Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars

Banana pudding cheesecake bars combine creamy cheesecake, banana pudding, and a vanilla wafer crust for an easy no-bake dessert. Chill, slice, and serve these cheesecake bars at parties, holidays, or weeknight dinners for a sweet treat.

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Banana pudding cheesecake bars are pure magic. Seriously! They've got a creamy cheesecake layer that's deliciously combined with banana pudding, all on a buttery, crunchy vanilla‑wafer crust.

Best of all, our banana pudding cheesecake bars are no-bake! Just mix and chill, and you’ve got dessert ready for any dinner or party.

RECIPE OVERVIEW:

🛒 Main Ingredients: vanilla wafers, cream cheese, banana pudding, whipped topping, fresh bananas
👩‍🍳 Quick Steps: Make the crust and chill, whip the filling, spread it over the crust, add the whipped topping, and chill again.
⏱️ Total Time: about 20 minutes + chill time
🍴 Yield: 9 creamy bars

What you'll need to make this banana cheesecake bars recipe:

For The Vanilla Wafer Crust:

• 2 cups of crushed vanilla (Nilla) wafers (plus 9 wafers for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• ½ cup of salted sweet cream butter, melted and cooled

For The Banana Cheesecake Filling:

• 2 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
• ⅓ cup of granulated sugar
• 1 (3.4-ounce) package of instant banana cream pudding mix
• 2 (8-ounce) containers of whipped topping, thawed (divide out 1¼ cups for the filling, the remainder of the container will be for the optional swirl garnish. The second container will top the filling)
• 1¼ cups of half-and-half cream
• 2 tablespoons of crushed vanilla wafer crumbs, optional garnish 
• 9 slices of ripe bananas, garnish

⭐ Unsalted butter: If you don’t have salted sweet cream butter, use unsalted and add ¼ teaspoon salt to the crust.

🍪 Crust: Try ginger snaps, Graham crackers, or chocolate Graham crumbs

🍌 Instant pudding mix: Banana cream instant pudding works best and gives these bars their classic banana flavor.

FIRST STEP: Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper.

SECOND STEP: Add the crushed nilla wafer crumbs and granulated sugar to a small mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add the melted butter and stir to coat the crumbs completely.

For the wafer crumbs, you can crush the wafers using a food processor or a Ziploc and rolling pin.

THIRD STEP: Press the buttered crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill the crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the banana cheesecake filling.

Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature, or it may leave lumps in the cheesecake mixture.

FOURTH STEP: Beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar for 1 to 1½ minutes until smooth.

Use a stand mixer or a large bowl and an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed.

FIFTH STEP: Add the instant banana pudding mix and continue to beat just until combined.

SIXTH STEP: Lower the mixer speed to low. Add 1¼ cups of thawed whipped topping and continue mixing on low speed.

SEVENTH STEP: Drizzle in the half and half. Continue mixing just until the half and half is well incorporated.

EIGHTH STEP: Evenly spread the cheesecake layer over the chilled crust. 

NINTH STEP: Spread one full container of whipped topping over the filling layer. Chill in the refrigerator for at least six hours to overnight. 

TENTH STEP: Just before serving, lift the cheesecake bars out of the baking dish with the parchment paper.

Use a large, sharp knife to slice the banana cheesecake into three slices by three slices for nine slices total.

Sprinkle the two tablespoons of crushed vanilla wafers over the top of the bars.

Garnishing Instructions

ELEVENTH STEP: Add the remaining container of whipped topping to a piping bag fitted with a large open star decorator’s tip.

(We used the Wilton 1M tip to pipe the whipped topping.)

Hold the piping bag about a half inch from the surface of the center of the individual bar. Use even pressure and squeeze a center star-swirl of whipped topping. Repeat for the remaining bars.

🍌 Add a slice of banana and one vanilla wafer on top of the whipped cream swirl.

☕ Serve these bars with coffee, hot chocolate, or a mug of pumpkin spice latte for a cozy treat.

🍨 Pair a slice with a scoop of homemade banana ice cream for extra creaminess.

🍫 Go decadent with chocolate whipped cream, hot fudge sauce, or a drizzle of caramel sauce for a sweet finish.

Love banana dessert recipes? Try our banana pudding pie, too.

• These banana cheesecake bars keep dessert simple. They’re perfect when you want something sweet without spending hours in the kitchen.
• No oven time means less hassle and more chill time - literally!
• It’s a great pick for busy weeknights, last-minute get-togethers, or when that banana pudding craving hits. Slice, serve, and watch them disappear.

How long should I chill banana pudding cheesecake bars before serving?
You should chill the cheesecake bars for at least 6 hours. This gives the filling time to set fully for the perfect texture.

Can I use a different type of crust for these banana pudding cheesecake bars?
If you prefer a different crust, such as a graham cracker crust, you can certainly make a substitution.

Can I make banana pudding cheesecake bars ahead of time?
Yes, you can make banana pudding cheesecake bars 24 hours in advance. Cover the bars with foil or plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge. Garnish just before serving.

How long will banana pudding cheesecake bars last in the fridge?
Banana pudding cheesecake bars will stay fresh in the fridge for up to three days.

Can I freeze banana pudding cheesecake bars?
Yes, you can freeze banana pudding cheesecake bars for up to one month. However, we recommend not freezing the garnish. Keep in mind, the texture may change when thawing, so if possible enjoy this recipe fresh.

How should I thaw frozen banana pudding cheesecake bars before serving?
Thaw banana pudding cheesecake bars overnight in the fridge. Wait to add whipped topping and fresh bananas until just before serving.

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Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars

Banana pudding cheesecake bars combine creamy cheesecake, banana pudding, and a vanilla wafer crust for an easy no-bake dessert. Chill, slice, and serve these cheesecake bars at parties, holidays, or weeknight dinners for a sweet treat.

Did you try this recipe?Let our readers know how it turned out by Leaving a Review!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Chill Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Dessert Bars

Cuisine American

Servings 9

Calories 632 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Vanilla Wafer Crust

• 2 cups crushed vanilla wafers (plus 9 wafers for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ cup salted sweet cream butter (melted and cooled)

Banana Cheesecake Filling

• 16 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 3.4 ounces banana cream instant pudding mix (any brand; I used Great Value)
• 16 ounces whipped topping (thawed (divide out 1¼ cups for the filling, the remainder of the container will be for the optional swirl garnish. The second container will top the filling))
• 1¼ cups half and half cream
• 2 tablespoons crushed vanilla wafer crumbs (optional garnish)
• 9 slices ripe bananas (garnish)

DIRECTIONS

 

• Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper.
• Add the crushed vanilla wafers and granulated sugar to a small mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Add the melted butter and stir to coat the crumbs completely.
• Press the buttered crumbs into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Chill the crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the banana cheesecake filling.
• Using a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl and handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar for 1 to 1½ minutes until smooth.
• Add the instant banana pudding mix and continue to beat just until combined.
• Lower the mixer speed to low. Add 1¼ cups of thawed whipped topping and continue mixing on low speed.
• Drizzle in the half and half. Continue mixing just until the half and half is well incorporated.
• Evenly spread the filling over the chilled crust.
• Spread 1 full container of whipped topping over the filling layer. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours to overnight.
• Just before serving, lift the cheesecake bars out of the baking dish with the parchment paper. Use a large sharp knife to slice the banana cheesecake into 3 slices x 3 slices (9 slices total). Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of crushed vanilla wafers over the top of the bars.
• Add the remaining container of whipped topping to a piping bag fitted with a large open star decorator’s tip (I used the Wilton 1M tip). Hold the piping bag about ½ inch from the surface of the center of the individual bar. Use even pressure and squeeze a center star-swirl of whipped topping. Repeat for the remaining bars. Add a slice of banana and 1 vanilla wafer to the top of the star-swirl of whipped topping. Serve immediately.

Notes

• For the wafer crumbs, you can crush the wafers using a food processor or a Ziploc and rolling pin.
• Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature, or it may leave lumps in the cheesecake mixture.
• You can layer fresh banana slices over the crust before layering the banana cheesecake filling. Just remember that bananas will turn brown the longer they sit.
• Wait until just before serving to slice the banana for garnishing. Bananas will turn brown if they are not used right away.

Nutrition

Calories: 632kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 476mg | Potassium: 194mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 1149IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 0.1mg

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