1-First Step: Prepare Mise en Place Gather all ingredients. Mash 2-3 ripe bananas to get 1 cup puree. Soften 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. This setup keeps your banana cream pie cookie assembly smooth, even for beginners.

2-Second Step: Cream Wet Ingredients In a large bowl, beat softened butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract, mix well. Stir in mashed bananas. For vegan, use flax egg here. The banana adds moisture for soft banana cream pie cookies.

3-Third Step: Combine Dry Ingredients In another bowl, whisk 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, and 3.4 oz banana cream pudding mix. Gradually add dry to wet, stirring until just combined. Fold in optional 1 cup mini vanilla wafers or 1/2 cup white chocolate chips. Dough will be soft; avoid overmixing for tender texture. Gluten-free flour works 1:1 here.

4-Fourth Step: Scoop and Bake Scoop tablespoon-sized dough balls, place 2 inches apart on sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes until edges golden, centers soft. Cool on sheet 5 minutes, then wire rack. No-chill dough bakes evenly for easy banana cookie recipe success.

5-Fifth Step: Make the Cream Filling Whip 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and extra vanilla if desired to stiff peaks, 3-4 minutes. For low-cal, use light cream. Vegan: chill and whip coconut cream overnight first. Pipeable filling mimics pie custard.

6-Final Step: Assemble and Serve Slice cooled cookies horizontally. Pipe or spread filling, add thin banana slices, top with crushed graham crackers or Nilla wafer cookies. Press halves together. Chill 10 minutes for set. Serve at room temp for best chew. Adapt by skipping filling for simple drop cookies.