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Banana pudding blondies stacked on parchment paper with baked banana pieces, white chocolate chips, and crushed vanilla wafer cookies inside chewy golden blondie bars.
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Banana Pudding Blondies – Soft, Gooey Blondie Bars with Creamy Vanilla Wafer Banana Flavor

These Banana Pudding Blondies are ultra-soft, chewy dessert bars inspired by the classic Southern banana pudding. Made with ripe bananas, buttery blondie batter, crushed vanilla wafers, and creamy banana pudding flavor, these gooey blondies bake into rich golden squares with a soft center and lightly crisp edges. Perfect for potlucks, parties, or an easy bakery-style dessert, this recipe combines the nostalgic taste of banana pudding with the dense texture of homemade blondies for a crowd-pleasing treat.
Course Baking, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American, Southern-Inspired Dessert
Keyword banana blondies recipe, banana dessert bars, banana pudding baked dessert, banana pudding bars, banana pudding blondies, banana pudding brownies, banana pudding cookie bars, banana pudding dessert bars, chewy blondies recipe, easy banana pudding blondies, gooey banana blondies, homemade blondies with banana, vanilla wafer blondies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 9 large blondies
Calories 340kcal
Cost $6 for entire recipe

Equipment

  • 8×8 inch baking pan
  • Parchment paper
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Rubber spatula
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Kitchen scale (optional but recommended)
  • Cooling rack
  • Knife for slicing

Ingredients

Blondie Batter

  • ½ cup 113 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • ¾ cup 150 g light brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup 50 g granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup 120 g all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup 30 g instant banana pudding mix (dry powder)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ cup crushed vanilla wafer cookies such as Nilla wafers
  • ½ cup white chocolate chips optional but recommended
  • ½ cup diced ripe banana about ½–1 banana

Instructions

Prepare the Pan

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides to lift the blondies out later.

Make the Blondie Batter

  • In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and glossy.
  • Add the egg and egg yolk and whisk until fully combined. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Combine the Dry Ingredients

  • In a separate bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, instant banana pudding mix, salt, and baking powder until evenly mixed.
  • Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula until just combined and a thick blondie batter forms.

Add Mix-Ins

  • Gently fold in the crushed vanilla wafer cookies, white chocolate chips, and diced banana. Mix only until evenly distributed.

Bake

  • Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
  • Bake for 24–28 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the center is just set but still soft.

Cool and Slice

  • Allow the blondies to cool completely in the pan before lifting them out using the parchment paper.
  • Slice into 9 thick blondies and serve.

Notes

Use ripe bananas for the best flavor
Ripe bananas with brown spots provide the strongest banana flavor and natural sweetness. Avoid overly mushy bananas, as too much moisture can make the blondies dense.
Do not overmix the batter
Once the dry ingredients are added, mix only until combined. Overmixing develops gluten in the flour and can make blondies tough instead of soft and chewy.
Crush the vanilla wafers lightly
For the best banana pudding texture, crush the vanilla wafer cookies into small chunks rather than fine crumbs. This creates little pockets of crunch throughout the blondies.
Bake until the center is just set
Blondies should look slightly soft in the center when removed from the oven. They will continue to set while cooling, giving you the classic gooey blondie texture.
Let the blondies cool completely before slicing
Cooling helps the bars firm up and allows for clean slices. Cutting them too early can cause the blondies to fall apart.
Use parchment paper for easy removal
Lining the baking pan with parchment paper makes it easy to lift the blondies out of the pan and slice them neatly into squares.
Optional topping idea
For extra banana pudding flavor, drizzle the cooled blondies with vanilla glaze or sprinkle crushed vanilla wafers on top before serving.