16ouncesfrozen whipped toppingthawed overnight in the fridge - I used Cool Whip
14ouncessweetened condensed milkI used Eagle Brand
8ouncescream cheesesoftened - I used Philadelphia Brand
2cupsmilkI used evaporated milk
5.1ouncesinstant French vanilla pudding mixor plain vanilla
8bananassliced
2tablespoonslemon juice
11ounces'Nilla Wafers
Instructions
Add lemon juice to a bowl.
Peel and slice bananas into bowl then cover with water. Drain. This keeps the bananas from turning brown.
Beat the cream cheese until smooth.
Mix in the sweetened condensed milk.
Mix the pudding mix with the evaporated milk.
Fold the pudding into the cream cheese mixture.
Fold in 8 ounces of the whipped topping.
Place a layer of cookies in the bottom of a 3 quart bowl. You can also use a 13x9-inch pan.
Add a layer of pudding mixture then a layer of bananas.
Repeat layers. It took 3 layers to fill my bowl.
Top with more whipped topping.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Overnight is better.
Notes
Inspired by Paula Deen's iconic version of banana pudding.Storage:Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to three or four days. It doesn't freeze well.Tips:
Bananas should be soft and ripe but not mushy.
Let your cream cheese soften to room temperature so you can easily beat it with an electric mixer.
Chill your banana pudding overnight for the best results. This allows layers to set, the vanilla wafers to soften slightly, and the combination of flavors to meld together well.