Caramelized Banana Vanilla Wafer Pudding with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

When I was younger I remember the highlight of my day was making Sand Pudding at summer camp. If you never had Sand Pudding or you have no clue what I'm talking about, what kind of childhood did you have?! Anyway, Sand pudding traditionally consists of layers of Vanilla wafers, Vanilla Pudding, cream cheese, etc, it's amazing. If you still don't know what I'm talking about, you're in luck because this Caramelized Banana Vanilla Wafer Pudding with Cinnamon Whipped Cream recipe is a little like Sand Pudding! Bring on the childhood nostalgia!

The 4 parts to this pudding...

Caramelized Bananas. You will need around 5 large bananas for this recipe. To caramelize the bananas, cook light/dark brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon together in a skillet/pan. Once those 3 ingredients are combined and the butter is melted, add in your sliced bananas and cook until soft and caramelized. If you like your bananas a little farther from the soft side just reduce the cooking time!
Vanilla Pudding. Unlike using boxed vanilla pudding in the Sand Pudding this one is homemade!
Vanilla Wafers. These cookies are the star of this entire recipe, but if you do not have them you can use graham crackers!
Cinnamon Whipped Cream. Fluffy, creamy, flawlessly spiced, this whipped cream is the cherry on top of an already mind-blowingly delicious sundae!

How to assemble...

This is the easiest and most fun part of the recipe because it takes you right back to those summer days in camp.

Your first layer is Vanilla Wafer cookies.

Next, evenly top with the caramelized bananas. (Don't use all of them because you will need them for another layer!)

Then, pour and spread the warm pudding on top. Note: if the pudding has become thick, add a splash of milk and whisk to thin it out a little.

Now, repeat the process one more time: wafers, bananas, pudding. See, so easy! Lastly, spread the whipped cream on top and finish it off with some crumbled Vanilla Wafers.