Banana Pudding Cookies: Recipe and Tips for the Best Texture
Banana pudding cookies take the flavors of classic Southern banana pudding — banana, vanilla wafers, and a creamy pudding base — and turn them into a soft, chewy cookie. Instant banana pudding mix does double duty here, adding both flavor and the extra starch that keeps these cookies notably soft.
Method
The dough is softer than a typical cookie dough because of the mashed banana, which is why chilling before baking matters here more than in a drier recipe.
- 1. Whisk the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
- 2. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- 3. Add the egg, mashed banana, and vanilla, mixing until combined.
- 4. Add the flour mixture, mixing on low just until combined.
- 5. Fold in the crushed vanilla wafers and white chocolate chips.
- 6. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes — this dough is wetter than standard cookie dough, and chilling helps control spread.
- 7. Scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and just barely golden.
- 8. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Getting the Right Texture
For a stronger, more pronounced banana flavor, a small amount of banana extract added alongside (not replacing) the vanilla extract intensifies the flavor without adding more moisture from extra mashed banana. For the softest possible texture, slightly underbake rather than overbake — pull the cookies as soon as the edges set, even if the centers still look a little underdone.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a soft-cookie recipe by design — the banana, pudding mix, and brown sugar all push toward moisture and chew rather than crispness, so don't expect (or aim for) a crisp result here.
This recipe is based on standard banana pudding cookie ratios and technique, not on documented testing of this exact batch.
Cookies, Brownies & Dessert Bars includes soft and chewy cookie recipes with texture-specific technique notes.
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