Southern Banana Pudding Minis

Banana pudding is indeed a Southern delicacy! It’s wonderfully light, creamy, fruity, and comforting.. and makes a cool summery dessert that you can make ahead without using the stovetop or oven! This is an easy, no-cook, recipe. I’ll be posting another one later that is my Mom’s recipe for cooked custard and meringue topping. I use low fat ingredients and the end result is excellent. Give this one a try!

As you know, I just love making individual servings so for this one I used eight ½-pint canning jars with lids. They are adorable!

INGREDIENTS:
1 8-ounce package lower fat cream cheese
1 14-0unce can low fat sweetened condensed milk
2 3-ounce packages French vanilla instant pudding mix
3 cups low fat cold milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 8-ounce container light Cool Whip, thawed
4 to 5 bananas, sliced
Vanilla wafers (I used about ½ the box)

DIRECTIONS:
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy (duh?). Beat in condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk and vanilla extract and mix until well blended and smooth. Fold in ½ of the Cool Whip.

Line the bottom of 8 half-pint sized canning jars with vanilla wafers. Place sliced bananas over the wavers. Spread with pudding mixture. Top with remaining Cool Whip. Garnish with some crumbled vanilla wavers. Put the lids on the jars and chill for a few hours.
Enjoy!!