This easy no bake banana pudding cheesecake dessert is so easy and so good. Essentially a mini banana pudding trifle in each dish. This easy no bake banana pudding cheesecake dessert takes two great tastes and mixes them up into one amazing dessert.
This easy, no bake banana pudding trifle is created and served in individual serving cups, and it filled with rich, creamy goodness. It’s the best of both worlds!
You always have the option of making a 13 x 9 inch instead, but I prefer these individual serving bowls. So much prettier than scooping a portion into a bowl but a little more work.
As always the decision is up to you. You won’t be disappointed either way.
Easy Banana Desserts – No Bake
I’ve left out the best part of this dessert recipe. It’s a no-bake cheesecake recipe, too! Don’t turn on the oven. Don’t make a mess with multiple pots and pans, and last but not least don’t stress out trying to figure out if your dessert is “done” baking in the oven.
All you need to do is follow the simple steps to make this simple treat. It’s literally as easy as that. I’m still in awe every time I make this banana dessert recipe because it’s crazy simple and crazy good.
As a matter of fact, I don’t know why I don’t make it more often. In my book, a no-bake cheesecake recipe is always a good idea.
Especially when a recipe is this versatile. Imagine using some chocolate pudding? or chocolate wafers instead of vanilla? Strawberries sliced up instead of or with the bananas?
Now do you see how much fun you can have with this dessert? The fun is never ending. That’s why I LOVE this banana pudding cheesecake trifle.
That is why you will love it too.
How We Go to No Bake Banana Pudding Cheesecake
This easy no bake banana pudding cheesecake is a delicious little mini-trifle dessert that is always a winner. It’s the best of two of our favorite desserts – banana pudding and cheesecake.
Without them, we wouldn’t have the recipe I’m about to share with you. So let’s take a look at how we got here.
History of Banana Pudding
Banana pudding is one of those desserts that is always associated with the southern United States, however, it didn’t actually begin there.
In fact, the first recorded mention of a banana pudding recipe is found in an 1888 issue of Good Housekeeping, a Massachusetts-based magazine. That’s about as far from the south as you can get.
The recipe was really just a variation on a trifle, the classic European dessert. Over the years, the dessert made its way across the United States, becoming a particular favorite in the south where southern cooks put their own stamp on it, the biggest change coming in the 1920s.
It was during that time that the traditional sponge cake for the pudding was replaced with vanilla wafers.
Thus, the classic southern version – and the version that most of us think of today – of banana pudding was born. What’s incredibly interesting is that even this version wasn’t made exclusively in the south.
However, in 1933, a syndicated column showcased a recipe for Southern Banana Pudding, and it just sort of took off. From there, papers and recipe books began to associate the dessert with the deep south.
History of Cheesecake
Cheesecake has a long, long history. In its earliest forms, cheesecake is mentioned by Aegimu, a 5th century BC physician. A later, more closely related version called sambocade can be found in Forme of Cury, an English cookbook from 1390.
Because of its similarity to modern cheesecake and its mention in Forme of Cury, many food historians credit England as the birthplace of the modern cheesecake.
Over hundreds of years, Europeans began removing yeast from cheesecake and adding beaten eggs instead. Around the 18th century, with the overpowering yeast flavor done away with, cheesecake became more of what it is today.
The cheesecake that we all make today is the result of the creation of commercially available American cream cheese. Developed in 1872 by William Lawrence who was looking for a way to recreate Neufchatel, cream cheese is the result of Lawrence creating an “unripened cheese”.
Easy No Bake Banana Pudding Cheesecake Recipe
My family loves banana-flavored anything and this recipe is always at the top of their “want” list. It’s literally comfort food in a fancy dessert bowl.
And since I’m an adult, I’m the type of person that is always going to eat their dessert first. (it has bananas in it so that counts as healthy, right?)
I’m a huge fan of this dessert because it’s nice and cool and creamy. I love the way that it makes me feel like summer is already here.
It also reminds me of the banana pudding dessert that my grandma used to make when I was little. I have such fond memories of this wafer and pudding recipe. It’s so near and dear to my heart!
Vanilla Wafer Banana Pudding Dessert Ingredients
Everything you need to make this easy no bake banana pudding cheesecake dessert is easily available at your grocer and probably already in your kitchen. This banana pudding trifle recipe has just about the easiest list of ingredients you’ll find.
- instant banana flavored pudding (or instant vanilla pudding works too)
- cold milk
- cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- whipped topping, thawed (cool whip)
- vanilla wafer cookies (nilla wafers)
- banana slices
Making Mini Easy No Bake Banana Pudding Trifle Recipe
You’re about to see why I love this easy cheesecake recipe. Here are a few tips to remember as you’re making this dessert dish. Literally, everything used to make this recipe is pre-packaged.
There’s absolutely no cooking involved whatsoever with this recipe. You’ll simply be mixing, layering, and refrigerating. That’s it. That is all there is to it. It doesn’t get any easier. Woo hoo!
In fact, it’s so incredibly simple, I’m foregoing the highlights that I normally add to my posts because there are no highlights. Seriously. Just unbox, mix, layer, and refrigerate. That’s the entirety of this recipe. Pretty… sweet… eh? Sweet. See what I did there?
No Bake Banana Pudding Cheesecake TIPS
This easy no bake banana pudding cheesecake trifle recipe is seriously the easiest thing you’ll ever make. That being said, there are still some things to keep in mind.
There’s no way you can really completely ruin this recipe, but if you follow these tips you’ll make the best possible banana pudding dessert you’ve ever had.
Add to the Fridge to Thicken
Once you mix the pudding and milk, you need to set pudding mixture in the fridge and let it thicken up.
Use an Electric Mixer for Mixing
I’m always really tempted to mix everything by hand but an electric mixer is needed to mix the sugar and cream cheese. This will get out the lumps and make it nice and creamy.
You just can’t get the same super-smooth texture that you get from an electric mixer when you mix by hand.
Spread out the mixture carefully
Since you’re going to be spreading to the bottom of the baking dish, you need to be careful that you don’t jumble about the cookies. Just use a spatula and be careful in how you spread. Slow and steady wins the race here. Take your time and spread slowly and evenly, and you’ll have a great result.
Cutting the bananas
Make certain that you slice the bananas thick enough that they hold their texture in the dish. I’ve found that ½ inch seems to be a great size for this recipe. Any thinner and the bananas turn to mush. If you go thicker, they’re a bit too much in one bit.
Pop in the fridge to chill
Once you have the entire dessert done, just pop it in the fridge to chill. This will help all the flavors mesh perfectly together and make every bite perfect.
Banana Pudding Cheesecake FAQ
There are a few things I want to go over here that will answer some of the most common questions associated with making this dessert. These range from bananas turning brown to mushy wafers and more.
Why are my sliced bananas turning brown?
This is important to remember! Slicing your bananas needs to be something that you do at the end because if you slice them too early, the air is going to combine with the chemical makeup of the bananas and cause them to turn brown.
This doesn’t affect their taste or flavor AT ALL but it doesn’t really look all that appealing to eat. I always wait until I’m ready to serve to cut the bananas for this dish.
What if I don’t want mushy vanilla wafers?
The bottom layer of this cheesecake dessert will turn mushy, no matter what. If you want to add a bit of a crunch, you can always add fresh wafers or freshly crumbled wafers to your dish each time that you serve it up.
The bottom layer is going to be soft just because the pudding is directly on top of it. This will cause the wafers to become soft instantly.
Can you freeze banana pudding and wafers for later?
In my opinion, I wouldn’t. While I’m certain that you can, I think that this dish is best served fresh and chilled. Freezing it might change up the texture quite a bit and cause it to become a totally different dessert than you’re expecting.
It’s always a toss-up when you freeze a recipe with cream cheese because it can definitely create a different texture quickly. The same can be said of pudding, as well. Defrosted pudding has an odd texture that I don’t find appealing at all.
How to store leftover pudding cheesecake dessert
Once everyone has scooped out their servings, just pop a lid on this dessert and store it in the fridge. As long as you’re keeping it cold and chilled, there should be no issues about it staying good and ready to eat for a few days.
More fun topping ideas for this banana cheesecake recipe
If you want to add on other toppings, you can! I really like to add on crushed graham crackers, shredded coconut, and even mini chocolate chips sometimes, too. Just a simple way to make a dessert new over and over again.
Just keep in mind that the more toppings that you add, the more that you’re deviating from the original recipe. It’s a simple way to make the recipe taste fun and new but it’s also a simple way to make a new and unique no-bake recipe for dessert.
I can’t wait to hear what you think about this banana treat. It’s such a huge hit every time I make it and I think that every family should be able to whip this up on the spot! Once you make it once, you’re going to love the ease of this recipe.
Try This Banana Pudding Cheesecake Dessert Today
This easy no bake banana pudding cheesecake dessert is one of the tastiest and easiest desserts you’ll ever make. Essentially a mini banana pudding trifle in every serving dish, this recipe requires no cooking or baking whatsoever, making it perfect for every occasion imaginable. Give it a try, and I’m sure you and your family will agree that it’s a winner.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
- Sugar Cookie Cheesecake Cups
- Our Favorite Banana Bread
- Eggnog No Bake Cheesecake
- Banana Custard Crunch
- No Bake Layered Mint Cheesecake
Banana Pudding Cheesecake Trifle Video
No Bake Banana Pudding Cups
Equipment
- glasses for individual servings or a 13 x 9 inch pan
Ingredients
- 2 pkgs (3.4 oz) instant banana pudding or vanilla or your favorite flavor
- 4 cups cold milk
- 1 brick (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tub (8 oz) whipped topping, thawed
- 1 box (11 oz) vanilla wafer cookies
- 4 large bananas
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the instant banana pudding and milk. Cover and refrigerate until thickened.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese together with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Reserve ¾ cup of the whipped topping and set aside. Beat the remaining whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture until smooth and creamy.
- Line a 3-quart 9x13 inch glass dish with a single layer of the vanilla wafer cookies. Pour the prepared banana pudding recipe over the cookies and gently spread out evenly with a spatula.
- Peel the bananas and slice into ½ inch thick rounds. Add the bananas to the dish over the vanilla layer.
- Dollop the “cheesecake” mixture over top of the bananas and use a spatula to very gently spread until the dollops meet and the cheesecake layer is evenly spread over all of the bananas.
- Top the cheesecake layer with an even layer of the vanilla wafer cookies.
- Scoop the reserved whipped topping into a small zip top bag and cut off the corner to create a piping bag. Decorate the top of the dessert with the whipped topping.
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate before serving to allow the cookies to soften.
Notes
- Refrigerate the pudding mixture. Once you mix the pudding and milk, let it sit in the fridge for a bit to thicken up.
- Use an electric mixer for mixing. I’m always really tempted to mix everything by hand but an electric mixer is needed to mix the sugar and cream cheese. This will get out the lumps and make it nice and creamy. You just can’t get the same super-smooth texture that you get from an electric mixer when you mix by hand.
- Make certain that you slice the bananas thick enough that they hold their texture in the dish. I’ve found that ½ inch seems to be a great size for this recipe. Any thinner and the bananas turn to mush.
- Chill before serving. To give the flavors a chance to meld together, I recommend placing the banana cheesecake trifles in the refrigerator for up to an hour or two before serving, but not so long that your wafers turn to mush.
Nutrition
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