Banana Cream Pie Pops

I am tired of Summer.  I don't think anyone is ever supposed to admit that, but I'm ready for it to be Fall and Halloween and the season of unreasonable eating.  If it was Fall I would just make a pie and pretend to be practicing for Thanksgiving.  Since it's Summer I have to put a frackin' stick in my pie and pretend it's a popsicle so all my "healthy friends" will eat it.  (Since summer is also the season of fruit diets and bathing suits, no one wants to be my friend in the summer). 


But come on people.  A girl can only disguise food so much.  This is frozen pie.  With a stick stuck in it. It's delicious. I even overcame my Cool Whip phobia to make this. (Whatever you do, don't look at the ingredients list on the side of the tub.  ever. )

(By the way, if you've never been to Key West and had frozen key lime pie on a stick (dipped in chocolate), you have not yet lived.  (Also I loathe lime, so we're talking seriously delicious here). Put it on your bucket list.

Banana Cream Pie Pops

Recipe from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen, slightly adapted

-1 small package Jello instant banana pudding (or coconut, or chocolate, or whatever the heck you want)
-1 cup half and half
-1 cup milk
-1 graham cracker crust (the pre-made ones on the baking aisle work just fine and are only like a buck.  You could also use Nilla wafers if you prefer)

-2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp Sugar (or just 3 Tbsp if you're feeling super crazy and irrational)
-2 oz Cream cheese, softened (1/4 package)
-3/4 cup Cool Whip, thawed

Beat the pudding mix, milk, and half and half with a whisk for 2 minutes, until smooth.  Break your graham cracker crust into small pieces and stir into the pudding.  (Half of mine turned to crumbs and that is totally okay but big chunks are yummy too.  I used about 3/4 of my crust). 

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a small bowl until well-blended, then fold in the Cool Whip.

Fill popsicle molds with pudding about 3/4 of the way and then fill with whipped mixture the rest of the way*.  Insert sticks and freeze 5 hours or until firm. Eat leftover pudding mix with a spoon and call it a day.


*If you want to do several layers and alternate, it is best to make these in miniature Dixie cups, so you can just peel off the cup to get the pop out.  If you try layers in a popsicle molds, usually your stick will come out with only half the pop on it. The whip layer does not freeze very hard.