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!
WOOW THIS NO BAKE BANANA DESART CAKE IS FULL OF YUMM
I HAVE TRIED IT LAST SUNDAY ITS SUPPER COLL IN TATSE
AM SO HAPPY TO HAVE IT
https://cucinandoo.com/
At first I thought it was me…but then I realized I had already seen this recipe post very recently? Will you be posting new recipes hopefully?
a real banana split has peanuts on it not walnuts
Depends where you from I guess. I have never had a banana split with peanuts before just walnuts.
who cares, as long as there are nuts and cherries and caramel and chocolate, etc, etc,! LOL good eat’in
true but i still like the walnut. even tho peanuts would of been WAY BETTER
If peanuts would “have” been much better, then use them.
Thank you for reminding me of a wonderful summer dessert. Have not made it in years. Will be having this great dessert this weekend.
After reading about this recipe, i’m motivated to do my first No Bake Banana Split Dessert, Wish me luck
Yes and just use pasteurized eggs. I’m so tired of cream cheese being substituted for everything these.
Party on, bro.
Really liked the recipe, one of the best No Bake Banana Split Dessert, I ever made. All thanks to you.
Day three on this delicious dessert and I think it’s even better. For those concerned about bananas browning , I poured the juice from the crushed pineapple over banana slices and let them sit in juice for a minute or so then drained them well. Thank you for a great recipe that I will use for many special occasions. It’s so pretty!
Omg this was amazing!!!! Made it the other day for family and its a hit!!!! @thebrowneyedbaker
Oh my goodness, Michelle – this looks amazing! I think I’ll have to make this for Memorial Day weekend. The ultimate American treat. Thanks for sharing!
For the wonderful videos instructions for how to make these recipes they look great
Hi Michelle, thanks so much for sharing this recipe! I love banana splits, and this is such a unique variation. Plus, no-bake recipes are my favorite. I can’t decide whether to try this or your banana split ice cream cake first. Maybe I’ll make both! :)
Thanks Michelle, making this for New Years eve.
This was the perfect Christmas Eve treat! I wanted to make something a little bit different this year and this was the best choice. My family enjoyed it and it was easy to make. Thank you so much for sharing!
Outside of the summer months, do you think frozen, drained strawberries could be substituted or maybe strawberry pie filling could be used?
This is the easiest, best tasting dessert. I make it all the time. My friends love it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Absolutely fantastic. It is my go to for potlucks. I usually make triple the amount and there is never any left over and everyone asks for the recipe
I have made this many times. It is my go to dessert for Potlucks. Everyone goes mad for it and never any left. I usually make it triple size and people ask me for the recipe. Highly, highly recommend it
This looks delicious, I have to make this.
Ash
http://www.TreatsByAsh.com
Just made this, hope it tastes as good as it looks.
a friend made it for a work event and I remember her’s was Delicious.
This came together perfectly. Perfect for summer entertaining. Delish!
I have not yet made this recipe but I am gonna make it soon!!!!
My Momma use to make this for myself and my 2 sister.She passed when she was only 44 with the C word !! She was one of a kind
Is it possible to freeze it? (in case we want to save half the pie )If so, how long would it last?
Thanks!
This is my favorite, made it many times. I wait until we cut it before putting the banana’s on it, because they turn brown so fast.
My fiancé loves this recipe! Third time making tonight! 😍
*Just a Note*
From my own personal experience
This is just a personal opinion
I Have found that the longer this desert sits
The more married the flavors become.
I have made more than one desert and
the first one one ran out in just 2 days,
Where there was a pause in eating
As everyone was away from home.
To our surprise returning home day 4
back into the dessert :
IT WAS PERFECT!
In fact it became a more Seductive dessert
I can’t stress enough
Everything was in POINT!
Everyone agreed that
If you can help it let it sit for more than 4 hours.
Like overnight for sure.
Since then I’ve learned to make a small sample of any desert
I make.
This way everyone’s fancy is tickled and a day or so
after the sample, The real thing is enjoyed!
I Promise you won’t regret waiting
This dessert gets finer with time!
what is the cool whip is that the cream cheese mixture. It is confusing because you say add the cool whip and yous also say add the cream cheese mixture.Are they the same thing?
Not sure how to explain, though I hope it helps
But Cool whip is a whipped topping that comes in a tub.
While cream cheese come in blocks it’s just that a block of creamed cheese.
After the cream cheese And sugar mixture is well blended
You will then Fold (with rubber spatula) in the
Cool Whip.
Delicious! Just made it for my husbands birthday and it was a hit!
This is the best dessert it’s so refreshing all the fruit and everything and they said great love this recipe
Looks amazing, however I am not a fan of cream cheese. Do you have a suggestion on a substitute ingredient?
Made it and my family loved it, I know it was a hit because while eating it i could hear the huming lol
Not trying to be rude or anything but my great aunt before she passed made this dessert a few times a year and even more so in the summer, she included the raw eggs. We all ate it, the church members ate it, and even now my husband and our children (17 & 13) eat it. I’m 41 years old and have yet to develop a case of salmonella or whatever else you’re worried about getting from 2 raw eggs. Body builders many times consume raw eggs. While I understand people’s right to alter a recipe or so what you feel is best for you there’s no need to be dramatic with the “ewwww” over 2 raw eggs. I tired you’re substitute and no thank you, it’s just not the same, in fact the majority of that version went in the trash. Again to each their own but sometimes leave things that aren’t broken alone.
This comment sounds overdramatic to me.
Love the recipe, thanks for posting.
Megan I agree…. my grandmother lost her recipe and this was the only one I could find…she remembered it had eggs (uncle is allergic to them) and this did not taste the same. Do you have the original recipe?
Where should the eggs be added to the recipe if it be my preference
the eggs are instead of the cream cheese. the old recipe is eggs, butter and powdered sugar. Beat for several minutes