Banana Pudding in a jar

When we had friends with kids coming for dinner, I wanted to make a fun dessert. Since I have gotten caught up in the craze for making everything from no-cook oatmeal to salads in Mason jars, banana pudding came to mind. It seemed like a perfect recipe to adapt to individual servings. We have loved Paula Deen's Not Yo' Moma's Banana Pudding since my mom introduced us to it years ago so I started there.


(Our friends' son liked it so much he used two spoons.)


  I did use Trader Joe's Ultimate Vanilla Wafers since the Chessmen cookies wouldn't fit in 8 ounce jars. I also have changed the procedure to dirty fewer bowls.

You could use regular vanilla wafers, but these are really rich and good and have vanilla beans - see the black flecks.

 After gathering the ingredients, I mixed the cream cheese, condensed milk, milk, pudding mix and whipped topping. Then it was time to start layering.The pudding mixture set quicker than I would have liked. It doesn't need to be as firm when it is going in jars as it does in a large pan, so I think I will change things next time. (I didn't need as much filling as this made either.)







 This recipe makes a large dish of banana pudding, so after I filled the ten jars I had pudding left. I layered it in a casserole with strawberries.











 Banana Pudding in a Jar

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened (I use reduced fat)
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 

2 cups milk (I use skim)
1 (5-ounce) box instant vanilla pudding

1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed

1 pkg Vanilla Wafers
4 large bananas, sliced

12 8 ounce Mason jars

In a large mixing bowl mix cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth. Add the milk and pudding mix and mix until well blended. Add the whipped topping and mix until just combined. Place one cookie in the bottom of each jar. Add a couple of Tablespoons of the pudding mixture, then top with about half of the bananas. (5 or 6 slices in each jar.) Add a cookie to each jar and press down to remove some of the air space. Add some more of the pudding and the rest of the bananas. Top with pudding almost to the top of the jars and finish with a cookie before putting the lids on. Refrigerate at least several hours before serving.

Banana Walnut Bread (w/ Chocolate Chips)

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There are two extremes in our house when it comes to bananas. Either they are gone before they really are ripe, or they sit until they are too speckled with brown for anyone to want them. Today, there were three bananas that needed to be used, so I made muffins. The recipe I adapted is from the Batty Crocker cookbook my mom gave me when I moved into my first apartment. I got 23 muffins out of the recipe. Because it is a loose batter and doesn't have a lot of fat, it is probably better as bread, but that would have meant having the oven on for an hour instead of about half that time. I baked the muffins for 17 minutes.

Banana Walnut Bread (w/ Chocolate Chips)

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

3 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

½ cup sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup milk

1 1/2 cup mashed bananas

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place walnuts on a cookie sheet and toast in oven for 5-10 minutes. Allow the nuts to cool while you prepare the batter. Grease the bottoms only of two 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ inch loaf pans. (Or use a vegetable oil spray. If you coat the sides too, the bread won’t rise as much, but it tastes the same.) In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large bowl mix the sugars, oil, milk, banana, and egg. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients. (By adding about a quarter at a time, you get fewer lumps.) When the flour is almost completely mixed in fold in the chocolate chips and nuts. Divide evenly between the prepared pans. Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before loosening sides of loaves and turning out onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.