Banana Pudding Cups

Week 433. Year 9. Tommy is 42. Deep summer. The business thriving. Luc (18) at LSU studying engineering. The heat index above 100 and the AC straining and the only relief is the cold beer and the screened porch and the sound of the fan turning and the knowledge that fall is coming and the gumbo is waiting.

Made fried catfish this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. The spoon doesn't stop.

The catfish does the heavy lifting — the smell, the crunch, the feeling of the whole house pulling together around the stove — but a meal like that deserves a proper ending, and in deep summer with the fan turning on the porch, banana pudding cups are the only honest answer. Cold, sweet, layered, and unapologetically Southern: the kind of thing you pull out of the refrigerator after the plates are cleared and the conversation has slowed down and everybody just sits. Week 433 called for something that felt as settled and steady as the day itself felt. This was it.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 2 hr 15 min (includes chill time) | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 (3.4 oz) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups cold whole milk
1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 box (11 oz) vanilla wafer cookies
4 ripe bananas, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the pudding base. In a large bowl, whisk together the instant vanilla pudding mix and cold whole milk for about 2 minutes until thickened. Set aside to set for 5 minutes.
Beat the cream cheese layer. In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.
Fold together. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the cream cheese mixture until smooth and uniform. Fold in half of the whipped topping until just incorporated — don’t overmix.
Layer the cups. In 6 individual serving cups or mason jars, layer in this order: a layer of vanilla wafers, a layer of banana slices, a generous spoonful of the pudding mixture. Repeat layers until the cups are filled, ending with the pudding mixture on top.
Top and finish. Dollop or pipe the remaining whipped topping over each cup. Garnish with a vanilla wafer and a banana slice pressed into the top.
Chill. Cover cups with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. The wafers will soften into the pudding and the layers will set beautifully. Serve cold.

Nutrition (per serving)

Banana Pudding Cups — The Sweet Finish to a Deep Summer Catfish Night