These banana pudding cheesecake squares taste just like banana cream pie, but better! The graham cracker crust pairs perfectly with the sweet filling.
If you're a fan of these bars, you have to try my small batch cheesecake for two!
I looove banana pudding. It's definitely up there as one of my all-time favorite desserts, which is a bold statement but it's true. And because I also LOVE cheesecake, combining the two into one super easy and satisfying dessert was a total no-brainer.
Rather than baking up a traditional cheesecake in a springform pan, though, I decided I wanted to make bars. Because they're so much easier to serve. I've made my fair share of gluten free bars, and I've even made cheesecake bars before... brownie cheesecake bars, to be exact.
I went with a classic graham cracker crust here, but I'm intrigued by the idea of incorporating gluten free vanilla wafers. Maybe that will need to be my next experiment...
At any rate, I think you will love these cheesecake squares and I'm sure it will be a big hit with your dinner guests, too! So let me tell you a little bit more about them.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- I know I say this about practically every recipe I share on here... but this is such an EASY dessert. It comes together quickly and the hardest part is waiting for it to set in the refrigerator.
- These bars have got the perfect combination of flavors: between the bananas, vanilla, sweetened condensed milk, and tangy cream cheese. It's just so dreamy!
- If you're here because you have an egg allergy, you're in luck. I cracked the code on making baked cheesecake without eggs and I haven't looked back since. The texture on these cheesecake squares is SO perfect and there are zero eggs involved.
What You'll Need
- Gluten free graham cracker crumbs (you can use my gluten free graham cracker recipe for this!).
- Brown sugar
- Melted butter
- Cream cheese
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Sour cream
- Vanilla
- Mashed bananas (two large bananas should do it).
Step-by-Step Instructions
To make my banana pudding cheesecake squares, let's start with the crust. If you've made one of my gluten free graham cracker crusts before, then you know the drill.
Grab a medium bowl and combine the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar. Add in the melted butter and stir well until it's completely moistened and combined. Press the crust into the bottom of your lined baking pan, then pop it into the refrigerator to hang out while you work on the filling.
To make the cheesecake filling, beat the cream cheese for 1-2 minutes, until it's completely smooth and creamy. Add the sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, and vanilla extract and continue to beat.
Now you'll just add in the mashed banana. Mix on low speed just until it's all incorporated. You will likely have lumps due to the texture of the mashed banana and that's totally normal!
Transfer the filling onto your crust and spread in an even layer. Bake on 300ºF for about 40 minutes. The cheesecake will look golden in color and the filling will seem firm. Once the cheesecake has cooled completely, chill for at least 4 hours before slicing into squares.
Expert Tips
- When it comes to making cheesecake, room temperature ingredients are so essential. The cream cheese and sour cream both need to be room temperature. If your ingredients are too cold, it'll be hard to get a smooth filling.
- Be sure to use full-fat blocks of cream cheese, not the spreadable kind that comes in a tub. And, for best results, go with regular, full-fat sour cream, too.
- I highly recommend topping these little bars with homemade whipped cream and banana slices.
Ingredient Substitutions
- For the crust, feel free to experiment with different gluten free cookie crumbs! I think some sort of vanilla cookie would be delicious.
- Greek yogurt may be substituted for the sour cream in a pinch.
Did you try my banana pudding cheesecake squares? Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog! And to get all new recipes delivered straight to your inbox, don't forget to subscribe.
📖 Recipe
Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars - Gluten Free, Eggless
Ingredients
For the graham cracker crust:
- 1 ½ cups (150g) gluten free graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar packed
- 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter melted
For the filling:
- 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup (113g) sour cream room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (227g) banana mashed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Line an 8" square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- To make the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar in a small bowl. Stir in the melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Store in the refrigerator while you work on the filling.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, and vanilla extract and beat until combined, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the mashed banana and mix on low speed to incorporate. You may have some lumps in the filling and that's OK.
- Pour the filling into the crust. Bake for 40 minutes, until filling is firm and golden in color. Cool cheesecake completely, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before slicing into bars and serving.
Notes
- Be sure to use blocks (not the spreadable kind) of full-fat cream cheese.
- It's important to bring the cream cheese and sour cream to room temperature before mixing.
Leave a Reply