Banana Cream Cheesecake Bars

Last year, we had one of our neighbor families over for BBQ. My friend showed up carrying a foil-covered pan. When she peeled the top off, I could smell butter and vanilla before she even set it down on the picnic table. She said they were Banana Cream Cheesecake Bars.

I didn’t even bother waiting until after dinner. I grabbed one right that very minute. Took a big ole’ bite. And just stood there for a second processing the party that was going on in my mouth. Buttery vanilla wafer crust on the bottom. Thick fluffy banana cream pudding filling on top. The tangy undertone of rich cream cheese. Butter and heavy cream. Just everything was cold and creamy and tasted like banana pudding’s highfalutin cousin.

Of course, she gave me the recipe. And it’s so easy. No baking involved, zero complicated steps. I couldn’t believe these babies didn’t come out of the oven! Just crush the cookies and whip up the filling. Then spread all that over the crust and your fridge does all the hard work overnight as it chills. All of this deliciousness and my kitchen didn’t even have to heat up on a hot July day. 

Scroll to bottom for printable recipe card.

Why You’ll Love Banana Cream Cheesecake Bars

The first thing to love is how easy they are to make. Your part takes about 10 or 15 minutes, start to finish. You’re not having to babysit bars baking in the oven. The hardest work you do for this recipe is crushing the cookies. For clean up, you’ve got one bowl and a baking pan. 

But the texture is what’s going to really get you. The crust stays firm and buttery. And the filling sets up into this mousse-like layer that’s creamy and rich without feeling heavy. Because they sit in the fridge overnight, they hold together just fine when you slice them into squares. That makes them perfect for packing into lunch boxes or setting out on a plate for a dessert spread. Leftovers keep extremely well in the fridge for days.

Ingredients needed:

• Cream cheese
• Heavy whipping cream
• Butter
• Instant banana pudding mix
• Crushed crumbs from Nilla Wafers
• Granulated sugar
• Whipped cream for garnish (optional)

Ingredient Deep Dive

Cream Cheese

Cream cheese is what makes these Banana Cream Cheesecake Bars so rich. Without it, you would just have flavored whipped cream! I always use the full-fat version to make these, not the light version. And certainly not the whipped cream cheese that comes in the little tubs. Full-fat cream cheese sets up firm in the fridge to give you the cheesecake-like bite that makes these bars feel so substantial.

You have to make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before you get started. Cold cream cheese is going to leave lumps no matter how long you beat it.

Heavy Whipping Cream

Believe it or not, the heavy whipping cream is what makes these bars light and airy. When you whip it up with some sugar, it becomes the fluffy base that you fold into the cream cheese mixture. And it’s that folding step that creates the mousse-like texture I was telling you about.

Be sure you get heavy whipping cream and not half-and-half. The higher fat content is what you need for those soft peaks. If you’re in a bind, you can go with the frozen whipped topping. It makes things lighter and a little less rich. But still scrumptious!

Instant Banana Pudding Mix

The secret to this recipe is the instant banana pudding mix. That’s where you get all the banana flavor from without having to deal with fresh bananas that are going to get brown and mushy. The pudding mix goes straight into the cream cheese. That’s why it gets so thick and loaded up with that nostalgic banana taste.

Don’t accidentally grab the cook and serve pudding mix. It doesn’t set properly without being heated first. If you can’t find banana pudding, vanilla pudding works just fine, but you’re going to lose the banana flavor.

Nilla Wafers

Crushed vanilla wafers are what you use to make the crust. That’s what sets these little bars apart from other cheesecake bar recipes. The vanilla wafers add a toasty vanilla sweetness that’s perfect with the creamy banana filling. Graham crackers just don’t cut it for this recipe.

Crush the vanilla wafers into fine crumbs and mix them with the melted butter. If you don’t have vanilla wafers, any vanilla cookie will work just as well.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Banana Cream Cheesecake Bars

Step 1: Crush the Nilla wafers to fine crumbs.

You can use a food processor for this job. That will give you fine crumbs with no chunks. It takes about 30 seconds of pulsing with a food processor. And the kitchen will fill up with a warm, toasty vanilla smell as the wafers break down. If you don’t have a food processor, that’s okay. Seal them in a Ziploc bag and crush ’em with a rolling pin.

Step 2: Mix the crumbs and the melted butter together and press the crust into a 9×9 pan that has been lined with parchment paper.

Pour the melted butter over the crumbs in a bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until every crumb is damp and sandy looking. The parchment paper lets you lift out the bars later in one clean piece. Dump the buttery crumbs into the pan and press down firmly. You need a compact layer.

Step 3: Whip the heavy cream with the sugar until you get soft peaks. 

You’re going to beat the heavy cream and sugar on medium-high speed. After about two minutes, you’ll see it start getting thicker. It goes from liquid to what looks like melted ice cream. Keep going with it. Soft peaks gently droop when you lift the beater out of the mixture. Don’t go past this point. Set the mixture aside. 

Step 4: In another bowl, beat the cream cheese until it’s super smooth.

Mix in the banana pudding powder until everything is well incorporated.

Then fold in the whipped cream.

You want this mixture to be thick and evenly blended.

It’ll start smelling like those banana popsicles we used to eat when we were kids. Use slow motions with your spatula. The filling will start to get lighter in color when the whipped cream gets worked in.

Step 5: Spread the filling over the chilled crust and let it sit in the fridge overnight.

When you’re spreading the filling over the crust, be sure and push it all the way to the edges. The pan needs to be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for at least six hours. Overnight is even better because that will give it plenty of time to set. When you’re ready to serve it, pull the whole slab out by the parchment paper. 

Pro-Tips & Technique 

The cream cheese needs to be at room temperature before you start. Set it on the counter about half an hour before you start preparing the cheesecake bars and it’ll be perfect

When you’re whipping your heavy cream, keep a very close eye on it once it starts to get thick. You want soft peaks. Not stiff ones. Soft peaks flop over gently when you pull the beater up. If you go too far with this, your filling will end up dense instead of light and fluffy like you want it. 

Let the bars chill all night in the fridge if you can. But they do need at least six hours to set correctly. If you cut them too early, the filling will be soft and they won’t hold their shape.

THANKS FOR PINING!

Serving & Pairing

These Banana Cream Cheesecake Bars are the perfect dessert when you’re serving a picnic or BBQ outside. They can go on a table right alongside other cold treats. I like to set one aside for myself and save it for work the next day. It’s so perfect with a cup of steaming hot black coffee. The bitterness of the coffee is a delightful contrast with the sweetness of the filling. The kids sometimes have theirs with a tall glass of ice cold milk

To give it a fancier look, you can drizzle a little caramel sauce over the top right before you serve it. And for a dessert spread or afternoon tea, you can add some fresh strawberries or a fruit salad to the plate.

FAQs & Troubleshooting

Can I make these ahead of time?

You absolutely can! And in fact, they’re better when you make them in advance. This is because the filling needs time in the fridge to set. Making them the night before is totally the way to go. They’ll hold up for three or four days in the fridge, no problem.

Can I freeze banana cream cheesecake bars?

I actually make a double batch sometimes so that I can freeze some for future me. They last in the freezer for up to a month. Be sure to slice them into squares first. Then wrap every square in plastic wrap and put the wrapped squares into a freezer-safe container. You’ll need to let them thaw in the fridge for a couple of hours before you eat them.

My filling came out runny. What went wrong?

Most likely, it’s because your whipped cream didn’t reach soft peaks before it got folded into the mixture. And if you use the cook-and-serve pudding mix instead of instant, that’s what will happen, too. If it’s still loose after being in the fridge all night, stick it in the freezer for about an hour. That might help it firm up.

Can I add fresh bananas to this recipe?

Sure! Slice some fresh bananas and layer them between the crust and filling. If you want even more banana flavor. Before you do that though, sprinkle some lemon juice over them. That’ll help keep them from becoming brown.

More easy bars recipes?

Ooey Gooey Bars – Basically, they’re delicious!

Paula Dean’s Pumpkin Bars – A perfect fall dessert, delicious pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting.

Flaky Apple Pie Bars – They come out perfect every time!