Banana Pudding Brownies – A Cozy Kitchen

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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 that I love pairing them with mine iced matcha latte for a summer afternoon treat.

Sliced Banana Pudding Brownies on a cutting board.

I’ve been on a banana craze lately and it was kind of random. I ordered four bananas on Instacart and somehow ended up with four bunches. It turned out to be a happy mistake because I suddenly had every excuse to start experimenting with banana recipes.

These Banana Pudding Brownies were one of the first things I couldn’t wait to make. They are incredibly soft, buttery and full of real banana flavor thanks to both fresh bananas and freeze-dried bananas. The result is a dessert that tastes like classic banana pudding, but in brownie form. This is exactly what I’ll be bringing to my next cookout, right next to me Italian pasta salad and: Spicy pickles.

Ingredients you need for banana pudding

Frozen banana – Powdering them adds concentrated banana flavor without adding too much moisture, giving every bite an authentic banana pudding taste.
Fresh banana – 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 very ripe, they will add a lot of moisture.
Fat butter – Butter makes a rich, delicate crumb.
White chocolate – Melted white chocolate with vanilla extract tastes like vanilla pudding.
Nilla Wafers – These are the finishing touches that bring together all the classic flavors of banana pudding.

Please refer to the recipe index card below for the remaining ingredients.

Test notes

Glazed Banana Pudding Brownies on Nilla Wafers Baked in a Pan.

Originally, I tried putting banana slices on top of the batter before baking, but that dried out the bananas and they turned brown. It wasn’t attractive so I decided to fold them. The result was much better with banana bites 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 mushy (like my strawberry brownies or lemon brownies) Ripe bananas make these brownies sweet enough and any other sugar was just uncomfortably sweet for my taste.

Quick tips for the best banana pudding

Use bright yellow or spotted bananas. Overripe bananas can add too much moisture to the batter.

Chop the banana into small pieces just before mixing. This helps prevent them from browning before they go into the batter.

Let brownies cool completely before glazing. The cool surface helps the glitter spread evenly and set with a smooth finish.

A piece of brownie banana pudding with a spoon on a plate.

Preparation, storage and heating

Make forward. These brownies are the perfect dessert to make! Bake them up to 1 day ahead and cover. You can glaze the brownies the next day and then let them cook until ready to serve.

Storage. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

If you have tried this Banana Pudding Brownies recipe or any other recipe on my site, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you for visiting.

Banana pudding to make brownies.

Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease and line an 8×8-inch pan and place a piece of parchment paper running down the center lengthwise, with the ends of the parchment hanging over the edge of the pan. Press the parchment flat to adhere it to the bottom and sides of the pan.
Add the freeze-dried bananas to a small food processor or blender. Pulse until you have banana powder.
In a bowl, add the banana powder and sugar, along with the unsalted butter and vanilla extract. Beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.
Then add lemon juice and eggs. 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. Add the diced banana.
Pour 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 from the baking pan and adding the glaze.

To make white chocolate glaze:

In the meantime, prepare the white chocolate glaze. Add the white chocolate and vanilla extract to the bowl. Microwave in 20 second intervals until the white chocolate is completely melted. (If you don’t have a microwave, use a double boiler.) Beat until combined. It will stick but don’t worry, add the hot water and whisk until glossy.
Pour the white chocolate glaze over the banana pudding brownies and transfer to the pan so that the glaze covers the entire surface of the brownies. Place 9 Nilla wafers on the surface, evenly. Then crumble the rest of the Nilla wafers and sprinkle on top. Allow the glaze to harden for at least 20 minutes before layering.
Slice it and enjoy!

Quick tips

Use bright yellow or spotted bananas. Overripe bananas can add too much moisture to the batter.

Chop the banana into small pieces just before mixing. This helps prevent them from browning before they go into the batter.

Let brownies cool completely before glazing. The cool surface helps the glitter spread evenly and set with a smooth finish.

Make ahead and stock up

Make forward. These brownies are the perfect dessert to make! Bake them up to 1 day ahead and cover. You can glaze the brownies the next day and then let them cook until ready to serve.
Storage. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.

More summer desserts!

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