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!
Was wondering if I made this on a Friday, could I freeze it until Sunday?
Hi Maddie, Sure, I don’t see why not!
Can you freeze this?
Hi Alice, I don’t think that this would freeze well.
delicious, use for gatherings
Hiiii, was curious if the Bananas turn brown in this dessert. Sounds magical and I’m not sure I even care. Haha
Making this yumminess for my grandsons birthday party.
♡Janelle
Hi Janelle, They don’t since they are completely covered and not exposed to air. Enjoy and happy birthday to your grandson!
Do the bananas go dark in this cheesecake
Hi Denys, They do not since they are covered and don’t come in contact with the air!
I have made this cake multiple times. It’s a family favorite,,,
I made this today. I didn’t use the cherries & the chocolate because I didn’t have any. I also mashed the bananas and cut the strawberries in really small pieces. And I used pecans instead of walnuts because that’s what I had. It was extremely tasty.
Very easy and ohhhhhhhhhh so good
Love this desert so easy!
I’m not much of a baker, but this recipe looks easy enough. My son might lick the pan clean. Lol!
My grandson, who I raised, died last July. He loved this dessert so I made it for his birthday every year. Jan. 17th would have been his 31st birthday so this time I’ll make it in his memory!
Aww Brenda, I am so, so sorry for your loss. What a beautiful tribute for his birthday, xo
This recipe is similar to the one my mom used when I was growing up. She did use the layer with the raw eggs and it was delicious, but over the years I changed that layer to one made with cream cheese, powdered sugar and Cool Whip (like the 4 layer chocolate dessert or chocolate delight has). I just thought it was safer that way since grandparents were getting older (it was my grandfather’s favorite dessert) and likely more susceptible to any bacteria in the eggs. The other differences are: in my mom’s recipe we don’t use strawberries or chocolate syrup. We also use chopped pecans instead of walnuts and arrange half maraschino cherries on top before adding the nuts. Maybe I’ll try it with the strawberries and chocolate syrup in the summer when strawberries are cheaper (we usually make it for Thanksgiving or Christmas).
Do the bananas turn Brown within the 4 hrs of refrigeration time?
Hi Pam, They don’t, since they are completely covered.
Is there a link to the original recipe that called for the two eggs. A friends mom remembers her mother making this but with the eggs and since her mother has passe away I’d like to hopefully try and give her a recipe as close to her moms as possible. If there is no link would you mind emailing me the recipe book information that it came out of and I will buy a copy of the book for her.
Hi Elizabeth, I never posted that version, and I’ll have to check with my mom to see if she still has the recipe book (it was an old church cookbook).
I made this for my wedding and it was a hit. I would have made the graham cracker crust a little thicker though. I give it 5 stars!!
How would this work in say a square 8×8 pan? There are just my husband and I at home so we couldn’t do a 9×13 as there would be too much leftover. I was thinking a small square pan might be more our style but don’t know how to break down the ingredients to fit that small size.
Hi Roberta, You would just need to halve the recipe to make it in an 8×8 square pan. Enjoy!!
Thank you for sharing the recipe! What a nice dessert to try! I’m lazy to bake recently :D
Made bananna split dessert snd can’t wait to try it
it. Looks delish sh
I made this for the family 4th of July BBQ and it was a hit. There were no left overs! Tasted incredibly good! Thanks for a great recipe!
Made this today for my husband’s birthday. He loves banana splits! Looks too pretty to cut. I know I will be making this in summer quite a bit.
I wonder if this recipe can be frozen. I made a recipe like this years ago and froze it. I took it to the barbecue and it went so fast.. but I don’t know how that s would do.
Hi Debi, I’ve never frozen this, but you could give it a try!
Fantastic and easy!!
I love your recipe! Whether it is just one batch for my family or tripled for a party, everyone who tries this pie absolutely loves it! I even make it gluten free with gluten free graham crackers. Thank you for sharing such a fantastic recipe!
Can we use confectionary sugar instead of the real sugar.
I think that substitution would probably be fine, although it may be a bit sweeter.
Can we substitute Splenda for the sugar? We have diabetic in our family.
I think you should be able to without a problem.
If you are afraid to use raw eggs, you could use pasteurized eggs from the store, or pasteurize them yourself like making a Meringue Buttercream.
It’s easy to stabilize whipped cream so it doesn’t weep. Here’s how –
STABILIZED WHIPPED CREAM:
Ingredients:
1 c. whipping cream
2 T. confectioners sugar
1 t. powdered agar agar
Whip whipping cream until almost ready. Add confectioners’ sugar and agar agar. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form. This cream topping/filling will stay firm and not separate.
You can find agar agar in a health food store and sometimes at a WalMart in the Asian section. I put it in my signature Mock Whip Frosting and in my French Buttercream Frostings to stabilize them from heat.
Love your idea, tho. It looks yummy.
Is this – “graham cracker frosting” from above, a typo?
I made this Wednesday night for a Thursday night gathering. Easy to whip up on a weeknight! Also a great choice when the weather is hot and you don’t want to turn on the oven. I thought mine was good but not great: I didn’t think it was quite sweet enough and I will tell you why:
I used crushed pineapple packed in it’s own juice instead of syrup
My strawberries were not that sweet
My bananas were about 1 day away from perfect ripeness
In hindsight, I think I should have either made sure my fruit was at peak sweetness (bananas) and/or mixed some sugar in with the sliced strawberries. I might also add 1/4 cup sugar to the graham cracker crumb mixture. Adding a layer of vanilla pudding would be good too.
Thank you for the recipe!!!
I have tried and failed to make a thick pastry cream. The recipes that I’ve used turn out too loose. Will you please help me?
Wow, it looks delicious. Each of layers cake looks nice. Thanks for sharing the recipe, I will make it for my dessert.
Does frozen fruit work?
Hi Alexia, I think it would, just be sure to thaw, drain and pat dry first.