No Bake Banana Split Dessert
No Bake Banana Split Dessert is a classic! It layers a graham cracker crust, cream cheese-based filling, bananas, pineapple, strawberries, whipped cream, nuts, chocolate & a cherry on top! Part banana pudding and part icebox cake, it’s a great dessert for the most special holidays or simple gatherings.
Each year, around Easter, I start to get a hankering for this no bake banana split dessert, which is peculiar to me, because I can only remember eating it once or twice ever, and that was at least 10 or 15 years ago. For some reason, it has stuck in my mind and I associate it with Easter. It’s quite possible that my mom made it for an Easter dessert a couple of years in a row, and then moved on to something else. A few years ago I finally asked my mom if she had the recipe for the “banana split dessert thing” that she made a long time ago, and she was able to dig it up for me. It took me approximately 2.2 seconds to assemble what I needed and I’ve been enjoying it at least a couple of times a year ever since!
First things first, let me break this banana split dessert down for you.
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Most importantly – it’s entirely no-bake. Absolutely no oven time is required, which makes it perfect for the summer when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen, and also perfect for when you need a quick dessert that you can throw together in very little time. Poof! Done!
Now, for the layers… It starts off with a graham cracker crust, topped with a cream cheese-mousse, and then layers of banana, pineapple, strawberries, and finally whipped cream, nuts, chocolate, and cherries on top! Talk about the ultimate banana split.
Now, a strange thing happened when I ran through the recipe the first time, and I had to do a double take. The layer above the graham cracker frosting consisted of butter, powdered sugar, and 2 eggs. EXCEPT… the eggs weren’t heated like a custard, and this dessert isn’t baked, so they’re just in there, raw. ::shudder:: I couldn’t do it, so after thinking through some workarounds, including a pastry cream layer or making it with pudding, I finally decided to use the filling from another of my favorite old-school desserts – the Strawberry Pretzel Salad. I went full steam ahead with that, and it works absolutely brilliantly in this recipe.
Don’t wait for a special reason to make this dessert, and certainly don’t wait years in between. Any ordinary day is special enough for this incredibly easy no bake banana split dessert.
If You Like This No Bake Banana Split Dessert, Try These Recipes:
- Banana Pudding
- No Bake Oreo Layer Dessert
- Banana Split Ice Cream Cake
- No Bake Cherry & Walnut Cheesecake
Four years ago: Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes
No Bake Banana Split Dessert
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 cups (168 g) graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, melted
For the Cream Cheese Layer:
- 12 ounces (340.2 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) Cool Whip
For the Fruit & Toppings:
- 3 to 4 bananas, sliced
- 20 ounce (566.99 g) canned crushed pineapple, drained well
- 16 ounces (453.59 g) strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) Cool Whip
- ½ cup (58.5 g) walnuts, chopped
- Chocolate syrup
- Maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter with a fork, stirring until all of the crumbs are evenly moistened. Dump the crumbs into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Refrigerate while you prepare the next layer.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the Cool Whip until thoroughly combined. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the graham cracker crust.
- Arrange the banana slices in a single layer on top of the cream cheese filling, top with an even layer of the crushed pineapple, and then an even layer of the sliced strawberries.
- Cover with the Cool Whip, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with the chopped walnuts, then drizzle with chocolate syrup and top with maraschino cherries. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Leftovers can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Friend’s birthday…this or Mississippi Mud Cake???
Hi Nicole, Gah! Tough decision! If she is crazy, crazy for chocolate I would go the Mississippi Mud Cake route; otherwise, I’d make this. Both are delicious!
By the looks of this pic, I thought this recipe may be too complicated. But after taking a quick look at the ingredients and prep time, I am confident that I can pull this off! You’re photos are amazing, by the way.
THIS is amazing! Need a piece now! Would so make my day! :) Great recipe!!
This looks so delightful, I can see why you’d get a craving for this every year! Almost scared to try it out of fear I won’t be able to stop craving, haha.
Wow, I cannot think of anyone who could resist this dessert… fabulous job!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.com/
Yum! I like that is simple with ingredients I have at home!
Hi Michelle,
This cake looks amazing, thank you so much for sharing! Since I am not a fan of cream cheese (I know, please don’t kill me) , can you think of any other quick fillings I could use for the middle layer? Thanks so much!
Hi Marielle, I think you could make a vanilla pudding filling, or use a pastry cream, and maybe mix in some Cool Whip or whipped cream to lighten it up a little bit.
You could definitely substitute pudding but I would give it a try once to see how you like it. My husband HATES cream cheese (I can’t make my lasagna cuz it has cream cheese) BUT he LOVED this dessert! If you’re worried switch the amount of cream cheese and cool whip. Instead of 12 oz cream cheese and 8 oz cool whip use 8 oz cream cheese and 12 oz cool whip. The first time I made it I didn’t have graham cracker crumbs but had a premade graham cracker crust. Instead of using 12 oz cream cheese and 8 oz cool whip I used 8 oz cream cheese and 4 oz cool whip. Try it that way if you don’t want a ton of leftovers in case you don’t like it!
Yes, I thought I hated cream cheese until I had the filling in the strawberry pretzel dessert and now…<3
Wow this looks fabulous! Looking delicious and perfect for today dessert. will sure make this recipe. . Keep posting
Oh I love this pie so much. I make it with instant vanilla pudding instead of Cool Whip. It is soo good! Perfect for spring! :)
Banana split recipe: you mentioned that you added vanilla pudding in place of the cool whip. Did you make the pudding first, then divide it. First adding it to the cream cheese, then adding it on top. Great idea!
Michelle
Wow this is beautiful! And it is just perfect for summer!
I never used raw eggs in anything, but I kept hearing about pasteurized shell eggs on the Food Network, mostly Good Eats, and finally found them. They are amazing! They work just like regular eggs, but are worry free to use raw or underdone. The only brand I’ve found is Davidson Safe Eggs Pasteurized Eggs. I highly recommend them!
Hi Laura, Thanks for bringing that up! I have used pasteurized eggs in ice cream before, just in case my thermometer was off when making the custard. I have seen Eggland’s Best brand have pasteurized too. Although pasteurized or not, I just couldn’t get past raw eggs without a shudder ;-)
I’ve never seen Eggland’s Best pasteurized eggs and can’t find them online. Maybe they don’t make them anymore? Davidson is the only kind I can find in any of the grocery stores around me.
Try using”Meringue Powder”as the egg substitute. It’s basically powdered egg whites and safe. I use it when I’m teaching my students when we make butter cream icing. I hope this is helpful for those who want to use the egg recipe version of this delightful cake.
I’ve seen the Eggland brand at my local Fred Meyers, which is part of the national Kroger chain in the USA.
My Grandma made this when I was little with the raw eggs and we are still alive. So yummy! One of my favorites! Did the replacement filling taste anything like the original?
Hi Amy, To be honest, I am not sure, because the last time I had it was so long ago. But it’s certainly delicious! :)
There is a home baker in our area who makes and sells this cake regularly. She was recently featured in the local newspaper and gave the recipe, including the egg part. I was grossed out/disbelieving and glad to read of your substitution!
this dessert is very pretty and easy to make!! Its a perfect summer dessert!
I saw this recipe in an old church cookbook just the other day and was intrigued until I saw the raw eggs part. Ick! I’m gonna make it with your trick very soon!
This sounds wonderful! I was wondering if the bananas turn brown quickly.
I have only had leftovers of this for only one day after…not because it spoils, but it just gets eaten up so quickly. That said, you can make it the night before…just cover the sliced bananas thoroughly with the whipped topping and I’ve never had a problem with them turning brown.
After you drain the pineapple, put the bananas in it . It will keep them from turning brown. Did this all the time with the Banana Splint recipe with the eggs.
I have found that if you put the bananas on the cream cheese mixture then the pineapple and strawberries as they have done it mine don’t turn brown.
Great idea!
O.M.G!!!! This looks so dam good!! I want to eat the whole thing!! This is so perfect for the summer! I love it!
Thanks so much for posting this recipe. I have a similar one that my aunt used to make, but that one used raw eggs. I always loved this dessert but haven’t made it in such a long time because of the raw eggs. Now I’ll definitely make this!
I was literally sitting here the other day thinking to myself, a Banana Split Dessert sounded good for Sunday … now I don’t have to search for one! Looks perfect! Thanks for sharing it … can’t wait to try it :)
These are so full of goodness! Love it!
I am going to make this over the summer. I might even make the table for my son’s upcoming high school graduation party. I’m sure his friends will devour it.
MMMmmmmmmmmmmm. :D
My aunt used to make this dessert for us on special occasions. Her version used eggs in the creamy section – very dangerous being a no-bake dessert. Fortunately, we all survived. I’m glad to have this updated version. Thanks! Will be making this soon.
This looks just perfect!!!!! YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMY
This has all of my favorite ingredients including the cherry on top! And it’s no-bake which is great. Sounds soooo delicious and it’s such a pretty dessert.
Loving the delicious desserts this week!! This is so pretty and I love a good no-bake recipe!
I realize the point of this recipe is to use Cool Whip, but for the middle layer you could use heavy/whipping cream instead: once the cream cheese is all fluffy, pour in the heavy cream, mix it on med-low for a bit, then crank it up to med-high/high and whip the whole mess into a delicious light-but-stable creamy filling (or sponge cake & fruit adornment).
This looks amazing. I am totally going to make it in the summer, when it’s too hot to bake. Thanks!
Hi Laura, Yeah, the Cool Whip is how my mom always made it, but you could definitely substitute heavy cream. I would actually whip the cream to stiff peaks (to make actual whipped cream), and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture, just as you do with the Cool Whip.
Thanks for the heavy cream substitution idea. This sounds so yummy, but I have to amidt that Cool Whip has a little bit of a yuck factor for me. That’s not to say that I haven’t eaten my fair share over the years ;-)
Laura – would you start out with the same amount 8 oz. of heavy cream to end up with the 8 oz. of whipped – other words does 8 oz cream liquid = the same as 8 oz whipped. Never did this – thanks for your help.
Wow this looks fabulous! I just posted my COOL WHIP post today, too! I am loving seeing all these great recipes and I love those cherries on yours. And the graham cracker crust!
COOL WHIP???
You’ve got to be kidding. Read the ingredients. So many chemicals that it’s not even food :-(
Beverly,
Looks like you are on the wrong website. I am sure there are many other
websites that meet the criteria of your “food”. Why leave a negative comment on this website where someone worked really hard on this recipe? I love all the other positive comments and cant wait to try this myself.
Becky, I could not have said it better myself! Thank you for sharing! Beverly, if you are not one to use the regular Cool Whip, there is a ‘Lite’ version of Cool Whip at your nearest grocer’s. Also, there is another version of this recipe using lite yogurt…check it out on your search engine! But please take your negative remarks about this wonderful dessert to another website! I’m sure, as Becky feels, the person who worked so hard on this recipe, and took the time to share it with those of us who appreciate it, didn’t appreciate your negative remark posted on here!! I have tried it, along with my husband who is not a big ‘sweets’ eater, but absolutely loves this recipe, and it is delicious!!!
Linda, I agree with you and Becky about the negative comments being completely unnecessary and unwarranted, but Beverly’s issue with Cool Whip isn’t the caloric intake–she stated that the ingredients contained in Cool Whip are all chemicals, and that it shouldn’t be used as a food source, period. While I get what she’s saying, I DON’T get why she chose a random comment/commenter to attack; and I don’t get why she even read the recipe through (much less the comments reviewing the recipe) if she feels so strongly about Cool Whip, since it’s one of the ingredients in this recipe. Personally, I think this recipe looks amazing, and I can’t wait to try it out. Thanks for sharing this recipe with the rest of us!!
Did you say your name is Beverly:? Debbie downer is more like it. All you other ladies love reading the comments makes me feel like I know you. By the way I can’t wait to make the banana split cake for Easter dessert. I am going to make it even more delicious by using whipping cream. ❤️
For those that don’t care for Cool Whip just get some heavy whipping cream and whip it up with a little sugar.
I love Cool Whip. I LOVE this recipe and I would not change a thing. Perhaps I’m doomed but on occation I have used canned strawberries when I had a craving but fresh berries were not in season.
Great recipe. Family favorite for any holiday, Cool Whip and all :)
Saying cool whip is a chemical is not negative. Beverly, many people really don’t know, just gotta appreciate the recipe and make changes so it fits with what your family eats. It looks yummy!
if you dont want to buy “cool Whip” you can make it yourself just by whipping heavy cream…no chemicals added unless you put them in there!!
Missy, you and others don’t know what’s in cool whip AND heavy cream. It starts from the very beginning, if I may tell you. Probably every cow in America eats GMO grain, not wholesome grass, like the cow was meant to. Then they give the cows, antibiotics and other shots. Some of them to make the cow give more milk. These GMO’s and all these vaccines in these shots….is going into your body. But we’re not done yet. The chemicals they put into milk (and anything diary), is unbelievable. Their actually talking about putting “flouride” in milk now. And that’s an industrial waste, if you haven’t heard about that yet. I could go on and on, but if I may ask everyone here, please put in GMO in youtube’s search box if your unfamiliar with the term, and just watch a few video’s. Please everyone take the time to educate yourself’s in what their (government) putting in ALL of the food, to make us sick. Check the statistics of how all the diseases including cancer and diabetes, and many others, is skyrocketing. I am organic and mostly vegetarian, but I love looking at websites like this one, and drool. I can’t lie, once a week, I have to cheat and make something like this dessert here, but I hate it, knowing in the long run, it’s probably gonna give me some kind of disease, but then I have to go detox. Lol. Thanks for listening…I enjoyed reading and looking at this dessert. It’s lovely.
Honestly unless you are homesteading and raising everything you consume your doomed we all know this. All meat is bad all meat derivatives are bad…all our fruit and vegetables are treated with pesticides unless we grow them ourselves and don’t trust an “organic” label. The plastic packaging is tainted and I could go on forever unless your head is in the sand I’d hope everyone realizes that anything purchased at a grocery store is full of preservatives but the reality is very few people homestead so they are going to be at the grocery store. Cool Whip is probably the least of the bad things we consume and whipping cream as mentioning earlier isn’t going to help. Why do you think our girls in America are developing several years earlier than we did? all those antibiotic we are pouring into the cows and chickens,
Mostly a vegetarian….in other words “not” a vegetarian. LOL
Beverly needs to take her unpleasant thoughts and lack of manners elsewhere. This is for a group of people enjoying each others ideas on great food, warm greetings to each other and a place to share new wonderful ideas. So my advice to someone as unpleasant and nude as Beverly , is go look some place else for (your HEALTHLY DIET), don’t come to sites such as a friendly one as this and try to make it look bad just because of your one really bad mannered woman.
Holy cow, pardon the pun but…. I’m all over the internet constantly digging up new things to try. I’m not a vegetarian, there for I don’t frequent those sites. I’m not a vegan either. With that said, don’t crap where you eat people! I don’t want to know how to make a 7 course vegan dinner because I don’t care. Give me roast beast any day. I’m a meat eater by nature, I love starch, sugar is my friend as well. I’m not keen on salt but I do cook with it. So tired of all you freaking health freaks coming on board and bashing people. Give me a garbage plate dripping with grease and I’ll chase it down with a beer and a cigarette. But….I’m 120 pounds, illness free and freaking happy. I can hear all the snarky comments being conjured up was we speak. I just laugh. If you all want to be health freaks its certainly your right, I choose to live, love and eat the way that makes me happy. We go around once in life, so make the best of it.
You’re comment was like the words flowing from my own mind! Thank you so much!!!! All these people talking about being vegan and all organic…..are you serious? First of all this is a very expensive lifestyle, secondly it’s not practical for my family with 2 parents working and busy schedules for kids (we have a violinist and a dancer both competitive) Some nights it’s going to be pizza and others it’s homemade but I don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen every day. Finally has anyone really taken a close look at some vegans? I’m not talking about your super star type with a chef I mean average joes? They’re always very thin and kind of gray looking. Soy and tofu are not healthy everyday! Eat a carrot for the love of God grown in some manure!!!! So dear I’m with you…the vegans and all organic people can be so proud when they’re 125 years old saying they haven’t had an animal product or any chemicals since 2004 but I’m going out in my 70s maybe 80s eating some fried chicken, drinking my soda, licking the cool whip bowl saying d@!% that was one fantastic ride, see ya on the flip ride
There is another product called Truwhip available at Health food stores. Use this instead – it also tastes very good! This is a great recipe worth trying!
Its a Desert not a main course and you don’t eat it EVERYDAY fool!!!!!!
For anyone who doesn’t like cool whip because of the artificial additives, try TRUWHIP, a natural, non artificial version of “cool whip” or “whipped topping”.
I agree with you. When I see cool whip as an item I look the other way.
What a pretty dessert!! My family would LOVE this. Thank you for sharing.
If I bring this to Easter lunch, I will be the hero!!!