Banana Pudding Series: Episode 5
Welcome back to the banana pudding series! For episode five we have a delicious Cookie Butter Gingerbread Banana Pudding. This recipe is extra special because some of you helped me decide on this flavor. My original concept was to make a Biscoff banana pudding. It was going to have a Biscoff pastry cream and Biscoff cookies. While I loved this idea, I coincidentally had some gingersnap cookies lying around and thought that could be a great alternative cookie option. I took it to Instagram to help me decide between making a Biscoff bannana pudding or a Cookie Butter Gingerbread Banana Pudding. Lo and behold, you guys loved the gingerbread option, and I must say it turned out amazing!
Lot’s of Cream
As per usual, we’ll start with making the pastry cream. Pour the milk into a sauce pot and heat it over medium high heat until it just comes to a simmer. In the meantime, add the egg yolks, cornstarch, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until it turns into a pale yellow color. When the milk is simmering, remove it from the heat. Scoop a ladleful of the hot milk then slowly pour it into the egg mixture while whisking quickly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Continue adding in the milk while whisking until half of the milk has been used.
Pour the mixture back into the pot with the remaining milk and whisk. Return the pot to the stove and heat over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the cream starts bubbling and thickens into a custard. Remove the pot from heat and mix in the vanilla extract and ¾ cup of the cookie butter until fully incorporated. If your pastry cream is lumpy, you can pass it through a fine mesh sieve. Otherwise, transfer the pastry cream into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap makes contact with the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Place it in the fridge to cool completely.
Add the heavy cream and powdered sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the whisk attachment and mix on high speed until you get soft peaks. When the pastry cream has cooled, mix it with a rubber spatula to loosen it. Add about 2½ cups of the whipped cream into the pastry cream. Gently fold them together until evenly combined.
Extra Cookie Butter
Add the remaining cookie butter into a microwave safe bowl. Heat it for 15-20 seconds, until it’s loose enough to drizzle. Transfer it into a piping bag or resealable plastic bag. Cut off a snippet of the tip so that it has a small hole.
Spread a layer of the gingersnap cookies into a 9×13 inch pan or 2½ – 3 quart baking dish. It should be just enough to cover the bottom of the dish in a single layer. Add on a layer of the sliced bananas. Drizzle the melted cookie butter over the bananas then spread a layer of the cookie butter pastry cream on top so that the bananas are fully covered. Then add on a layer of whipped cream. Repeat this process one more time to create another set of layers. Garnish with any remaining gingersnap cookies.
Deliciousness All Year ‘Round
Part of my hesitation with making a Cookie Butter Gingerbread Banana Pudding is that gingerbread isn’t currently in season. This flavor very much felt like a recipe for the holidays. However, after tasting this incredible dessert, I could care less about the seasonality because delicious foods are meant to be eaten all year ’round. The gingersnap cookies help bring more depth to the recipe. Instead of it being all one note of Biscoff, the gingersnap cookies add a similar but more pungent flavor, which adds dimension. If you love warm spices that remind you of autumn, you’re going to love this Cookie Butter Gingerbread Banana Pudding!
Cookie Butter Gingerbread Banana Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 5 Large Egg Yolks
- 3 tbsp Cornstarch
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 14 oz Jar of Cookie Butter
- 3 cups Heavy Cream
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar
- 14 oz Crunchy Gingersnap Cookies
- 6 Bananas (sliced)
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a sauce pot and heat it over medium high heat until it just comes to a simmer. In the meantime, add the egg yolks, cornstarch, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until it turns into a pale yellow color.
- When the milk is simmering, remove it from the heat. Scoop a ladleful of the hot milk then slowly pour it into the egg mixture while whisking quickly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Continue adding in the milk while whisking until half of the milk has been used.
- Pour the mixture back into the pot with the remaining milk and whisk. Return the pot to the stove and heat over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the cream starts bubbling and thickens into a custard. Remove the pot from heat and mix in the vanilla extract and ¾ cup of the cookie butter until fully incorporated.
- If your pastry cream is lumpy, you can pass it through a fine mesh sieve. Otherwise, transfer the pastry cream into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap makes contact with the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Place it in the fridge to cool completely.
- Add the heavy cream and powdered sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the whisk attachment and mix on high speed until you get soft peaks. When the pastry cream has cooled, mix it with a rubber spatula to loosen it. Add about 2½ cups of the whipped cream into the pastry cream. Gently fold them together until evenly combined.
- Add the remaining cookie butter into a microwave safe bowl. Heat it for 15-20 seconds, until it's loose enough to drizzle. Transfer it into a piping bag or resealable plastic bag. Cut off a snippet of the tip so that it has a small hole. Set aside.
- Spread a layer of the gingersnap cookies into a 9×13 inch pan or 2½ – 3 quart baking dish. It should be just enough to cover the bottom of the dish in a single layer. Add on a layer of the sliced bananas. Drizzle the melted cookie butter over the bananas then spread a layer of the cookie butter pastry cream on top so that the bananas are fully covered. Then add on a layer of whipped cream. Repeat this process one more time to create another set of layers. Garnish with any remaining gingersnap cookies. Enjoy!
