An old-fashioned favorite gets a new twist! Peanut Butter Cookie Banana Pudding swaps vanilla wafers for peanut butter sandwich cookies.If you plan to eat the pudding right away, use my cookie dunking method to speed the softening of the peanut butter cookies. Otherwise cookies will naturally soften over 24 hours, however the pudding will be well-chilled at 6 hours - serve at your discretion.
1package, approx. 15 oz. peanut butter sandwich cookiessuch as Gauchos or Nutter Butter
1cupmilk for dunking cookiesoptional
2cupsheavy cream
1/4cuppowdered sugar
1/4cuproasted salted peanutschopped
Instructions
Mix 1/4 cup of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl. In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk the remaining 2 3/4 cups milk, salt, and sugar together. When the mixture is barely warm whisk in the egg yolks. Whisk constantly until the mixture steams. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the cornstarch mixture. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and bubbles slightly. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish to speed cooling. Cool 20 minutes then cover the surface with a piece of plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming. Chill for 10-15 minutes.
Chop bananas into 1/4-inch rounds. Set aside 3 peanut butter cookies for garnish.
Layer pudding in the bottom of a 2 to 2 1/2-quart bowl or trifle dish. Top with half of the bananas. Add a layer of peanut butter cookies. (Dunk each cookie quickly in the 1 cup of milk if you plan to enjoy the pudding right away. Otherwise, it takes about 24 hours for the cookies to soften on their own in the pudding.) Repeat layering – these don’t have to be perfectly even. Just do the best you can.
For the whipped topping, beat the heavy cream on medium-high until slightly thickened. Add the powdered sugar gradually. Beat to stiff peaks. Top the layered pudding with the whipped cream.
Garnish the pudding with two of the reserved cookies. Crush the remaining cookie and sprinkle the crumbs on top. Sprinkle on the salted chopped peanuts.
Enjoy immediately or chill for 6 hours before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Keyword fresh bananas, homemade vanilla pudding, peanut butter sandwich cookies