Get ready to enjoy a slice of pure dessert perfection with this Banana Pudding Cheesecake recipe. This yummy dessert has a buttery vanilla wafer crust, a velvety cream cheese filling with ripe bananas, and a classic banana pudding topping.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 10-inch springform pan by spraying lightly with cooking spray.
Add the vanilla wafer cookies to a blender or a food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs.
In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, sugar, melted butter, and salt together. This should resemble damp sand.
Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared springform pan and press evenly into the pan. You can use the bottom of a flat glass or a flat measuring cup to really press it in well and get a nice, even crust.
Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Keep the oven on, as the cheesecake will bake at the same temperature.
Cheesecake Filling
Add the softened cream cheese to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer and beat with a paddle at medium/high speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat for a few seconds more.
Add the mashed banana and sour cream and mix at medium/low speed until just combined. Scrape the bowl again and mix for 30 seconds. Add in the sugar and pudding powder and mix until combined.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat on low speed until combined, about 30-60 seconds.
Bake The Cheesecake
Using 18-inch heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap the outside of the springform pan with four sheets of foil, ensuring the sheets are long enough to go up all sides of the pan. You can use regular foil, but it may take a couple more sheets to ensure the water does not get into the pan.
Place the wrapped pan in a deep roasting pan. You can alternatively use a baking sheet, so long as the sides are about 2 inches deep.
Add the cheesecake batter to the springform pan and smooth over the top of it.
Add very hot water to the baking pan until there is about 1 ½ inches of water around the springform pan. Carefully move the baking pan to a rack in the oven that is positioned in the lower third of the oven.
Bake for 1-1 ½ hours. After about an hour of baking, check the cheesecake’s consistency. A slight jiggle of the pan (while still in the oven) should tell you if it’s ready or needs more time. The cheesecake should be jiggly, but not liquid. If it seems very liquid still, give it 15 more minutes and check it again.
Once the cheesecake is fairly firm but still has a slight wobble, turn the oven off, but leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour or so, until the oven has cooled down. Resist the temptation to open the oven during this time! The purpose of this step is to allow the cheesecake to cool slowly as the oven cools. Doing this will prevent it from cracking, as one of the biggest reasons cheesecakes crack is the drastic temperature change going from the hot oven into the much cooler kitchen.
Once the oven and the cheesecake are cooled, remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil lining the pan.
Chill in the fridge for 4-6 hours, or overnight before serving. Prepare the second box of banana pudding according to the directions on the box and store it in the fridge until you are ready to serve the cheesecake.
Before serving, top the cheesecake with banana pudding, whipped cream, sliced bananas, and vanilla wafers.