Griff's Coffee Toffee Banana Pudding Bars

Banana Pudding is a traditional dessert in the Southern US for holidays, picnics, and Sunday dinners! This recipe has a few twists on the classic recipe using Coffee Toffee, made in North Carolina, for a little crunch!

Griff's Coffee Toffee Banana Pudding Bars

Ingredients: 

• 1 - 2-ounce package Griff’s Coffee Toffee, divided
• 30 vanilla sandwich cookies, such as Golden Oreos
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 - 3.4-ounce package of instant banana Jello-O Pudding Mix
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 large bananas
• 4 ounces room temperature cream cheese
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 - 8-ounce container of whipped cream, divided
• Chocolate syrup for drizzling

Instructions: 

1. Coarsely chop 2 oz. of coffee toffee
2. Finely crush 24 of the cookies in a food processor or in a plastic bag with a mallet.
3. Combine cookie crumbs with melted butter and press into an 8” x 8” dish.
4. Chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
5. Combine the package of pudding with the 1 1/2 cups of milk in a small bowl (the mixture will be thick).
6. In a mixing bowl, mash one of the bananas and add cream cheese.
7. Using a mixer or fork, cream the mashed banana and cream cheese.
8. To the same bowl, add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
9. Fold in 1 cup of the whipped cream until just combined.
10. Slice the second banana and place on top of the crust.
11. Sprinkle half of the toffee over the bananas.
12. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the bananas and toffee.
13. Evenly spread the pudding layer over the cream cheese.
14. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the pudding layer.
15. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.
16. Slice the last banana and place on top.
17. Sprinkle with remaining toffee and crumbled cookies.
18. Slice, drizzle with chocolate syrup and enjoy,