👨‍🍳🧑‍🍳 Happy Tuesday, Chefs!

This week, we're celebrating one of summer's finest institutions: the pool party.

And naturally, we're starting with dessert.

Made ahead, easy to transport, and built to feed a crowd, banana pudding is the kind of chilled dessert that quietly steals the show. One scoop becomes two. Then suddenly the dish is empty.

Layers of vanilla cookies, ripe bananas, silky pudding, and whipped cream come together in a Southern classic that feels nostalgic, comforting, and somehow even better the next day.

👇 Scroll for a modern take on the dessert that's been carrying summer gatherings for generations.

Cheers,
~thebacklabel crew🍷🔥

P.S. If you missed us on Sunday, this Sticky BBQ Chicken will elevate your next pool soiree.

Recipe By: @jaren_diaryrecipecollector

WATCH the Video!

🍌✨ Fun Fact: Banana pudding became a Southern staple in the early 1900s, turning simple pantry ingredients into the dessert that anchors countless family gatherings.

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessman Cookies
6 to 7 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
5 oz. box instant French vanilla pudding
8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
12 oz. container of Cool Whip

1️⃣ Build The Foundation
Line the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch dish with a full layer of cookies. No gaps. This is the architecture of dessert.

2️⃣ Add The Bananas
Arrange sliced bananas evenly over the cookies, creating a generous layer in every corner.

3️⃣ Make The Pudding
Whisk together the milk and pudding mix for about 1 minute. It will begin to thicken almost immediately.

4️⃣ Create The Cream Layer
In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until completely smooth. Fold in the Cool Whip, then combine with the pudding mixture until silky and uniform.

5️⃣ Assemble The Layers
Pour the pudding mixture over the cookies and bananas, spreading it evenly from edge to edge.

6️⃣ Finish Strong
Top with a final layer of cookies, covering the surface from corner to corner.

7️⃣ Let Time Do The Work
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Overnight is even better, allowing the cookies to soften and the layers to settle into something greater than the sum of their parts.

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