The first thing you should know before we really get into this review is that I love banana-flavored anything. Are you one of those insane people who pitch your banana Laffy Taffy or Runts? I will gladly take both off your hands. But my lust isn’t relegated to artificial banana flavoring alone, oh no. I am just as wild about bananas that come in a pie or in bread. You might say that I *checks notes* go ape for bananas.
There is, however, one blind spot in my yellow-fruit fanaticism: banana pudding. Honestly, it has less to do with my disinterest in that particular flavor and more to do with the fact that my pudding consumption is probably below average. According to an actual website I saw on the internet, 150 million Americans ate pudding in 2020; I’m honestly not sure if I was one of them. (And if I did, it was a very unimpressive amount — likely a single pudding cup.)
So how, then, would I find Sonic’s new Banana Pudding Shake? Let’s review.
Sonic’s shake-take on this Southern dessert classic features vanilla ice cream, banana pudding, banana pieces, Nilla wafers, whipped topping, and a maraschino cherry. As expected, this shake is VERY banana-centric.
The pudding was indiscernible from the vanilla ice cream, which was probably due to, you know, the blending process. So really, it ended up tasting like soupy banana ice cream. Thick chunks of banana abounded throughout the concoction necessitating the need for a spoon at times.
The whipped topping was creamy and sweet and provided a nice blanket for a mess of crushed up Nilla wafers. Speaking of, I was surprised and impressed that the wafers held their crunch for as long as they did; Nilla makes a sturdy wafer, it seems. The cherry was probably fine, but I don’t know since my daughter stole and ate it when I wasn’t looking.
This is the part of the review where you might be wondering how this compares to Sonic’s regular banana shake. Well, for starters, it’s much runnier. The pudding compromises the consistency of the treat, as one might expect. It does, however, also elevate the banana taste as well as add a nuanced layer of additional creaminess. The wafer pieces are also a noticeably different component, adding a welcome textural variance to the affair.
So is it worth it? For sure, but ONLY if you’re crazy about banana. This thing may even be too much for a casual banana fan. And if you don’t like bananas at all, it’s sort of weird that you read this whole thing. But thank you for your time, regardless, and I hope you have a great day.
Purchased Price: $3.79
Size: Small
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (small) 760 calories, 38 grams of fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 24 grams of saturated fat, 100 mg of cholesterol, 370 milligrams of sodium, 94 grams of total carbohydrates, 64 gram of total sugars, less than 2 grams of fiber, and 11 grams of protein.
The consistency does look like it leaves a bit to be desired, but we’re sold as diehard banana fans! Can’t even conceive of why a person would only be a casual banana fan. Also, it’s never too late in life to start making up for below-average pudding consumption!
Welp, that’s all the convincing I need. Gonna go find me some banana pudding!
^ +1. Unfortunately, I already did my grocery shopping for the day . . . .
I sincerely hope that you are going to make it yourself. The last banana pudding I had was from a restaurant, and it was SO BAD that it almost turned me off of banana pudding for life! No lie!
The runniness of that “shake” seems less than ideal. I probably just would add more banana (including pre-mashed) to the banana shake.
I was thinking more just have it unshaken as a sundae.
I’ve heard some really bad food ideas in my life. That, however, is not one of them. It would add texture and flavor. 🙂
I love pretty much anything banana-centric/banana-flavored…heck, even banana-scented (as in candles, shampoos, etc.). Having said that: the soupy-ness of it in that one picture actually turned my stomach. No lie.
“The cherry was probably fine, but I don’t know since my daughter stole and ate it when I wasn’t looking.” I think that your daughter and I would probably get along, LOL. Also, this is not the slightest bit appealing to me, because I love banana pudding. I would miss the banana pudding texture too much to be able to enjoy this. Still, it is a good idea, IMHO.
I like real bananas and absolutely abhor artificial flavour banana. Also, you guys understand that this is just essentially a banana milkshake with nilla wafers, right? It’s just that addition that makes it a banana “pudding” shake.
That being said, and slightly unrelated; as a kid I had (and still have) a Jell-o kids “cook book.” My faourite recipe was for a shake. Milk, bit of ice cream, and some chocolate pudding powder.
EXCELLENT!! The banana pudding milkshake is absolutely wonderful. It is so creamy and delicious. I cannot imagine any of the negative comments. It’s iwonderful!!