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These Banana Pudding Brownies have all the nostalgic flavors of classic banana pudding in a soft, cake-like brownie topped with a silky white chocolate glaze and crunchy vanilla wafers. These are so decadent and delicious, I love to pair them with my iced matcha latte for a summer afternoon treat.
I’ve been on a banana frenzy lately, and it kind of happened by accident. I ordered four bananas on Instacart and somehow ended up with four bunches instead. It turned out to be a happy mistake because I suddenly had every excuse to start brainstorming banana recipes to test.
These Banana Pudding Brownies were one of the first things I couldn’t wait to make. They’re incredibly soft, buttery, and packed with real banana flavor thanks to both fresh bananas and freeze-dried bananas. The result is a dessert that tastes just like classic banana pudding but in brownie form. This is exactly what I’ll be bringing to my next cookout, right alongside my Italian Pasta Salad and Savory Pickle Dip.
Ingredients Youโll Need for Banana Pudding Brownies
- Freeze-dried bananas – Blitzing these into a powder adds concentrated banana flavor without adding extra moisture, giving every bite a true banana pudding taste.
- Fresh bananas – Diced ripe bananas keep the brownies moist and naturally sweet. I like to use bright yellow or brown speckled bananas for this. If the bananas are too ripe, they’ll add too much moisture.
- Unsalted butter – Butter creates a rich, tender crumb.
- White chocolate – Melted white chocolate with vanilla extract tastes just like vanilla pudding!
- Nilla Wafers – These are the finishing touch that brings all the classic banana pudding flavors together.
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!
Testing Notes
Originally, I tried layering banana slices on top of the batter before baking, but it dried out the bananas, and they turned brown. It wasn’t appealing, so I decided to fold them in! The result was much better with bites of banana throughout the brownies.
In the final iteration of this recipe, I reduced the amount of sugar, which resulted in a more cake-like texture rather than a fudgy one (like my strawberry brownies or lemon brownies). The ripe bananas make these brownies sweet enough, and any more sugar was just unpleasantly sweet for my taste.
How to Make Banana Pudding Brownies
- Mix the base: cream together the butter, banana powder, and sugar.
- Mix in the wet ingredients: eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice.
- Mix in the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt.
- Fold in the bananas.
- Add batter to prepared baking pan. Bake for 28-30 minutes on 350F.
- Let cool completely and prep the glaze.
- Glaze and decorate with Nilla wafers. Set, slice, and serve.
Quick Tips for the Best Banana Pudding Brownies
Use bright yellow or speckled bananas. Overripe bananas can add too much moisture to the batter.
Dice the bananas just before mixing. This helps prevent them from browning before they go into the batter.
Let the brownies cool completely before glazing. A cool surface helps the glaze spread evenly and set with a smooth finish.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating
Make Ahead: These brownies are the perfect make-ahead dessert. Bake them up to 1 day in advance and keep them covered. You can glaze the brownies the next day, then let them set until ready to serve.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
If you tried this Banana Pudding Brownies recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ๐ star rating and let me know how it went in the ๐ comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Banana Pudding Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
Banana Pudding Brownies:
- ยฝ cup (24g) freeze-dried bananas
- 1 cup (215g) granulated sugar
- ยพ cup unsalted butter, softened (1ยฝ sticks)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, from about 1 lemon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup (162g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (150g) bananas, diced (from about 2 bananas)
White Chocolate Glaze:
- 3/4 cup (113g) white chocolate, roughly chopped
- Pinch kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon hot water
- 12 Nilla wafers, for garnish
Instructions
To Make the Banana Pudding Brownies:
- Preheat the oven to 350โ. Grease and line an 8x8inch pan and place a piece of parchment that spans just the center length with the ends of the parchment hanging over the edge of the pan. Press the parchment flat so it adheres to the bottom and sides of the pan.
- In a small food processor or blender, add the freeze-dried bananas. Pulse until you have banana powder.
- Add the banana powder and sugar to a bowl, along with the unsalted butter and vanilla extract. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Then add lemon juice and eggs. Quickly beat together on medium speed until combined and smooth.
- Now, add your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low speed until just combined. Fold in the diced bananas.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake the banana brownies for 28-30 minutes until golden on top. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before removing it from the baking pan and adding the glaze.
To Make the White Chocolate Glaze:
- Meanwhile, make the white chocolate glaze. Add the white chocolate and vanilla extract to a bowl. Microwave in intervals of 20 seconds, until the white chocolate has completely melted. (If you donโt have a microwave, use a double boiler.) Stir until combined. It will seize, but donโt worry, add in the hot water and stir until glossy.
- Pour the white chocolate glaze over the banana pudding brownies and move the pan around to encourage the glaze to cover the entire surface of the brownies. Place 9 Nilla wafers on the surface, evenly spaced. Then, crush the rest of the Nilla wafers and sprinkle on top. Allow the glaze to set for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
- Slice it up and enjoy!
Notes
Quick Tips
Use bright yellow or speckled bananas. Overripe bananas can add too much moisture to the batter. Dice the bananas just before mixing. This helps prevent them from browning before they go into the batter. Let the brownies cool completely before glazing. A cool surface helps the glaze spread evenly and set with a smooth finish.Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: These brownies are the perfect make-ahead dessert. Bake them up to 1 day in advance and keep them covered. You can glaze the brownies the next day, then let them set until ready to serve. Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
