🍌 Paula Deen’s “Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding” (Original Recipe)
A fan-favorite Southern dessert that’s rich, creamy, and surprisingly easy to make. This version is famous for using Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies instead of vanilla wafers.
Ingredients
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2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
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6–8 ripe bananas, sliced
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2 cups cold milk
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1 (5 oz) box instant French vanilla pudding mix
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1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
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1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
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1 (12 oz) container Cool Whip, thawed
Instructions
1. Layer the Cookies
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Line the bottom of a 13×9-inch dish with one bag of Chessmen cookies.
2. Add the Bananas
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Slice the bananas and layer them evenly over the cookies.
3. Make the Pudding
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In a bowl, whisk together:
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2 cups cold milk
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Instant French vanilla pudding mix
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Whisk until thickened (about 2 minutes).
4. Make the Cream Cheese Mixture
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In another bowl, beat together:
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Softened cream cheese
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Sweetened condensed milk
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Mix until completely smooth.
5. Combine
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Fold the Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture.
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Then fold in the prepared pudding until fully blended.
6. Assemble
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Pour the mixture over the bananas and cookies.
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Smooth the top.
7. Final Cookie Layer
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Add the second bag of Chessmen cookies on top to finish.
8. Chill
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Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is even better).
Tips
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If you can’t find Chessmen cookies, butter cookies or shortbread cookies work well.
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Use bananas with no green but not overly brown—firm and sweet is ideal.
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Keeps 2–3 days in the fridge (the cookies soften in a delicious way).
If you’d like, I can also give you:
✔ A printable recipe card
✔ A lighter version
✔ A version without Cool Whip
✔ A no-banana version for people who dislike bananas
Just tell me!
