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?
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grease it? how exactly…thanks!
Dana, You can grease it with butter (rub the butter on the surface of the pan) ideally, or you can spray with non-stick cooking spray or use shortening.
I would like to make this in the evening for the next day lunch. How far ahead can this be put together? With the berries and pineapple does it get soupy? The leftovers would be used the day after it is served. Is that too long to keep? Thank you.
Hi Sue, You could definitely make this the night before for lunch the next day. You just might want to hold off on adding the cherries until just before you serve it, as they could run.
Made this for a potluck at work this week. I was surprised about how many people absolutely RAVED about it! Thank you for posting this. :-)
I have tryed this recipe tons of times and we just love it. Instead of leaving the stems on i do cut up the cherries and my recipe did not call for the berries so have never used them and it is just as good. I will have to try the berries , good idea.
Made this recipe for the 4th and it was a huge success!! Thanks for the easy recipe. Definitely will be making this again!!
Great recipe!! Thank you!
What a perfect summer dessert! thanks for sharing.
MIchelle, Thanks so much for much for anwering my question about how much heavy whipping cream to use. I hadn’t thought about the fact that cream usually doubles when whipped — DUH!!! LOL!!! However, whenever I went shopping for my ingredients last night at the Big Bird (aka Giant Eagle), I bought plenty of extra heavy whipping cream just in case. This is going to be a great surprise for my Mom, who had just remarked to me on Easter Sunday that she hadn’t had this dessert for a very long time. Of course, I had to promise my husband that I would make an extra Banana-Split Dessert just for him, so now I am making two of them today — LOL!
MIchelle, I was trying to think of a really special dessert to make for my Mom for Mother’s Day this year, and I think that this recipe is just the ticket. I used to make this dessert many years ago with the original cream filling that included eggs, but I have literally not made this dessert for years, due to the salmonella scare. However, your substitution using the cream cheese layer is a wonderful idea, and even though I, too, have made the Strawberry Pretzel Jello Salad for years with the exact same filling, I had never thought about using this same filling for the Banana Split Cake Dessert. However, I have a question for you, Michelle. If I wanted to substitute heavy whipping cream for the Cool Whip, how much heavy whipping cream should I use for each layer? Should I use 8 ounces of heavy whipping cream, just like the 8 ounces of Cool Whip that is called for in this recipe? I am planning to prepare this tomorrow for dessert on Sunday. By the way, for those of you who are worried about the banana’s turning brown in this recipe, what I have always done whenever I have made this dessert in the past is to soak the banana’s in the pineapple juice that I have drained off from the crushed pineapple. I do this part of the recipe first, and while they are soaking in the pineapple juice, I prepare the graham cracker crust, cream layer, and then whenever I am ready for the banana’s, I drain off the pineapple juice from the banana’s and use them in this recipe.
By the way, Michelle, I am a born and bred Pittsburgher, too, as well as being Italian, so I can totally relate to a lot of the great stories that you have told us about your family. Thanks for all of your wonderful tips and recipes!
Hi Valerie, Thanks for your tip on the bananas, awesome idea! There is about 2 cups of Cool Whip in an 8-ounce tub, and cream usually doubles when whipped, so I would use 1 cup of cream for the filling, and another 1 cup for the topping. I hope that helps!
Hello
This looks amazing like every single one of your recipes but I have a question. Cool Whip topping isn’t available where I live, what should I use? Would whipped cream suffice? Any suggestions?
Hi Irmak, Yes, fresh whipped cream would be perfect!
I am excited to find yummy no bake desserts when it is getting so hot already! Cheers!!!
My mom was been making this cake for me the past 25 years for my birthday!!!! Its the only cake I will eat!!!!
Oh my word, does that ever sound good!! It’s such a fun dessert, who doesn’t love a banana split? :)
I use the exact same filling when I make this dessert, too! I use “pretzel salad” filling for lots of things. I’ve loved banana split cake for many years…it was introduced to my family by an aunt who lived in the “city”. It such a cool and refreshing dessert! Thanks for all you do for the baking world!
I was recently thinking about this dessert, too, and had decided to do the exact same thing…use the cream cheese, sugar & Cool Whip/Whipped Cream filling instead of the butter & powdered sugar filling. I use that same basic filling for other layered desserts, pies and also as cake frosting (though I increase the sugar).
We used to have this all the time at various potluck events in the 80’s and 90’s, but it must have fallen out of fashion due to the eggs. I think this creamy filling is a great alternative.
I happen to love Cool Whip, even though I realize it’s made of oil and corn syrup, etc., but we only make dessert occasionally anyway. For those who would like the convenience of whipped topping without those ingredients, there is a new product called Truwhip (http://www.truwhip.com/) that I’m very interested in trying. I haven’t yet, as I’ve not found it available in stores, so I can’t say how good it is or good not. I don’t mean to put out competition on a post that is supposed to feature Cool Whip, but since there have been a few concerns in the comments, I thought I’d share. It also seems like less calories and healthier than heavy cream.
Anyway, I pinned this so I can remember to make it soon, maybe for a barbecue as the weather warms up.
Hi, Although I’m old I’m a newbie here. I’ve been making this dessert for close to 40 years and in early days I used the eggs. Once I became aware of the egg problem I must didn’t put them in that filling any more. I didn’t even try to substitute anything for them and it turns out just as good. The bananas don’t turn until after it is cut into and part is served. I refrigerate the left overs but it gets kind of weepy and starts to leak out a little bit of juice and the part of the bananas that are sticking out do turn dark. However, it’s not too weepy or brown to keep it from being eaten as soon as the first helping has settled. LOL The only way mine is different is that I chop up the cherries and sprinkle them over the top with the nuts. Your method is way prettier. As to the whip topping being chemicals, I’ve been eating it all these years and it hasn’t killed me yet. Ironically, I have had a bout of Squamous Cell Carcinoma and guess what gave that to me. Sunshine! Go figure……
One has to love no bake desserts but especially this one. It is gorgeous (and no doubt delicious). So nice of your Mom to share her recipe so we can all try this one day.
This looks absolutely perfect for summer! I’m so glad you were able to substitute the raw eggs. That would have made me nervous too! If only I could reach through my screen to have a bite.
Beautiful! Exactly my idea of heavenly food.
OMG! My grandma made this every Easter! I am SO excited to have a recipe!!! Thanks!
Ummmm… this has got to be the most amazing dessert my eyes I’ve seen! It is so gorgeous and sounds divine! :)
Grew up eating this “cake.” Never had strawberries though, 2nd Layer was a mixture of powdered sugar/eggs/butter. Always used Dream Whip instead of Cool Whip. Thanks for reminding me…need to make this NOW!
Thank you for this recipe. Especially leaving out the eggs. Since I am allergic, sometimes it hard to find desserts to eat. I found this recipe on Pinterest and I will be making very soon!
This looks unbelievably fresh. What a perfect warm weather treat.
I literally just had a banana split for the first time a few weeks ago! No idea why I never had one as a kid :) This looks like a great “grown-up” version and I’m looking forward to trying it!
That looks AMAZING!! And it sounds so easy to assemble. YUM!
Banana Split Heaven!! That’s what this is!!
This looks devine!! I can’t wait to try it out!
Oh yay! I used to make this for my husband in the early 90s when we were first married, got the recipe from my SIL and it was a favorite. But, then the time came that 1) we couldn’t get away with having an entire dessert between the two of us each week and 2) we all realized that raw eggs were not the greatest idea. I wasn’t sure how to get around that so it was sent to languish in the back of my old blue, plastic recipe box. Now you’ve inspired me to introduce it (new & improved) to my kids! Thanks!
My mom used to make this dessert occasionally, back in the eighties, then seemed to stop making it altogether. I had forgotten about it until my aunt (mom’s sister) brought it out for dessert about 5 or 6 years ago. OMG it is so delicious! I promptly got the recipe and have made it to take into work, to pot lucks etc….that pan is always scraped clean and I have been given specific directions since then to “bring that banana dessert”. It’s funny…I was just thinking about it on Sunday and was trying to figure out an excuse to make it, lol. Thank you!