Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time?

Yes. Cover the mixed dough tightly and refrigerate it at 40°F for up to 48 hours. Let it stand for 12 minutes before scooping, then bake the 2 1/2-ounce portions at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes because colder dough needs slightly longer.

Why did my Banana Pudding Cookies spread too much?

The butter was probably warmer than 72°F or the dough skipped its 20-minute chill. Cool the dough to 40°F and leave 3 inches between portions. Also check that the baking soda measures exactly 1 teaspoon because excess leavener weakens the cookie structure.

Can I freeze the baked cookies?

Freeze fully cooled cookies in a single layer for 1 hour, then seal them with parchment between layers for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes. Warm one at 300°F for 4 minutes when you want the edges lightly crisp again.

How do I make these cookies gluten-free?

Use 1 3/4 cups of a gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour that already contains xanthan gum and choose certified gluten-free vanilla wafers. Rest the dough for 30 minutes instead of 20. Then start checking the cookies at minute 10 because gluten-free edges can color faster.

Can I double the recipe for a party?

Yes, but mix two separate batches so the flour doesn't get overworked in a crowded bowl. Portion 24 cookies and keep the waiting pans refrigerated at 40°F. Bake two pans at a time at 350°F and swap their racks at minute 6.

What should I serve with these cookies?

Serve them near 75°F when the centers feel soft but no longer warm. A cold glass of milk or unsweetened coffee balances the white chocolate. For a dessert table, pair each cookie with a small spoonful of banana pudding rather than stacking wet pudding on top.

Banana Pudding Cookies

Description

These Banana Pudding Cookies turn a classic dessert into an easy bake with soft centers, crisp golden edges and the warm smell of banana and vanilla wafers. The trick is instant banana pudding mix, which keeps every cookie tender while crushed wafers add a gentle crunch. They’re quick, simple and one of the best ideas for a party, potluck, holiday tray or brunch. For a healthy balance, serve one with fruit and coffee. They’re sturdy enough for meal prep snack boxes too.

Ingredients

Scale

3/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 box, 3.4 ounces instant banana cream pudding mix
1 large large egg
1 large large egg yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup vanilla wafer cookies
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

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Instructions

Set the unsalted butter out until it reaches about 67°F. Beat it with the light brown sugar, granulated sugar and instant banana cream pudding mix for 3 to 4 minutes. Use medium speed and scrape the bowl at minute 2. Then beat in the large egg and egg yolk for 45 seconds. Add the pure vanilla extract and mix 15 seconds more. The mixture should look pale yellow and fluffy with faint sugar crystals still visible. You’ll smell banana and vanilla before the flour goes in. Stop once the ridges hold for two seconds. Beat longer than 4 minutes and the butter warms too much, so the cookies spread. Cream at 67°F because cool butter holds the air that shapes thick centers.
Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking soda and fine sea salt for 30 seconds. Add the dry mixture to the pale cream in three additions at low speed. Stop after 45 to 60 seconds and finish with a folding motion. Fold in the crushed vanilla wafer cookies and white chocolate chips until they sit unevenly through the dough. Chill the bowl at 40°F for 20 minutes. The dough should turn thick and matte and it should hold a deep spatula track. Small wafer pieces will absorb a little moisture while the chips stay distinct. Mix past 60 seconds and the cookies get tough. Skip the 20-minute chill and the edges spread before the centers set. Chill at 40°F because firm butter slows spreading while the flour finishes hydrating.
Divide the chilled dough into 12 portions that weigh about 2 1/2 ounces each. Roll each portion once between your palms and stop before the surface turns smooth. Place six mounds on each lined sheet pan with 3 inches between them. Press each mound to about 1 inch thick. Keep the dough near 40°F and finish shaping within 7 minutes. The mounds should look rough and rounded with visible white chocolate chips and tan wafer chunks. Uneven cracks are good. If the dough becomes glossy or leaves butter on your hands, chill the pans for 8 minutes before baking. Warm dough spreads into thin rings and loses its soft center. Shape quickly because cold fat keeps each cookie tall as the edges begin setting.
Bake both sheet pans in a 350°F preheated oven for 11 to 13 minutes. Set one pan in the upper third and one in the lower third. Swap their racks and rotate each pan 180 degrees at minute 6. Don’t flatten the cookies while they bake. (My first batch stayed in for 15 minutes, the banana flavor faded and the centers turned dry.) The cookies should puff into thick rounds with pale golden tops and deeper golden edges. The centers will look matte but slightly soft and you’ll smell toasted vanilla wafers. Remove them by minute 13. Go longer and the sugars harden the edges before carryover heat sets the middle. Bake at 350°F because moderate heat browns the rims without drying the pudding-softened centers.
Leave the 12 cookies on their sheet pans for 10 minutes after baking. Their centers should fall from about 190°F to near 125°F. Then move them to a cooling rack and wait another 20 minutes. Break one cookie into two uneven halves and place both pieces on a small white plate with the soft center facing outward. The broken center should look dense and tender with melted ivory chips and small tan wafer pockets. The edges will feel crisp while the middle bends slightly. Move the cookies before 10 minutes and they can split at the base. Stack them while warm and trapped steam softens every edge. Cool to 75°F because the starches need time to set without turning the center dry.

Notes

Pro Tips:

Keep the unsalted butter near 67°F. Butter above 72°F looks shiny and makes the 2 1/2-ounce portions spread too far.
Crush the vanilla wafer cookies into 1/4-inch pieces. Fine crumbs disappear into the dough and won’t give the same gentle crunch.
Use light-colored aluminum sheet pans. Dark pans can make the bottoms deep brown before the centers set at minute 10.
Chill the mixed dough for exactly 20 minutes. A 60-minute chill makes the mounds harder to press and can reduce spreading too much.
Swap the pans between oven racks and rotate them 180 degrees at minute 6 so both rows brown at the same rate.
Press two reserved white chocolate chips into each mound before baking. They’ll stay visible and give the tops the bakery-style look.
Cool the cookies for 10 minutes on the pan. Moving them sooner can tear the soft bases around the melted chips.

Storage: Keep fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days or refrigerate them for 7 days. Separate layers with parchment and don’t add a bread slice because extra moisture softens the wafer pieces. Freeze each cookie in food wrap, then seal it in a freezer bag for 2 months. You can also freeze unbaked 2 1/2-ounce dough mounds for 6 weeks. Warm one cookie in a 300°F oven for 4 to 5 minutes, or microwave it at 50 percent power for 10 to 12 seconds. Let it rest 2 minutes so the center evens out. Discard cookies that smell sour, show gray or green spots, or feel damp and sticky after storage. Chalky white chips alone usually show harmless fat bloom rather than spoilage.

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving (of 12)
Calories: 533
Sugar: 39g
Sodium: 467mg
Fat: 25g
Carbohydrates: 76g
Fiber: 2g
Cholesterol: 166mg