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!
Hello, I did this yestarday as a Birthday Cake and everybody loved it. Thank you so much for sharing.
I made this recipe a couple weeks ago only I added two boxes of instant pudding with 3 cups of milk and poured over all of the fruit and then added the whip cream on top of the pudding mixture. It was such a hit. Everyone loved it. In fact, I was asked to bring the same dessert to Mother’s Day this coming weekend. For the pudding I used 1 small box of banana cream and 1 small box vanilla pudding. Cheesecake pudding goes well with the banana too. Make sure it’s instant pudding.
I cheated and halfed the recipe with a premade graham cracker crust and frozen strawberries. Still very good. We also added the whipped topping when each slice it cut.
Awesome and easy. I am also not a cool whip fan, but there are so many ways around that! I added yogurt to the cream cheese mixture in mine and doubled that layer so it replaced the cool whip on the top too. I thought it might not hold together because the pineapple layer seemed watery, but I was pleasantly surprised. I served it with homemade whipped cream and it was delicious! The whole family loved this and I loved all the fruit. The cherries and chocolate on top make it look special- my three year old thought it was a birthday cake. Great recipe- thanks for sharing!
I wanna try this dessert it looks so good
GREAT MADE SURGE FREE AND GREAT
I made this. It was easy and light not heavy so very good. Will make again. Thank you, for sharing
I have made a recipe somewhat like this for many years…it is called by the same name but I use a boxed cream cheese cake to start the first two layers then the layer of bananas, crushed pineapples, coolwhip, cherries then crushed pecans… I don’t use the strawberries….Everyone always loves it…
What a pretty dessert!! My family would LOVE this. Thank you for sharing.
Love your recipes
two things… first of all could you either post or email me the original filling with the eggs. and secondly for those who don’t want to use the eggs.. here is another alternitive.
http://blog.radiantlifecatalog.com/bid/70411/How-to-Make-Coconut-Whipped-Cream-Dairy-free-delicious
I make this too but my recipe calls for powdered sugar and 2 eggs. Also I never thought of using strawberries good hint Thanks
I made your No Bake Banana Split dessert yesterday. It was a huge hit! You’re right, it’s a great summer dessert because it tastes so “fresh.” It’s definitely going on my “best desserts to make” list.
Hi Nancy, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for sharing your review!
How do u print a recipe without all the ads in between?
Hmmm did you click the “print recipe” button? There are no ads on the print page, so I’m not sure why they would be showing up for you?
Wow, this cake looks delicious, I will try to make it, thanks for sharing the recipe!
Yummy
We absolutely LOVE this dessert! It’s so light and refreshing. My husband requests it all the time.
This is an acceptable substitute for the original egg based filling but it in no way is as good as the original. The filling is the best thing about the dessert. I made it for years for my children and husband and friends and neighbors with never a problem. I think its like when you make homemade mayonnaise. There’s raw eggs in it. At least there is in my recipe. There is no cream cheese in this original dessert. And its refrigerated. So if your eggs don’t go bad in the fridge, why would this dessert?
I printed this recipe many months ago and I finally made it last night. It was delicious. My family loved it and it’s almost gone. I had dry roasted peanuts on hand so I used those instead of walnuts. Yum, yum and very easy!
It was to die for , absolutlely delicious I will make it again and again.
The creme brulee has to be put on a stove. Easier to just bake it.
The Banana split cake is not a cake.. It doesn’t even have any cake in it (which would have to be baked). Why is it called that?
A better article would be how to pick the best pastry and dessert already made at the store.
Could Yall send more recipes please
This is one of our family’s favorite holiday indulgences. WOWWW. It is so perfectly yummy. I always shudder at the original recipe’s raw eggs, too. But… this may be the one time I ignore the raw egg warnings, because it is so incredibly rich and delicious. I am very convinced that the cream cheese substitution would also do it justice. How could it miss? TRY THIS RECIPE. YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED. Well… except that you do NOT want to eat it all yourself or you will be buying new jeans that fit your butt. 275-300 (+/-) per serving . Worth every single calorie.
Although I didn’t make this exactly from this recipe, as I changed out some of the carbs for smarter carbs, it was this recipe which allowed me the ability to do that. Simple to make and never sticks around long.
The recipe is delicious but could have easily doubled both the first cream cheese and cool whip layer and the top layer of cool whip for a better ratio. Thanks for sharing!
I just made this for a pot luck dinner! It smells like a Banana Split! Yummy!! Thank you for this quick, easy recipe!!
Hi! THANKS TO THE MOON for the recipe! I have looked for, this, since; 1980! MY, friend CHRISTIE CLAUSEN made, it, at BYU; and, so, WE, called, it Strawberry CLAUSEN! (Or, PEACH CLAUSEN–when, using peaches!) Please! Please! Please; could, YOU, send the original recipe, that calls for eggs and powdered sugar; as, I, have a neighbor who has farm-fresh eggs!
Thanks; ahead-of-time!
JANN
I made this and it was the best desert on the snack list!
I made this dessert served it today. I got nothing but compliments. Multiple requests for recipe. I stuck exactly to recipe except I used whipped cream cheese because I didn’t have a mixer. It was perfect. I regret not making more my husband asked if I could make more asap because there were ppl taking some home to go. . Thank you for posting and sharing.
I was looking for something easy to make tomorrow. This looks perfect.
Thanks for posting!