No Bake Banana Split Cake

This no bake banana split cake is an easy layered dessert recipe, with pudding mix, cream cheese, chocolate, pineapple, and cherries. Enjoy your favorite ice cream dessert in cake form!

Why You'll Love Banana Split Cake

This is a super nostalgic, no-bake dessert that's so customizable!

Everyone loves a good banana split. Imagine that my Chocolate Eclair Cake and a banana split had a baby; that's what you'll get with this Banana Split Cake. It has a rich, velvety banana filling, a crunchy graham cracker crust, and all of your favorite banana split toppings.

The best part about this dessert is that you get to decide what you want on your cake. Don't love cherries? Leave them out! Want to add strawberries? That's up to you. You can really make this recipe your own.

Love bananas? 🍌 Give my Banana Pudding Cake and Banana Cookies recipes a try, too!

Ingredients & Variations

There are several different elements in this cake...it's easiest to break the ingredients down by layer.

(See ingredient amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)

For Graham Cracker Crust

• graham cracker crumbs - If you want to add a hint of chocolate to the crust, use chocolate graham crackers instead!
• melted butter
• white granulated sugar - This adds a little bit of crunch to the crust.

For Banana Cream Cheese Filling

• Instant banana pudding mix - It's very important that you use Instant pudding mix for the recipe; otherwise, your pudding layer won't set.
• powdered sugar
• half and half - This should be cold to help the pudding get nice and thick.
• softened cream cheese - I recommend leaving this on the counter for 30 minutes - an hour before mixing into the pudding.
• whipped topping - If you're not a Cool Whip fan, make your own! This part of the recipe would need roughly 3 cups of homemade whipped cream in place of the Cool Whip.
• chopped bananas

Toppings

• chopped bananas - I recommend tossing your banana slices in 1 tablespoon or two of lemon juice before topping the cake. This helps keep them nice and bright.
• canned crushed pineapple - Make sure to drain any pineapple juice really well before adding it to the cake; otherwise, your cake will get soupy. I also recommend topping the crushed pineapple with a paper towel for an hour or two (while the cream cheese layer sets) to soak out any remaining juice.
• Cool Whip - You can use homemade whipped cream if you're not a fan of Cool Whip. You'll need roughly 3 cups to top this cake. Or, if you'd like a thicker, richer topping, use 2 cups of Marshmallow Creme instead of Cool Whip.
• maraschino cherries
• pecans or peanuts - This is totally up to flavor preference. I prefer the taste of pecans, and I think they work better in a no-bake dessert, but peanuts are the more traditional banana split topping. I even think chopped walnuts would be great on top of this cake.
• chocolate syrup - If you'd prefer, you can use a drizzle of caramel, butterscotch, or strawberry syrups instead of chocolate (or in addition to chocolate syrup).

More Additions

If you love a topping on a banana split, use it! A couple of great additions to my recipe...

• strawberry slices
• mini chocolate chips
• chopped candy bars
• sprinkles
• toasted coconut

Step-by-Step Instructions

For Graham Cracker Crust

In a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the mixture in an even layer into the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking pan.

For Banana Cream Cheese Layer

In a large bowl, whisk together banana pudding mix, powdered sugar, and half & half. Use a hand mixer on medium speed to mix in softened cream cheese. Fold in 8oz of Cool Whip and bananas.

Pour cream cheese mixture over the graham cracker crust already in the baking dish.

For Remaining Cake Layers

Spread drained crushed pineapple over banana filling. At this point, lightly cover pineapple with a paper towel and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. The paper towel will help soak up any remaining pineapple juice.

Finally, before serving, spread the remaining Cool Whip over crushed pineapple. Top Cool Whip with remaining sliced bananas, cherries, chopped nuts, and chocolate syrup.

Storage & Leftovers

This recipe stores well in the fridge for 2-3 days after preparation. Make sure to cover with plastic wrap or an airtight lid. Don't slice cake until ready to serve.

I don't recommend freezing this cake. There are just too many elements that could get soggy/watery in the freezing process.

Other Tips & Tricks

• If you want your cake to have nice, pretty layers, make sure the cake has been chilled well before cutting.
• If you're making this more than a few hours before serving, make sure to toss your banana slices in a little bit of lemon or orange juice before topping the cake. This will help prevent browning.
• I also recommend holding off on adding any nuts or sprinkles until just before serving. This will help those ingredients keep their texture.
• I made my cake in a 2-quart, 11x7" Pyrex glass baking dish. Making it in this dish will make the layers nice and tall (and pretty), but if you're planning on adding a lid to your dish before serving, I'd recommend moving to a 9x13" dish so you don't crush your pretty toppings.

No-Bake Banana Split Cake FAQs