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Prep time
8 hours 30 minutes
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Serves
12
Author Notes
Before my early twenties, I’d never experienced a proper banana pudding. That changed one sunny summer day in Manhattan’s West Village, outside Magnolia Bakery. A line snaked around the block, everyone clutching cups of what I soon discovered was life-changing banana pudding. How had I lived so long without this? My PB&J Puddin’ is a tribute to that revelation, using Magnolia's classic pudding base but with a twist inspired by my childhood love: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I always preferred strawberry jelly (or jam—preserves were a later discovery), so macerated strawberries in strawberry preserves create an intense berry burst. Peanut butter sandwich cookies, ideally Nutter Butters, transform into perfect little peanut butter cakes overnight. This recipe is endlessly adaptable and works with any fruit-and-cookie combo while keeping the same delicious pudding foundation. —César Pérez
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PB&J Puddin'
Ingredients
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1
14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
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1 ½ cups
ice cold water
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1
(3.4-ounce) package of instant vanilla pudding
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3 cups
cold heavy cream
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2
(16-ounce) package peanut butter sandwich cookies (such as Nutter Butter)
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2 pounds
strawberries, rinsed, trimmed, and thinly sliced
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½ cups
strawberry preserves
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½ teaspoons
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
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½
lemon, zest and juice
Directions
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In a bowl, combine the sliced strawberries, strawberry preserves, lemon juice & zest, and salt. Gently toss to coat. Set aside to macerate until juicy, about 30 minutes.
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Whisk together condensed milk and water in a stand mixer until blended. Increase speed to medium and mix until combined. Add pudding mix and beat until smooth. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 hour.
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Whip heavy cream in the stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over whip. Gently fold in the chilled pudding mixture until no streaks remain.
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In a 9x13-inch dish, create three layers, starting with a layer of pudding mixture, followed by whole peanut butter cookies, and finishing with a layer of the macerated strawberries (along with some of their juices). Repeat these layers twice more. Top the final layer of strawberries with the remaining whipped cream.
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Cover the PB&J puddin’ and refrigerate for 8 hours, or until the cookies are softened. Garnish with a single final cookie on top and enjoy!
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