Mini Banana Pudding Bites
on May 17, 2023, Updated Feb 09, 2024
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Create a delicious dessert to share with a tray of mini banana pudding bites prepared with delicious pudding in a vanilla wafer cup that’s topped with whipped cream and a slice of banana. These have all the best flavors of banana pudding in a two-bite cookie cup!
This tasty dessert is perfect for serving at summer cookouts, parties, or as a small afternoon treat.
Why I Love Banana Pudding Bites
- Individual portion sizes
- Cute bite sized dessert
- Easy to make with kids
For more easy bite-size recipes, try our gnome cookies or these fruit tart cookie cups with sugar cookies.
Simple Ingredients Needed
This banana pudding bites recipe is made with a thick vanilla wafer crust and banana cream pudding center, then topped with whipped cream and fresh banana slices.
The best part is they only require a handful of ingredients. You’ll have an easy dessert ready in 30 minutes.
Here’s what you need:
- Mini Nilla Wafer cookies – These vanilla wafers are traditionally mixed into the banana pudding. For this recipe, we will use them to create a delicious crust for our cookie cups.
- Unsalted butter – The melted butter will be mixed with the cookie crumbs and baked.
- Salt – This is optional to balance out sweetness of the cookies. Or you can use salted butter if you prefer.
- Instant banana cream pudding mix – The star of the show! Creamy banana pudding is the filling for the cups.
- Milk – I prefer whole milk to make the pudding extra creamy.
- Whipped Cream – You can make your own stabilized whipped cream topping or buy it from the store.
- Ripe Banana – When ready to serve, add a slice of banana on top of each banana bite for perfect bite-sized portions.
How to Make this Recipe
Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
I recommend a silicone pan but you can also use a metal pan with mini muffin cup liners. You may need to reduce the cooking time with a metal mini muffin tin.
Bake the Cookie Cups
Add the Nilla wafers to a food processor or blender and pulse into fine crumbs. Set aside about two tablespoons of crumbs to be used for topping later.
Then, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, melted butter, and salt and combine well.
Scoop one and a half tablespoons of the Nilla wafer crust mixture into each of the greased muffin cups and press it into the bottoms and up the sides of the cups. Be sure to pack it in tightly so the cookie cups don’t break apart.
Bake until the crusts are lightly browned and set aside until cooled completely in the pan over a wire rack.
Prepare the Banana Pudding
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the instant banana cream pudding mix with cold milk and whisk together until it begins to thicken.
Note: We are using less milk than the package calls for. This will result in thicker pudding and more flavor in each bite.
Once the pudding has thickened, spoon a tablespoon of pudding into each cookie cup.
Top the pudding cups with a little Cool Whip or whipped cream, a banana slice, and crushed Nilla wafer crumbs and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Ripe bananas have the most flavor. If you want nice, firm slices, refrigerate the banana before cutting.
- If not serving right away, refrigerate ingredients separately. Add the whipped cream, banana slices and cookie crumbs just before serving for freshness.
- You may use vanilla pudding mix or cheesecake flavor if you prefer.
- Try sugar cookie mix to create cookie cups instead of vanilla wafers.
How to Store
Mini banana pudding bites are best made and served the same day. However, you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Keep in mind that the longer they sit, the bananas will start to brown and the Nilla wafers will soften.
I would not freeze this recipe.
Print the Recipe Card
You will love this yummy snack whether you make it for friends or to share at a family gathering. Enjoy!
Banana Pudding Bites
Equipment
- 24-cup mini muffin tray
- Food processor or blender
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 2 cups Nilla wafer crumbs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt, optional to balance out sweetness
- 3.4 ounce instant banana cream pudding mix
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk, cold
Topping ideas:
- 24 tbsp Cool Whip or whipped cream
- 2 Bananas, cut into 24 slices
- 2 tbsp Nilla wafer crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan and set aside. You can use a silicone tray for easy removal but a metal pan with paper liners will also work.
- Using a food processor or blender, pulse the Nilla wafers into fine crumbs.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the Nilla wafer crumbs, melted butter, and salt and mix together with a spoon.
- Take 1 ½ tablespoons full of the Nilla wafer crust mixture and put it into each of the greased muffin cups. Using your fingers, press the crust mixture into the bottoms and up the sides of the cups. You want to pack it together tightly so it doesn’t break apart.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the crusts are lightly browned. Set aside and allow to cool completely in the pan over a wire rack before adding the filling.
To make the banana pudding filling:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the instant banana cream pudding mix with 1 ¼ cup cold milk and whisk together until it begins to thicken. Do not use the amount stated on the package, we will be using less so that it results in a thicker pudding. This will make each bite more flavorful.
- Once the pudding has reached the desired consistency, add a tablespoon of pudding into each muffin cup.
- Top each of the bites with a little Cool Whip or whipped cream, banana slice, and Nilla wafer crumbs. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
