If you love banana pudding and haven't had it in years, you're in for a treat! Gluten free shortbread cookies make this smooth and creamy banana pudding just right!!
2largeegg yolks, whisked and at room temperature for glaze, optional
OR If Using Store Bought Gluten Free Cookies
2½7 ounce bags (198g) Schar gluten free shortbread cookies(Kinnikinnick vanilla wafers, Walkers gf shortbread, homemade vanilla wafers, or any other similar cookies can be used)
Pudding Mixture
18 oz pkg (226g)cream cheese, softened(dairy-free cream cheese may be substituted)
114 oz can (397g)sweetened condensed milk(sweetened condensed coconut milk may be substituted)
2cups (480ml)heavy cream(a dairy-free cream or whole fat coconut cream may be substituted, or omit heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla and use a dairy-free frozen whipped topping)
¼cup (31g) powdered sugar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
14 oz pkg (113g)French vanilla pudding mix(or vanilla pudding mix)
2cups (480ml)cold whole milk(a dairy-free milk could be substituted)
6-8largejust ripe bananas, sliced
Instructions
Line the bottom of 9 by 13-inch baking dish with cookies followed by half of the bananas slices.
In a small bowl, combine milk and pudding mix and whisk or beat until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready.
In the bowl of stand mixer, whip heavy cream using the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Slowly add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Scrape from bowl and place into another container and refrigerate until needed. (You can substitute all of this with thawed frozen whipped topping, aka Cool Whip).
In the same bowl used for whipping cream (or another large bowl), beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk and combine well.
Stir pudding into into cream cheese mixture, and then fold the whipped cream in.
Dollop ½ of the cream mixture onto the bananas in pan. Top with another layer of cookies and the rest of the bananas. Add the rest of the cream mixture on top of the final layer of bananas and top with the rest of the cookies. Cover and set in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Cookies should become soft after sitting. Serve cold.
Notes
Banana pudding will keep in the refrigerator for a few days before the bananas start to brown.