No bake Banana Delight dessert recipe is prepared lasagna-style, with luscious layers of Nilla wafers, fresh banana slices, cheesecake filling, pudding, and whipped topping.
This southern staple is creamy, rich, and full of banana pudding flavor with a tasty twist on the summertime classic.
Banana Delight Layered Dessert
Our easy Banana Delight is a layered dessert recipe that combines the delicious sweet taste of a banana cream pie with the layering of a dessert lasagna!
Filled with crisp vanilla cookies, fresh fruit, instant pudding, a cream cheese mixture, and Cool Whip, this banana layered dessert is best chilled over hours so the Nilla wafers become soft with a cake-like consistency.
Banana pudding delight is the perfect no-bake dessert for holiday parties, picnics, and potlucks, easily made in a baking pan so it’s portable.
Layered like a savory lasagna, but served as a banana cool whip dessert, this trifle-like treat is simple to assemble and delicious to eat.
Why We Love This Banana Cream Dessert Recipe
- Quick and easy to make.
- Uses simple kitchen staple ingredients.
- Filled with all the flavors you love in banana cream pudding pie but served lasagna style.
- Light and refreshing treat that’s cool for summertime snacking but can be enjoyed during any season.
- Perfect banana cream cheese dessert for holidays, special occasions, family gatherings, and potlucks.
More Easy Banana Dessert Recipes
Ingredients
- Salted sweet cream butter
- Vanilla wafers
- Bananas
- Cream cheese
- Pure vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
- Whipped topping, Cool Whip, or homemade whipped cream
- Instant banana cream pudding mix
- Milk: Whole milk is typically used for this recipe, but reduced fat milk or plant-based milk will also work.
Substitutions and Additions
- Choose Your Cookie: While Nilla Wafers are standard in southern banana pudding recipes, you can substitute Lorna Doone cookies, chessman cookies, shortbread biscuits, Golden Oreos, or graham crackers for the vanilla wafer cookies. You can also use gluten-free cookies to make this a gluten free dessert.
- Pick Your Pudding: If you cannot find a banana cream instant pudding mix, you can substitute a vanilla instant pudding mix.
- Vegan Version: To make this banana dessert vegan-friendly, simply substitute all dairy products for dairy-free alternatives. Use vegan butter, plant-based milk, vegan cream cheese, vegan pudding, and whipped coconut cream.
Recommended Tools
- 9×9-inch baking dish
- Stand mixer or handheld mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula
See Full Recipe Card Below
Jump to RecipeHow to Make Banana Delight
- Prepare The Pan: Line the bottom and sides of the buttered baking dish with a single layer of vanilla wafers and top with a single layer of sliced bananas.
Pro Tip: I was able to get 56 wafers in the bottom and up the sides of the dish. I used 2 large sliced bananas for this layer. - Make The Cream Cheese Mixture: Beat the cream cheese and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and whipped topping and beat until smooth. Spread the cream cheese layer over the sliced bananas and vanilla wafers.
- Cover With Cookies and Banana: Lay another single layer of the vanilla wafers on top of the cream cheese layer and top the cookies with sliced bananas.
- Prepare The Pudding Mixture: Sprinkle the pudding mix over the milk and whipped topping and mix until the pudding is thickened. Spread the pudding layer on top of the vanilla wafer and banana layer. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Serve: Spread whipped topping over the pudding layer and sprinkle with crushed vanilla wafers. Slice into 9 squares and serve. Enjoy!
Tip From Our Recipe Developer
- You can substitute clear vanilla flavoring for the pure vanilla extract.
- It’s best to chill this dessert for a few to several hours before serving so the cookies have time to soften.
- For best results, use whole or 2 percent milk.
- Make sure to use instant pudding and not the kind that requires cooking.
- To prevent the bananas from browning too quickly, you can toss them in a little lemon juice.
Storage
- To Store: Store any leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Other Easy Dessert Lasagna Recipes
- Hot Chocolate Lasagna
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Lasagna
- Raspberry Lasagna
- Chocolate Lasagna Recipe
- Mint Chocolate Lasagna
- Lemon Blueberry Dessert
- Cookie Lasagna
- Copycat Magnolia Banana Pudding
Banana Delight
Serves — 9
No bake Banana Delight is a creamy, cool, fruit-flavored dessert full of light and fluffy layers arranged over crispy vanilla cookies and fresh sliced bananas. This easy pudding dessert is perfectly portable for picnics, potlucks, and holiday parties.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter softened (for buttering the baking dish)
- 11 ounces 1 (11-ounce) box of vanilla wafers (reserve 4 – 6 wafers for an optional crushed wafer topping)
- 4 pieces large ripe bananas peeled and sliced
- 16 ounces 2 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 16 ounces 2 (8-ounce) containers of whipped topping thawed
- 6.8 ounces 2 (3.4-ounce) boxes of 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 the 2 tablespoons of softened butter.
- Line the bottom and sides of the buttered baking dish with a single layer of vanilla wafers. (I was able to get 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. (I2 large sliced bananas was the perfect amount for this layer) Set it aside.
- Using either 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 1-1½ minutes until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and 1 cup of the whipped topping. Beat for another 1½-2 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. (Again, 2 large sliced bananas was 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 1½-2 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 4-6 reserved vanilla wafers and sprinkle the wafer crumbs over the top of the whipped topping. Slice into 9 slices and serve.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Store any leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- You can substitute clear vanilla flavoring for the pure vanilla extract.
- It’s best to chill this dessert for a few to several hours before serving so the cookies have time to soften.
- For best results, use whole or 2 percent milk.
- Make sure to use instant pudding and not the kind that requires cooking.
- To prevent the bananas from browning too quickly, you can toss them in a little lemon juice.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 623kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 696mg | Potassium: 234mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 880IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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