Banana Pudding Icebox Cake

I love this banana pudding icebox cake for how fast and simple it is to assemble. That means you can make this dessert in the morning to serve at a holiday dinner or party or to bring to a potluck gathering. The longest part of this no-bake dessert? Waiting for it to chill in the refrigerator.

Banana Pudding Icebox Cake

When I shared this recipe for no bake chocolate icebox cake, I talked about how it was reminiscent of my New England grandmother’s icebox dessert. However, without the Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers, which are discontinued, that you traditionally use to make the dessert — along with homemade whipped cream — you have to find other ways to hack it, such as using Oreo Thins.

Thankfully, with this banana pudding icebox cake dessert recipe, your base is vanilla wafers or Nilla Wafers. Nabisco makes Nilla Wafers and I can’t foresee them doing away with them like they did the chocolate wafers. That means, long live this banana dessert using vanilla wafers, which tastes a lot like banana cream pie.

Also, what makes this recipe come together so quickly? You’re using instant pudding. I’m emphasizing the instant because when I first published this recipe, I had not specified which kind of pudding mix you should use. An eagle-eyed subscriber posted a comment asking this and I realized my mistake. So I’m updating the recipe now and please accept my apologies.

Ingredient notes

• 48 vanilla wafer cookies
• 6.8 ounces instant banana pudding mix
• 3 cups milk
• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• 8 ounces whipped topping or homemade whipped cream
• 2 bananas sliced

Instructions

• Line the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish or pan with one-third of the vanilla wafer cookies.
• In a large bowl, whip the softened cream cheese until light and fluffy.
• In a separate bowl whisk your instant pudding and milk together until combined.
• Using an electric mixer or immersion blender, combine the pudding mixture and whipped cream cheese.
• Spread part of the pudding cream cheese mixture over the bottom cookie layer.
• Add a layer of banana slices
• Add another layer of vanilla wafer cookies and more pudding cream cheese mixture. Repeat until all ingredients are used.
• Top with the whipped topping aka Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream.
• Cover with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator for hours or overnight so the cookies can soften.
• Just before serving, add more fresh banana slices and additional vanilla wafers as a garnish.

Notes on banana icebox cake

This dessert is all about the banana flavor, from the instant pudding as well as fresh bananas. If you can’t find the banana flavored instant pudding, then you can swap it out for vanilla instant pudding and understand that the flavor won’t be as intense. Or use the vanilla instant pudding and then add a few drops of banana flavoring or extract.

That being said, you could easily make this no-bake dessert with other fresh fruit and another pudding flavor. For instance, replace the instant banana pudding with instant vanilla pudding and fill this cake with sliced strawberries or fresh blueberries.

The nutritional value reflected here is from my using whipped topping aka Cool Whip. If you decide to use homemade whipped cream, please adjust the macros accordingly.

If you need your dessert to set fast, put it in the freezer for an hour, rather than the refrigerator.