These Soft-Baked Banana Pudding Cookies Combine Two Desserts in One

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If you love banana pudding, you'll want to make these cookies ASAP. They're essentially banana pudding in cookie form, complete with the feel-good vibes of the original dessert. What's more, the dough is also freezer-friendly, making it easy to save and bake whenever you're craving homemade cookies.

This recipe was inspired by a new menu item at Magnolia Bakery, which is famous for its banana pudding. While these cookies don't have quite the same texture as Magnolia's, I think you'll love their soft center. To achieve that classic banana pudding flavor, I used banana cream pudding mix and real bananas in the dough. I also added vanilla wafers — another standard ingredient — in the form of crumbs. Additionally, the dough is also based off of buttery chocolate chip cookie recipes, so you can be sure that this version is soft, rich, and delicious.

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Notes

To prepare the vanilla wafer crumbs, process them in a blender or food processor. You can leave bigger chunks, if you'd like.

Ingredients

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup mashed banana
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3.4-ounce box banana cream pudding mix
Pinch of salt
3/4 cups white chocolate chips

Directions

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until just combined and creamy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and banana. Beat until combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, dry pudding mix, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and vanilla wafer crumbs. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, 1/3 at a time. Use a spatula to mix after each addition. Continue mixing until the dough is somewhat tacky. If needed, add a bit more flour. Fold in the white chocolate chips with a spatula. Cover and chill in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Form the dough into balls, about 3 to 4 tablespoons each, depending on how big you'd like to make them. Place the balls onto the baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart. Press down slightly. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until golden brown.