wafers with the granulated sugar, then stir in the melted butter until every crumb is coated and it looks like wet sand. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the springform pan — use the bottom of a measuring cup for a nice even layer.
Bake for 10 minutes, then pull it out and let it cool while you prep the filling. Keep that oven at 325°F!
Step 2: Get Your Water Bath Ready
Before you dive into the filling, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. You’ll need this for the water bath, which is the secret to a crack-free, silky cheesecake. Don’t skip this step — I promise it’s easier than it sounds.
Step 3: Make the Cheesecake Filling
In the bowl of your stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the softened cream cheese on low-medium speed until it’s perfectly smooth — about 1 to 2 minutes. Key word: softened. Cold cream cheese = lumpy filling, and we don’t want that.
Add the mashed banana and sour cream, mixing until fully combined. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed — don’t let sneaky lumps hide in the corners! Then add the granulated sugar, banana cream pudding mix, and vanilla extract, and mix until just combined, about 30 to 60 seconds.
Pro tip: Using instant pudding mix (not cook & serve!) is what gives this banana cheesecake that unmistakable banana pudding flavor. Don’t swap it out!
In a separate small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add them to the filling and mix on low speed until just combined — overmixing at this stage can cause your cheesecake to crack. Use a rubber spatula to fold everything together and make sure it’s fully mixed.
Step 4: Wrap the Pan and Bake
Here’s where you channel your inner sous chef. Wrap the outside of the springform pan with 2–3 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, then place the whole thing inside an oven bag and roll the sides down. This double-protection method keeps water from sneaking into your cheesecake during the water bath.
Pour the filling into the pan over the cooled crust and smooth it out into an even layer. Place the wrapped springform pan into a large roasting pan, then carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches about 1 inch up the sides.
Step 5: Bake Low and Slow
Slide the whole setup into the oven and bake for 70 to 80 minutes. The edges should look set and puffed, but the center should still have a little jiggle to it — like a gentle wobble, not a full wave. That’s exactly what you want!
Turn the oven off, crack the door open just a little, and let the cheesecake cool in the warm oven for a full hour. This slow cool-down prevents cracks. Patience is a virtue, and in this case, it’s also a really beautiful cheesecake.
Step 6: Chill and Assemble
After the hour in the oven, transfer the cheesecake to a wire rack to cool completely. Then cover it tightly and refrigerate for at least 5 to 6 hours — overnight is even better if you can wait.
Once fully chilled, run a thin knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it, then carefully release the springform pan. Now for the fun part: pile on the whipped cream, arrange those fresh banana slices, and tuck Nilla wafers all around the edges. It looks like it came from a bakery. Because it did — yours.
Expert Tips for the Best Banana Cheesecake Dessert
Use Room Temperature Ingredients
This is non-negotiable. Cold cream cheese, eggs, or sour cream will result in a lumpy, uneven filling. Pull everything out of the fridge at least an hour before you start. If you forgot, you can speed things up by placing your cream cheese blocks in warm (not hot) water for 15 minutes.
The Riper the Banana, the Better
For maximum banana flavor, use bananas that are spotty and very ripe — almost to the point where you’d normally make banana bread. The natural sugars are more concentrated, which means better flavor in your banana pudding cheesecake filling. It really makes a difference!
Don’t Overmix After Adding the Eggs
Once those eggs go in, switch to low speed and mix only until combined. Overbeating incorporates too much air, which can cause the cheesecake to puff up and then sink or crack as it cools. Gentle is the word here.
Variations to Try
No-bake version: If you want a lighter, no-fuss take on this banana cheesecake recipe, check out this no-bake chocolate orange cheesecake for inspiration on adapting the technique.
Graham cracker crust: Not a Nilla wafer fan? (Honestly though, why?) A classic graham cracker crust works beautifully too.
Chocolate drizzle: A little melted chocolate drizzled over the top takes this from great to absolutely unhinged in the best way.
Troubleshooting
My Cheesecake Cracked
Don’t panic — it still tastes amazing! A few reasons this might happen: the oven temperature was too high, the cheesecake cooled too quickly, or the eggs were overmixed. Next time, double-check your foil wrap so the water bath stays intact. And remember — the whipped cream topping hides a multitude of baking sins.
The Center Is Too Soft
If the center isn’t setting up after baking, it likely needed a few more minutes in the oven. A slightly jiggly center is fine — it will firm up as it chills. But a very liquid center means it needed more time. Every oven is different, so start checking at the 70-minute mark.
Storage Instructions
| Storage Method | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator (covered) | Up to 5 days | Store without toppings for best results |
| Freezer (without toppings) | Up to 2 months | Wrap tightly in plastic wrap + foil |
| Room temperature | 2 hours max | Don’t leave out longer than this |
Reheating Tips
This cheesecake is best served cold straight from the fridge — no reheating needed! If you froze it, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Add fresh toppings after thawing.
No-Waste Kitchen Ideas
Got leftover Nilla wafers? Crush them over vanilla ice cream or layer them into frozen Greek yogurt blueberry bites for a fun snack. Overripe bananas that didn’t make it into the cheesecake? Freeze them for smoothies or use them in your next bake.
Nutritional Information
Per slice (based on 12 slices, without optional toppings)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~520 kcal |
| Total Fat | 35g |
| Saturated Fat | 20g |
| Cholesterol | 155mg |
| Sodium | 380mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 45g |
| Sugars | 32g |
| Protein | 8g |
These are estimates. Exact values will vary based on brands used.
Banana Pudding Cheesecake FAQs
Can I make banana pudding cheesecake ahead of time?
Absolutely — and actually, you should! This cheesecake gets even better after an overnight chill in the fridge. Make it the day before your event, add the toppings right before serving, and you’re golden. It’s the perfect make-ahead banana cheesecake dessert for entertaining.
Can I use banana extract instead of real bananas?
You could, but I’d really encourage you not to. Real mashed banana gives this cheesecake a natural, fresh flavor that extract just can’t fully replicate. The combination of fresh banana plus the instant pudding mix is what makes the flavor so layered and authentic. Stick with the real stuff!
Do I really need a water bath for this banana cheesecake recipe?
Yes, and here’s why: the water bath keeps the oven environment moist and regulates the temperature around the cheesecake, which helps it bake evenly and prevents those dreaded cracks. The foil + oven bag method makes it foolproof, I promise.
Can I use low-fat cream cheese?
You can, but the texture won’t be as rich and creamy. Full-fat brick-style cream cheese is what gives this cheesecake its dense, luscious body. If you’re looking for lighter dessert inspo, you might enjoy these lemon crumb bars instead — equally delicious, a little lighter!
Ready to Make This?
If you’re a fan of banana desserts, this banana pudding cheesecake is going to become your absolute go-to. It’s the kind of dessert that makes people go quiet for a second after the first bite — in the best possible way.
Give it a try and let me know how it turns out in the comments below! And if you love it (you will), please share it on Pinterest — it helps more banana pudding fans find this recipe, and honestly it photographs beautifully so your feed will thank you.
Craving more sweet treats? You might also love these lemon poppy seed cupcakes or this refreshing Italian chopped salad to balance out all that cheesecake indulgence!
