New York Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:For the crust:
1 3/4 cups Nilla wafer crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted

For the filling:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
2-3 bananas, sliced
1 3/4 cups cold milk
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant banana cream pudding mix

Directions:

Spray a 9-inch pie dish (or round baking pan) with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350f degrees. In a small bowl, combine vanilla wafer crumbs and sugar.

Then stir in melted butter

Press the crumb mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of prepared baking dish. Note:Sometimes it helps me to use a flat-bottomed glass to press it into the pie dish. There will be some slight shrinkage as this bakes. Bake at 350° for about 8 minutes and let cool completely.

In a small bowl, whisk together cold milk and pudding mix until combined. Let stand for 2 minutes to thicken slightly.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth (scrape down sides of bowl if using a stand mixer).

Stir in half of the whipped topping (COOL WHIP)…

..and then stir in the thickened prepared pudding

Arrange the banana slices onto the cooled crust

Top with banana cream filling.

Finally, spread the rest of the whipped topping evenly on top and spread smooth.

Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until set.