Easy banana cream dessert

This dessert is similar to banana cream pie, but much faster because no pie crust needs to be made. Kids love to arrange the graham crackers and break them into the right sizes. Makes an 8x8 inch pan or you can double the recipe for a 9x13 inch pan.

1 small package instant vanilla pudding
2 cups milk
2 cups frozen whipped topping(thawed) or 1 package prepared whipped topping
8 graham crackers
3 bananas
1 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoons wheat germ (optional)

1. Beat vanilla pudding and 2 cups milk for 1 minute.
2. Fold 1/2 of whipped topping (1 cup) into pudding.
3. Cover the bottom of an 8x8 inch square pan with one layer of graham crackers. Break crackers if needed to cover bottom of pan.
4. Add layer of sliced bananas.
5. Pour 1/2 of pudding mixture over bananas.
6. Repeat with an additional layer of graham crackers, bananas, and pudding.
7. Top with remaining whipped topping.
8. Mix cracker crumbs and wheat germ and sprinkle on top.
9. Refrigerate for about 2 hours to soften crackers and chill dessert, then cut into squares and serve.

Variations: try different flavors of pudding, chocolate graham crackers, and/or other fruits.

tot tip: Preschoolers love to help make the pudding. Put half of the pudding with one cup of the milk into a small resealable plastic bag. Be sure it is completely sealed. Let the child shake and squeeze the bag to thicken the pudding. When the pudding is thickened, open bag and add 1/2 cup cool whip. Have the child squeeze the bag until mixed. Cut one of the bottom corners off the bag and squeeze the pudding out unto the layer of bananas (step 5). Repeat the process for the rest of the pudding and cool whip.

cook's tip: To make graham cracker crumbs put 1/2 of a graham cracker in a resealable plastic bag and roll it with a rolling pin. 1/2 cracker will make about 1 tablespoon of crumbs.

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