Layered Banana Pudding

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Add the vanilla wafers to a food processor and pulse until they form fine crumbs.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan.

In a bowl, combine the vanilla wafer crumbs with the melted butter and mix well.

Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a baking dish.

Bake the crust for 8 minutes.

Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool completely.

In a large bowl, combine the room temperature cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla pudding mix, and banana cream pudding mix.

Using a hand mixer, blend the ingredients until combined.

Gradually add the cold milk while mixing, and continue to blend until the mixture is smooth.

Place the pudding mixture in the refrigerator to chill and set.

In a separate mixing bowl, add the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract.

Whip with a stand mixer or hand mixer until it becomes fluffy and forms stiff peaks.

Fold half of the whipped cream into the chilled pudding mixture.

To the remaining half of the whipped cream, add the powdered sugar and mix to combine. Set this aside for the topping.

To assemble, layer sliced bananas over the cooled crust.

Spread a layer of the banana pudding mixture over the bananas.

Add a layer of Chessmen cookies.

Add another layer of sliced bananas, followed by the remaining banana pudding mixture.

Spread the sweetened whipped cream topping evenly over the pudding layer.

Arrange a final layer of Chessmen cookies on top.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours before serving.