Banana Pudding Parfaits

Layers of vanilla wafer cookies, homemade mascarpone cream, banana pudding, and freshly sliced bananas, these parfaits are quick and easy to make! Serve them family style or fancy them up by serving them in these individual glasses. Top with whipped cream and an optional caramel drizzle. They’re a feast for the eyes!

When I was growing up, Sunday dinner dessert was almost always my mom’s no-bake cheesecake.  It was a simple dessert with no fuss and all of us kids loved it.  Her favourite fruit topping was canned cherry though, which I absolutely hate, but whenever she made it, I would scrape the cherries off and eat the rest.  On occasion, she would make a banana cream pie for dessert. Oh, I remember it well; it was so simple but so delicious! These Banana Pudding Parfaits are my shortcut version of my mom’s banana cream pie!

This is almost entirely an assembly-type recipe. What does that mean? Well, it simply means that most of this recipe is comprised of store-bought, already-prepared items that you layer and put together to form one very delicious dessert. The only exception to this is the layer of mascarpone cream. I really do encourage you to make the mascarpone cream even though a container of mascarpone can be a bit pricey. If you really don’t want to spend the money or if you want to take an even easier route, you could substitute it with sweetened whipped cream or even store-bought Cool Whip.

LAYERED DESSERTS ARE THE EASIEST AND THE BEST!

Layered desserts have been popular for many, many years. For those of us who were not blessed with the ability to decorate elaborate cakes or whip up a choux pastry or even master the art of a good meringue, there are layered desserts. Think about it! The popularity of desserts like no-bake cheesecakes, trifles, tiramisus, and parfaits is proof.

I like to think that a layered dessert can certainly be just as elegant if prepared the right way. Make it simple. Overcomplicated desserts are no fun to prepare or eat. Choose two or three flavour combinations, because too many will just become muddled and the flavours will compete with each other. That’s what I think of trifles. I do like them, but I don’t care for them if they have cake, fruit, jello, pudding, whipped cream, etc. Too many ingredients and too many layers are certainly not the way to go. (With that said, I do love it when someone else takes the time to prepare a trifle that I can dig in to!)

If you are looking for more layered desserts, look no further! I’ve got you covered right here. Try these Stacked Vanilla Strawberry Shortcakes, for example. Or a breakfast version using waffles! You have got to try these puff pastry flakies – they are probably my favourite dessert of all time. Of course, you can’t go wrong with the classic no-bake cheesecake either!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

FOR THE MASCARPONE CREAM:

• Mascarpone – You will need one container of cheese. I love the Tre Stelle brand, because, unlike other brands, there are never any concerns about moisture separation.
• Confectioner’s Sugar – This superfine sugar is sometimes called powdered sugar.  It is used in frostings, dessert toppings, icings, and baked goods quite often.  It’s also very visually appealing when dusted lightly onto cakes and cookies.
• Cream – Sometimes called whipping cream or heavy cream, this high-fat content dairy product is often used for dessert toppings, ice creams, and even some cakes and cookies.  Look for a cream with 35 – 38% fat content.
• Vanilla Bean Paste – This has a strong vanilla flavour and has vanilla beans in it. It’s a more economical way to get the little black flecks of vanilla beans into baked goods without buying expensive pods! You can use vanilla extract here too.

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

• Nilla Wafers – These are light, crispy cookies that are often found in layered desserts. You can find them at Walmart here.
• Bananas – Buy bananas that don’t have any brown spots; the peel should be bright yellow for that perfect ripeness.
• Banana Pudding – You can make your banana pudding from scratch, but I tend to buy a package of pudding packs and use those. It’s easier!
• Caramel Sauce – This is for drizzling on top and is completely optional.

HOW TO MAKE BANANA PUDDING PARFAITS

Before you start, place your mixing bowl in the freezer. An ice-cold bowl will help to make whipping the mascarpone and the cream faster and easier. Allow the bowl to chill for 5 minutes. Transfer the cold mascarpone to the chilled mixing bowl. Beat for just a minute or two to loosen up the dense ingredient. Next, add in the cold cream (heavy or whipping cream) and beat to incorporate until smooth. Add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until well incorporated.

Next, working in layers, either in a 9×13 baking dish, a trifle bowl, or individual glasses as you see here, set a thin layer of the mascarpone cream into whatever vessel you are using. Top with a layer of vanilla wafer cookies, followed by the banana pudding, and freshly sliced bananas. You can continue to build layers in this fashion and stop once you have either used up your ingredients or have filled your serving vessel. Be sure that the last layer is the mascarpone cream! Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

Before serving, top with crushed wafer cookies and a banana slice. Optionally, you may drizzle with caramel or chocolate sauce. A sprinkling of toffee bits is also a nice touch!

WHAT IS MASCARPONE CHEESE?

Mascarpone is a very smooth, spreadable cheese made with fresh cream. The flavour is milky and slightly sweet, and it has a richness to it. The texture is almost buttery, but that’s because of the high butterfat content. In comparison to heavy cream, for example, mascarpone can have up to 75% fat content, while heavy cream falls somewhere between 35 and 38%

Mascarpone can be quite costly, but it does go on sale quite often. It is not something you would want to eat every day, so on occasion, it’s nice to splurge a little and treat yourself.

Mascarpone can be used in both sweet and savoury recipes. Either way, it will always make sure the recipe is rich and creamy! You can use it instead of whipped cream, just like I’m doing with this Banana Pudding Parfaits recipe. In terms of savoury recipes, you can add mascarpone to pasta sauce or use it in place of cream in nearly any dish. It can also be used to thicken soups! My favourite way to use it is with fresh berries and fruit.

HEAVY CREAM VS WHIPPING CREAM

Confession time – I use them both interchangeably, depending on what is available at the store, or whatever is on sale! Both of these can be quite costly. If memory serves me correctly, a 250mL carton, or one cup, here in Canada, will run just short of $5! There is a difference between the two, but not enough to concern yourself with when it comes to Banana Pudding Parfaits.

Just in case you’re interested, the most basic difference is the amount of fat contained in both. Whipping cream has 35% fat. It can be whipped into peaks and it’s also rich enough that it won’t curdle when heated in soups and sauces. It’s nearly identical to heavy cream so if a recipe calls for heavy cream and you can only find whipping cream, feel free to use that instead. In contrast, heavy cream, which is sometimes called heavy whipping cream, contains about 38% fat. Either of those would work well in this recipe. I used 35% whipping cream.

STORING

These can certainly be made ahead of time. Once assembled, cover them well with plastic wrap and keep them refrigerated. You can keep them for 2 days. As you can see, I’m using hurricane cocktail glasses, but any cocktail or drinking glass will do just fine. A mason jar works very nicely too! Alternatively, this recipe can be prepared in a 9×13-inch baking pan and scooped out into dessert bowls when ready to serve.