Ingredients:

  • ½ cups Vanilla Wafer Crumbs
  • tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
  • tablespoons Granulated Sugar (for crust)
  • oz Full-Fat Cream Cheese, softened
  • /2 cup Granulated Sugar (for filling)
  • large Eggs, room temperature
  • /2 cup Heavy Cream (for filling)
  • teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • tablespoon Lemon Juice
  • cup Milk (Whole Milk recommended)
  • /4 cup Granulated Sugar (for custard)
  • large Egg Yolks
  • tablespoons Cornstarch
  • /2 cup Heavy Cream, whipped stiffly (for topping base)
  • Ripe Bananas, thinly sliced
  • Optional Garnish: Whipped Cream and wafer crumbs

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line the muffin tin cups with paper liners, or grease thoroughly.
  2. In a bowl, combine wafer crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until uniformly moistened. Press about 2 tablespoons of the mixture firmly into the bottom of each lined cup.
  3. Bake the crusts for 8 minutes. Remove and cool slightly while preparing the filling.
  4. Beat the softened cream cheese and sugar together until completely smooth, scraping down the sides.
  5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing only until just combined after each addition. Gently whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.
  6. Pour the filling evenly over the cooled crusts, filling about ¾ full.
  7. Water Bath Setup: Place the muffin tin inside a larger roasting pan. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the muffin liners.
  8. Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centres still have a slight wobble. Turn off the oven, crack the door open slightly, and let the cheesecakes cool in the water bath for 30 minutes.
  9. Remove from the water bath, cool completely on a wire rack, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
  10. Prepare Custard: Whisk together milk, sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens significantly to a pudding consistency.
  11. Let the custard cool slightly, then gently fold it into the stiffly whipped heavy cream until just combined to form the banana pudding topping.
  12. Final Assembly: Top each chilled cheesecake with 2–3 thin slices of fresh banana. Spoon a generous dollop of the prepared banana pudding mixture over the bananas.
  13. Chill for a final 30 minutes before serving, ideally garnished with a sprinkle of reserved wafer crumbs.