I made a batch of this Banana Pudding Cookies Recipe on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and I honestly couldn’t stop sneaking one off the cooling rack every few minutes. They taste like a scoop of old-fashioned banana pudding baked right into a cookie, with crisp edges, a soft center, and little pockets of vanilla wafer and white chocolate in every bite.

If you love banana pudding as much as I do, this is the treat you didn’t know you needed. If you’re planning a meal with a mix of sweet and savory dishes, you can also enjoy a Mediterranean Burger Bowl Recipe alongside it. I’m walking you through exactly how I make it, step by step.

Cooking Time

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 22 to 26 minutes
Total Time: about 40 minutes

Ingredients

unsalted butter, 2 sticks (8 ounces), room temperature — softened butter creams smoothly and gives the cookies a tender bite
all-purpose flour, 2 cups — this builds the structure that holds every mix-in together
instant vanilla pudding mix, 1 box (3.4 ounces) — this is what gives the cookies that unmistakable banana pudding flavor and keeps them soft for days
kosher salt, 1 1/4 teaspoons — balances out all the sweetness in the dough
baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon — helps the cookies spread and turn golden at the edges
baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon — gives just enough lift so the cookies don’t turn out flat
Nilla wafers, 24, crushed — I break these into small pieces so they add crunch without overpowering the dough
light brown sugar, 2/3 cup, packed — adds moisture and a deeper, caramel-like sweetness
granulated sugar, 1/3 cup — helps the edges turn lightly crisp as they bake
ripe banana, 1 large, mashed — pick one with plenty of brown spots for the strongest banana flavor
egg yolk, 1 large, room temperature — adds richness without making the dough too wet
vanilla extract, 1 1/2 teaspoons — rounds out the banana and pudding flavors
white chocolate chips, 3/4 cup — these melt into little creamy pockets that echo the pudding base

Note: This recipe makes 24 cookies, so it easily serves a crowd or a full week of snacking.

Equipment You Need

stand mixer or hand mixer — creams the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy
medium mixing bowl — for whisking the dry ingredients together
zip-top bag and rolling pin — for crushing the Nilla wafers into small pieces
2 rimmed baking sheets — for baking the cookies in even batches
parchment paper — keeps the cookies from sticking and makes cleanup easy
flexible spatula — for folding in the wafers and chocolate chips without overmixing
cookie scoop or tablespoon — keeps every cookie roughly the same size
wire cooling rack — lets air circulate so the cookies cool evenly

How to Make Banana Pudding Cookies Recipe?

I promise this recipe looks longer than it actually is to make. Once your butter is softened and your banana is ripe, the whole process comes together in under an hour. Here’s exactly how I break it down in my own kitchen.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

I start by whisking the flour, instant vanilla pudding mix, kosher salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Getting this step out of the way first means I’m not scrambling to measure things later while my butter mixture is sitting out. I also crush my Nilla wafers at this stage, sealing them in a zip-top bag and lightly rolling over them until I have small, uneven pieces.

Cream the Butter and Sugars

Next, I beat the room-temperature butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture turns pale and fluffy. This usually takes less than a minute on medium speed. I always scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once so nothing gets left behind unmixed at the bottom.

Add the Banana and Egg Yolk

I mash my banana with a fork until it’s completely smooth, then add it to the butter mixture along with the egg yolk and vanilla extract. I beat this on medium speed until everything is combined. Don’t panic if the mixture looks a little curdled at this point, that’s completely normal here.

Bring the Dough Together

Once the wet ingredients look well blended, I add the flour mixture in on the lowest mixer speed. I stop as soon as the flour disappears into the dough, since overbeating at this stage is what leads to tougher, denser cookies. A few dry streaks left in the bowl are fine.

Fold in the Wafers and Chocolate Chips

I switch to a flexible spatula for this part and fold in the crushed Nilla wafers and white chocolate chips by hand. I like doing this manually so I can control how evenly everything gets distributed without breaking the wafer pieces down too much.

Scoop and Bake

I scoop rounded portions of dough, about two tablespoons each, onto my parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving a couple of inches between each one. They go into a 350°F oven, and I rotate the pans halfway through baking so everything browns evenly, front to back and top to bottom.

Cool and Repeat

Once the edges turn light golden, I pull the cookies out and let them rest on the baking sheet for about five minutes before moving them to a wire rack. This short rest lets them firm up so they don’t fall apart when I transfer them. I repeat the scooping and baking process with the remaining chilled dough, reusing the same parchment once it’s cooled.

Additional Tips for Making This Recipe Better

I’ve made this recipe enough times now to have picked up a few tricks that make a real difference.

I always use a banana that’s more brown than yellow, since the extra ripeness makes the banana flavor come through much stronger.
I chill any dough I’m not baking right away, which keeps the cookies from spreading too thin in a hot kitchen.
I weigh my flour instead of scooping it straight from the bag, because too much flour is the fastest way to end up with dry, crumbly cookies.
I slightly underbake mine by pulling them the moment the edges turn golden, since they keep cooking on the hot pan after they come out of the oven.
I press a few extra white chocolate chips and wafer pieces onto the tops of the dough balls before baking so the finished cookies look bakery-perfect.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

I’ve made a few of these mistakes myself, so I like sharing them so you don’t have to learn the hard way.

I once used a banana that wasn’t ripe enough, and the cookies turned out bland with barely any banana flavor coming through.
I overmixed the dough after adding the flour one time, and the cookies baked up tough instead of soft and tender.
I skipped chilling the extra dough once when my kitchen was warm, and the cookies spread into thin, greasy puddles.
I crushed my Nilla wafers into powder instead of small pieces, which took away the little bits of crunch that make these cookies special.
I left my cookies on the hot baking sheet too long after pulling them from the oven, and a few overbaked from the residual heat.

How to Serve Banana Pudding Cookies?

I love piling these cookies onto a rustic wooden board with a few extra Nilla wafers and banana slices scattered around for a pretty, effortless presentation. A light dusting of powdered sugar right before serving makes them look freshly made, even if I baked them the day before.

For a dessert table, I like stacking a few cookies on a cake stand next to a bowl of vanilla pudding, alongside Carrot Cake Scones with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe for another homemade baked treat. They’re also fantastic sandwiched with a thin layer of vanilla frosting if I’m making something a little more special for a party.

Variations

swap the white chocolate chips for butterscotch chips if you want a warmer, caramel-like flavor
use gluten-free all-purpose flour and gluten-free vanilla wafers to make this recipe gluten-free
add a handful of chopped pecans for a bit of crunch and a nuttier flavor profile
use a dairy-free butter substitute and dairy-free white chocolate chips to make these dairy-free
fold in mini chocolate chips instead of white chocolate for a version closer to a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe
swap the instant vanilla pudding mix for banana cream pudding mix to intensify the banana flavor even further

Nutritional Information

Here’s roughly what you can expect per cookie, based on a batch of 24.

Calories: 209
Protein: 1.8 grams
Carbohydrates: 27.7 grams
Fat: 10.3 grams

Make Ahead and Storage

I often scoop my cookie dough ahead of time and keep it tightly wrapped on a parchment-lined baking sheet or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day before baking. When I’m ready, I bake it exactly as instructed, with no changes to the time.

For longer storage, I freeze the scooped dough balls on a baking sheet until they’re solid, then transfer them to a zip-top bag for up to a month. I bake these straight from frozen, just adding a few extra minutes in the oven after rotating the pans.

Once baked, I keep leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, where they stay soft and fresh for up to a week.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe?

There’s a reason I keep coming back to this cookie dough recipe every time I’m craving something nostalgic.

It’s incredibly easy to make. There’s no chilling required before the first bake, and the whole process comes together with just one bowl and a mixer.
It tastes exactly like banana pudding. Between the instant pudding mix, crushed wafers, and mashed banana, every bite delivers that same familiar flavor.
It’s easy to customize. Whether I’m swapping in butterscotch chips or making it gluten-free, this dough adapts well to whatever I have on hand.
It stores and freezes beautifully. I can make the dough ahead of time and bake fresh cookies whenever I want them.
It’s a crowd-pleaser. Even people who’ve never tried banana pudding end up asking for the recipe after one bite.

FAQs

How is this different from a Magnolia Bakery banana pudding cookies recipe?

Magnolia Bakery is famous for its classic banana pudding, and this cookie recipe takes that same flavor combination of banana, vanilla wafers, and creamy vanilla and bakes it into a cookie instead of a chilled dessert.

Can I make an easy banana pudding cookies recipe with cake mix?

Yes, you can swap the flour, baking soda, and baking powder for a box of yellow or vanilla cake mix for a shortcut version, though the texture will turn out softer and slightly cakier than this recipe.

Are there store-bought options, like a banana pudding cookies brand sold at Walmart?

Yes, a few packaged cookie brands sell banana pudding flavored cookies at stores like Walmart, but homemade versions like this one let you control the banana flavor and freshness completely.

Can I prepare the banana pudding cookie dough ahead of time?

Absolutely, this old-fashioned banana pudding cookies recipe is very make-ahead friendly. You can refrigerate the dough for up to a day or freeze it for up to a month before baking.

How does this compare to a classic banana pudding recipe or a chocolate chip cookie recipe?

This recipe borrows the comforting flavor of a traditional banana pudding recipe and the format of a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, landing somewhere between the two, similar in spirit to a banana bread recipe but with a chewier, cookie-style texture.

Ash Tyrrell