Banana Pudding

Step 1

In a large clean bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract, and beat until the cream is light, fluffy, and holds stiff peaks (when you lift the beater straight out, the cream should stand up and form peaks that hold their shape and don't flop over at the tip). Set aside (if using your stand mixer, transfer whipped cream to a different container while you make the pudding).

Step 2

In a separate large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat softened cream cheese until completely smooth.

Step 3

Add half of the sweetened condensed milk and beat until completely mixed and there are no lumps of cream cheese remaining, stopping once or twice to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Beat in remaining sweetened condensed milk.

Step 4

Add milk and instant pudding mix and beat on high for 2 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom once halfway through, until well-mixed.

Step 5

Add half of the whipped cream (approximately, you don’t need to measure it) to your pudding mixture, and fold it in until the mixture is uniform in color and no streaks remain.

Step 6

To assemble, layer wafers, banana slices, pudding, and whipped cream into individual glasses, doing two layers of each.

Step 7

Chill for at least 2 hours*, up to 24, serve, and enjoy!