Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding (Paula Deen's Recipe) (2024)

BySandra FleggPosted onApril 7, 2023April 7, 2023Updated onApril 7, 2023

Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding is a crowd-pleaser and has been enjoyed by many. With layers of creamy, dreamy pudding, fresh bananas, and Chessmen cookies, this decadent Paula Deen dessert is a perfect balance of sweet and creamy goodness. So. Darn. Good.

Have you ever enjoyed a dessert and then discovered that it’s so delicious that you have to go back to the fridge for another piece?? – THIS is that dessert.

Chessmen Banana Pudding is all the things that you want in a dessert. The simplicity of making it, the fact that it’s a no-bake dessert and perfect for those warm days when you don’t want to turn on the oven and the FLAVORS. Trust me on this one. You need this creamy banana pudding in your life 🙂 !!

Another great Paula Deen recipe that our family has fallen in love with. This is good eating at its very best and you will want to add this great recipe to your own personal cookbook!

Mama’s banana pudding is traditionally made with vanilla wafers, while ‘not yo’ mama’s’ is made with chessmen cookies. They are fun, tasty and they soften up perfectly as the pudding chills in the refrigerator.

This is hands-down the best banana pudding recipe ever!

If you love easy dessert recipes, next time try these:

Easy Peach Trifle Recipe

Cream Cheese Peach Cobbler

Cherry Pie Bars for a Crowd

Easy Fresh Peach Dump Cake

What’s in Paula Deen’s Banana Pudding Recipe?

This easy dessert is one of those recipes with simple ingredients that you can find in the grocery store.

• 2 (7.25 ounces) bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
• 2 cups milk – you can use whole milk or regular milk, such as 2% milk
• 1 (5.1 ounce) box vanilla instant pudding mix (regular vanilla pudding or French vanilla pudding)
• 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (8-ounce ) package cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1 (12-ounce) container cool whip whipped topping – you can also use whipping cream with a few teaspoons of sugar added and whip until thickened.
• 6 – 8 medium bananas (sliced 1/2″ thick)*

Tip: You might want to buy a third bag of cookies in case some of cookies are broken in bag. If not, you could also use any broken cookies for th bottom layer of the dessert where they will be less noticeable.

How to Make Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding – Step by Step Instructions

You will need a 9x13x2-inch baking dish for this recipe. Not that it needs to be two inches deep to accomodate the thick, creamy filling.

You can find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. I’ve included photos and tips to help you make this recipe.

Step 1 – In a large mixing bowl, using handheld mixer, combine milk and instant pudding mix. Mix on low speed until combined and thickened, about two minutes. Set aside the pudding mixture.

Step 2 – In a separate large bowl, combine softened cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Beat together on medium-high speed until no lumps remains and mixture is smooth.

Step 3 – Gently fold in the Cool Whip, using a rubber spatula, just until combined. Try to use as few strokes as possible when mixing together.

Step 4 – Transfer to the bowl with the pudding and stir gently until completely combined.

Step 5 – Line bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish with 1 bag of the cookies. You should be able to fit four rows by five rows in a 9×13-inch dish. Don’t worry if they don’t fit perfectly to the edges.

Step 6 – Top with banana slices in an even layer.

How do you keep bananas from turning brown in a banana pudding?

Tip: If you plan to serve this dessert more than 1 day later after making it, gently toss the bananas in 2 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice top stop the bananas from turning brown in the pudding layer. (Not an issue at all if you use fresh bananas and serve the dessert the next day only)!

Step 7 – Next, top the bananas with the whipped cream mixture and smooth out even with a rubber spatula.

Tip – Drop the mixture by heaping dollops in six sections, then gently spread out with a spatula. Dropping in sections makes it easier to get a nice evenly layer of the creamy filling.

Step 8 – Lastly, lay out the second bag of Chessmen cookies.
Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours (overnight is even better!)

To serve: Scoop the banana pudding onto serving plates and enjoy!

My Top Tips for making Chessmen Banana Pudding

The bananas will naturally change colors after one day of sitting in the fridge. This is a natural process and does not mean that the bananas have turned and is purely aesthetic. See my note on the recipe card to toss them in lemon juice to avoid browning.

Buy an extra bag of cookies in case you have broken cookies in the bag!

Do you have to refrigerate banana pudding?

Yes. Place banana pudding in the refrigerator for at least three hours before serving and store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to two days.

I would love it if you left a comment about this recipe below! Subscribe to join the community and receive regular updates straight to your inbox! Let’s connect via Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest!

You might also enjoy these recipes

Print