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Banana Delight
No-bake Banana Delight is a layered dessert lasagna with graham cracker crust, creamy filling, bananas, pudding, and whipped topping—easy, sweet, and always a hit.
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This creamy layered banana delight is a dessert lasagna that will have your crew fighting for seconds. It’s the perfect mix of sweet cream cheese, banana pudding, and fluffy whipped cream, plus a little crunch from the vanilla wafer crust.
Why You’ll Love Our No-Bake Banana Delight
🍌 Vintage Flavors: All the nostalgia of classic banana pudding, but with the ease of Cool Whip, banana pudding mix, and simple sliced bananas.
⏲️ Quick To Prep: 20 Minutes in the kitchen for a homemade dessert? Yes please!
😋 Light but Satisfying: Bananas and vanilla wafers keep this dessert light, but the cream cheese layer makes sure it delivers on your craving for that sweet, richness of a trifle.
Banana Delight Ingredients
One of the best things about this banana dessert is that it uses pantry staples and simple ingredients just about everyone loves.
To make this delectable treat, you’ll need:
- 2 tablespoons of salted sweet cream butter, softened (for buttering the baking dish)
- 1 (11-ounce) box of vanilla wafers (reserve 4-6 wafers for an optional crushed wafer topping)
- 4 large ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
- 2 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup of powdered sugar
- 2 (8-ounce) containers of Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed
- 2 (3.4-ounce) boxes of instant banana cream pudding mix
- 2 cups of cold whole milk
PRO TIP:
You can treat the bananas with a spritz of lemon juice or lime juice to prevent them from browning.
To avoid changing the flavor, you won’t want to use a lot of citrus juice — just a quick brush to each side or spritz from a spray bottle.
Substitutions And Additions
VANILLA WAFERS: You can substitute Lorna Doone or Chessman cookies for the vanilla wafers, and end up with a similar flavor.
VANILLA EXTRACT: You can substitute clear vanilla flavoring for pure vanilla extract.
BANANA PUDDING: If you cannot find a banana cream instant pudding mix, you can substitute vanilla pudding mix.
How To Make This Banana Delight Recipe
For this dessert, you’ll be creating layers of delicious ingredients.
Quick Overview: Layer vanilla wafers, bananas, and cream cheese filling. Then, more wafers, bananas, and pudding. Top with Cool Whip. Chill, garnish, and devour!
Here are the step-by-step instructions.
STEP ONE: With your hands or a pastry brush, butter a 9×9-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of softened butter.
STEP TWO: Line the bottom and sides of the buttered baking dish with a single layer of vanilla wafers (I got 56 wafers in the bottom and up the sides of the dish).
STEP THREE: Lay a single layer of sliced bananas on top of the bottom layer of the vanilla wafers. Two large sliced bananas were the perfect amount for this layer. Set it aside.
STEP FOUR: Beat the softened cream cheese and vanilla extract on medium-high for 1 to 1½ minutes, until smooth.
STEP FIVE: Add the powdered sugar and 1 cup of the whipped topping. Beat for another 1½ to 2 minutes until smooth.
STEP SIX: Evenly spread the cream cheese layer over the sliced bananas and vanilla wafers.
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature, so it blends completely and doesn’t leave lumps in the cream cheese mixture.
STEP SEVEN: Lay another single layer of the vanilla wafers on top of the cream cheese layer. Lay the remaining sliced bananas on top of the vanilla wafers. About two large sliced bananas were the perfect amount for this layer.
STEP EIGHT: Add the cold milk and 1 cup of the whipped topping to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Sprinkle the banana pudding mix over the milk and whipped topping.
Beat on medium-high speed for 1½ to 2 minutes until the pudding is thickened.
STEP NINE: Evenly spread the pudding layer on top of the vanilla wafer and banana layer. Cover the baking dish and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Just before serving, spread the remaining thawed whipped topping over the pudding layer. Crush the 4 to 6 reserved vanilla wafers and sprinkle the wafer crumbs over the top of the whipped topping. Slice into 9 slices and serve.
PRO TIP:
Make sure to give your dessert time to chill in the fridge before serving to ensure all of the fantastic flavors have time to mingle.
How To Serve This Banana Delight Dessert
This banana cream delight is a welcome treat any night of the week. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side with a drizzle of hot fudge for an extra decadent dessert.
To enhance this already delicious treat, it pairs perfectly with a cold glass of milk, a hot cup of coffee, or a homemade hot chocolate.
Have bananas to use up?
Don’t let them go to waste! Of course, you can make banana bread, but you can also try:
MORE DELIGHT RECIPES
Storing This Banana Pudding Delight
IN THE FRIDGE: Store any leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
CAN I FREEZE THIS? No, not really. Bananas will very quickly start to brown and they thaw mushy, so don’t try it.
You will love the great flavor found in all of the layers of this scrumptious dessert. The sweet and creamy dish is the perfect comfort food for any occasion. Plus, it’s easy to make and requires only a few simple ingredients. So why not give our banana delight recipe a try?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is this recipe the same as banana lush or banana lasagna?
Yes! This great recipe goes by many names, including banana lush, banana dream, and banana lasagna.
Can I make banana delight ahead of time?
Yes, banana delight is perfect for making ahead. Prepare it up to 24 hours in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Can I use graham crackers instead of vanilla wafers?
Yes, graham crackers can be used as a substitute for vanilla wafers in Banana Delight. Simply layer them in the same way for a similar texture and flavor.
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Banana Delight
No-bake Banana Delight is a layered dessert lasagna with graham cracker crust, creamy filling, bananas, pudding, and whipped topping—easy, sweet, and always a hit.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings 9
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter, softened (for buttering the baking dish)
- 11 ounces vanilla wafers (reserve 4 to 6 wafers for an optional crushed wafer topping)
- 4 large ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
- 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 16 ounces whipped topping, thawed
- 6.8 ounces instant banana cream pudding mix
- 2 cups cold whole milk
Instructions
- With your hands or a pastry brush, butter a 9×9-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of softened butter.
- Line the bottom and sides of the buttered baking dish with a single layer of vanilla wafers (We were able to place 56 wafers in the bottom and up the sides of the dish).
- Lay a single layer of the sliced bananas on top of the bottom layer of the vanilla wafers. Two large sliced bananas were the perfect amount for this layer. Set it aside.
- Using a stand mixer or a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the cream cheese and vanilla extract for 1 to 1½ minutes, until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and 1 cup of the whipped topping. Beat for another 1½ to 2 minutes until smooth.
- Evenly spread the cream cheese layer over the sliced bananas and vanilla wafers.
- Lay another single layer of the vanilla wafers on top of the cream cheese layer. Lay the remaining sliced bananas on top of the vanilla wafers. Two more large sliced bananas were the perfect amount for this layer.
- Add the cold milk and 1 cup of the whipped topping to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Sprinkle the pudding mix over the milk and whipped topping. Use a handheld mixer on medium-high speed to mix for 1½ to 2 minutes until the pudding is thickened. Evenly spread the pudding layer on top of the vanilla wafer and banana layer.
- Cover the baking dish and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Just before serving, spread the remaining thawed whipped topping over the pudding layer. Crush the 4 to 6 reserved vanilla wafers and sprinkle the wafer crumbs over the top of the whipped topping. Slice into 9 slices and serve.
Notes
- You can treat the bananas with a spritz of lemon juice or lime juice to prevent them from browning. To avoid changing the flavor, you won’t want to use a ton of citrus juice — just a quick brush to each side or spritz from a spray bottle.
- Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature, so it blends completely and doesn’t leave lumps in the cream cheese mixture.
- Make sure to give your dessert time to chill in the fridge before serving to ensure all of the fantastic flavors have time to mingle.
Nutrition
Calories: 679kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 511mg | Potassium: 450mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 918IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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