No Bake Banana Split Cake (Easy Make-Ahead Dessert)
This no bake banana split cake is a chilled, layered dessert made with a graham cracker crust, a smooth cream cheese filling, fruit, and classic sundae toppings. It’s assembled in a 9×13 pan and set in the refrigerator until it slices clean. A practical make-ahead dessert that holds up well for sharing.
Equipment
- 9x13 Baking Dish
Ingredients
Gram Cracker Crust
- 2 cups gram crackers about 14 whole gram crackers, cinnamon sugar, or plain
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup white sugar
Cream Cheese Filling
- 16 ounces cream cheese two 8-ounce boxes
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
Sunday Toppings
- 4 bananas sliced
- 1 ½ cup strawberries sliced
- 15 ounces crushed pineapple caned, drained
- 8 ounces whipped topping Cool Whip or store brand, thawed
- 15 maraschino cherries drained
- ⅓ cup peanuts optional topping
- ¼ cup chocolate sauce optional drizzle on top of the dessert
Instructions
Gram Cracker Crust
- Place the graham crackers in a gallon-size ziplock bag. Seal the bag and crush the crackers with a rolling pin or your hands until you have fine crumbs.2 cups gram crackers
- Melt the butter in the microwave, being careful not to overheat it.½ cup butter
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and ½ cup sugar. Stir well with a large spoon until thoroughly mixed.1/2 cup white sugar
- Press the graham cracker mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9x13-inch dish to form a thin crust layer. Place in the refrigerator to chill 20 minutes.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Place the unwrapped block of cream cheese in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium power for 30-40 seconds, checking and stirring at 20-second intervals until very soft but not warm.16 ounces cream cheese
- In a medium-sized bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the softened cream cheese and 1 cup of powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy. I like to stir it a bit with the beaters before turning it on to avoid a powder-sugar mess. Then turn to low until smooth. Then, turn the mixer on high and beat for 60 seconds.1 cup confectioners' sugar
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the graham cracker crust.
Sunday Toppings Layer
- Layer sliced bananas evenly spaced across the cream cheese layer.4 bananas
- Drain crushed pineapple, then spoon evenly over the bananas.15 ounces crushed pineapple
- Place sliced strawberries evenly on top of the crushed pineapple.1 ½ cup strawberries
- Gently spread the soften whipped topping with a spatula to cover the entire surface.8 ounces whipped topping
- Top with cherries and chopped nuts.15 maraschino cherries, ⅓ cup peanuts
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hour or overnight. Top with chocolate drizzle if desired.¼ cup chocolate sauce
Notes
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerator: Keep the cake in the same 9×13 dish. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate. It holds well for up to 4 days.
- It slices and eats best within the first 2 days, while the bananas still look fresh.
