Splurging on dessert is something I rarely do, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy a good sweet treat once in a while. Whether you prefer to indulge on desserts or just have a sweet tooth in general, today's recipe, Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars, is a delicious combination of a traditional cheesecake with the Southern classic banana pudding. While making cheesecake itself can present problems and lead to some major headaches, this spinoff dessert is actually quite simple and straightforward so grab yourself a sweet treat and start imagining how good these Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars will be as I show you how it's done....Let's Get Cooking!
Like any cheesecake and most desserts, we will start by making the crust. Begin by crushing a box of vanilla wafers using either a blender or food processor. You can also opt to place the wafers in a ziplock baggie and crush by hand or rolling pin, but a food processor makes the task much faster and more simple. While you are getting your vanilla wafer crush on, melt the butter using a microwave and 30 second intervals. Once the butter has completely melted and the wafers crushed, combine the two until all the wafer crumbs are coated.
Pour the butter coated vanilla wafer crumbs into a 9x9 baking pan and spread them evenly in a base layer. Use the back of a spatula or spoon to compress the crumbs and really create a somewhat dense crust. You don't need to worry about going up the sides or anything, but focus on an even and compact bottom layer. Once you are happy with the crust, bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Once done, remove the crust and set aside for now, but leave your oven on as we will be using it again soon once we create the cheesecake filling. Other than solidifying a bit and slightly browning, you probably won't notice much difference in the pre- and post-baked crust itself, as seen below.
Now that the crust portion is complete, we can move on to making the banana pudding cheesecake filling! Add the softened cream cheese and sugar to a stand mixer and beat until smooth and creamy.
Next, add the eggs and vanilla extract and continue to mix until well combined and homogenous. This step will produce a somewhat runny and thin mixture, as seen below.
Marshmallow Fluff is notoriously sticky, messy, and frustrating so take my advice and just spoon out what you think is about a cup's worth. I don't suggest actually trying to measure out an exact cup, so just eyeball it while you glance at your cup measuring tool. Otherwise, imagine a baseball-sized glob and go for it, lol. Mix this into the cheesecake mixture until smooth and well incorporated.
Finally, mash up a couple fresh bananas and add it to your mixing bowl along with the banana cream pudding mix. When I say fresh bananas I actually mean a few days old, slightly browned and extra sweet bananas. They should pretty much mush right in your hand with minimal effort. Let the stand mixer go for a couple minutes while everything gets well incorporated and thoroughly combined.
Once you feel happy with your banana pudding cheesecake mixture, pour it onto your slightly cooled crust and use a spatula to evenly spread it around.
Since your oven should still be preheated from making the crust earlier, simply pop in the pan and bake at the same 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. When the 20 minute time is up, simply lower the oven temperature down to 200 degrees without ever opening the oven door. Continue baking the bars for an additional 30 minutes. When finished baking, turn the oven off, but leave the pan inside the oven as is for about 10 minutes so the "cheesecake" portion of this dessert can finish setting. Then, you can remove the bars and let them sit at room temperature for a couple hours till they completely cool.
I know they smell delicious and it's probably tempting, but we still aren't quite finished yet. Cover the baked and cooled bars with some plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours, if not overnight. After they have completely chilled, simply slice into 16 equal-sized portions.
Now you can finally dig in and enjoy these wonderful Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars! Go easy, though, because these dense little treats are high calorie, hence the 16 small servings. Even still, one serving is plenty to satisfy your sweet tooth dessert desires! You can slice some more fresh banana to serve on top along with some whipped cream to make a delicious dessert even a bit better. Will these tasty treats make an appearance at your next dinner? Making any cheesecake type dessert does require a little effort and some patience, but the final reward is worth every bit of it so get in the kitchen and make delicious desserts....Just Keep Cooking!
BANANA PUDDING CHEESECAKE BARS
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