Fluffy Banana Pudding
By Tommy Burkhammer
Welcome back to school! Also, for those of you just starting your college journey, welcome to PSC! We’re so excited to have you. Now, I know it is September, but it’s still early in the year, and this is my first recipe this semester, so I wanted to welcome everyone. This issue’s recipe was not originally my fluffy cloud-like banana pudding. I was going to make raspberry lemon tartlets. I had a new recipe to try out, and I was excited. Unfortunately, the tartlets didn’t turn out how I planned. Isn’t it so frustrating when you’re trying something new, and it doesn’t work out how you planned? I was seriously upset, but then I remembered that it was a new recipe. I did something I hadn’t done before! Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but I put in the work and gave it my all. So, once I calmed down, I thought about what else I could make for you guys. Then it hit me: banana pudding! My Grandmother unfortunately passed away this summer, but one of the great memories I had with her was making banana pudding. She had been making it as long as I can remember, and she always “needed” my help. If you’re having a difficult time, I hope that this story and this recipe can bring some comfort into your life. With Love, Tommy.
Ingredients –
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
4 Heaping Tablespoons Marshmallow Fluff
Vanilla Bean Paste (Measure with your heart)
1 8oz Package Philadelphia Cream Cheese
½ Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Cup Milk
1 3.4oz Package Jell-o Pudding Mix (French Vanilla, Cheesecake, Banana Cream, any one of these flavors will work)
1 Box of Cookies (I used strawberry white chocolate Milano’s, but any cookies you like will work)
1 Bunch of Bananas (I used 5 bananas for my pudding but use as many or as few as you like)
Directions –
- Add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to a mixer, or a bowl for a hand mixer, and whip until stiff peaks form. Do not overmix.
- Once you have stiff peaks, add 4 heaping tablespoons of marshmallow fluff and your vanilla bean paste and mix until fully combined.
- Set your whipped cream mixture in a separate bowl in the fridge.
- In a clean mixing bowl, add 1 package of Philadelphia cream cheese and mix until softened. This can take about 10 minutes; you can speed up the process by letting the cream cheese sit on the counter for about half an hour, or by adding it to a bowl of hot water (while it’s still in the foil wrapper) before mixing.
- Once softened, add 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 cup milk, ½ can sweetened condensed milk, and your 3.4oz package of pudding mix. Mix until fully combined; this mixture should be smooth and fluffy, but somewhat stiff. Make sure you are scraping the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Take your whipped cream mixture and add it to your pudding mixture. You can mix with the mixer, but I recommend folding these ingredients together. Grab a baking spatula and go around the side of the bowl and under the ingredients and then bring the spatula up and repeat until fully combined; that is how you fold. If that was unclear, I’m sure there are tutorials online that can show you visuals.
- Set that mixture in the fridge. Then you will need to slice your bananas and crush your cookies. Now in an 8×8 or 9×9 pan, layer your bananas, cookies, and pudding mixture into the pan. Make sure you have enough cookies at the end to top your mixture.
- Once completed, set in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours. You now have a delicious, fluffy banana pudding. Enjoy!