Sandra This Paula Deen Banana Split Cake is a creamy and no-bake (mostly) recipe, which is made with crushed pineapple and fresh bananas. It’s the ultimate potluck dessert, ready in about 30 minutes, plus chilling time.
Paula Deen Banana Split Cake Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 4 cups crushed graham crackers
- 1 ½ sticks Butter, melted
For the Filling & Topping:
- 2 sticks Butter, softened
- 1 (16 oz) box confectioner’s sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
- 2 to 3 bananas, sliced
- 1 (12 oz) container whipped topping (like Cool Whip), thawed
- Chopped nuts, for garnish
How To Make Paula Deen Banana Split Cake
- Make and Bake the Crust: Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, mix the crushed graham crackers and the 1 ½ sticks of melted butter together until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press this mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 13×9-inch pan. Bake the crust for 5 to 8 minutes to set it. Let it cool completely.
- Make the Cream Cheese Layer: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the 2 sticks of softened butter, the confectioner’s sugar, and the eggs together until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Layer the Dessert: Spread the buttery sugar mixture evenly over the completely cooled crust. Top this with a layer of the well-drained crushed pineapple, followed by an even layer of the sliced bananas.
- Finish and Chill: Cover the fruit layers with the thawed whipped topping, spreading it to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with chopped nuts for garnish. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour, or until it is well-chilled, before serving.
Recipe Tips
- How to keep the crust from getting soggy? The key is to bake the crust for a few minutes and then, most importantly, let it cool completely before you add any of the creamy or fruit layers.
- Can I make this ahead of time? Absolutely! This dessert is perfect for making ahead. In fact, it’s even better after it has had several hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator for the layers to meld and set up.
- How do I prevent the bananas from browning? To keep the banana slices from browning, you can toss them in a little bit of lemon juice before you layer them onto the cake. Also, making sure they are completely covered by the whipped topping will protect them from the air.
- What other toppings can I use? For a true “banana split” experience, you can drizzle the top with chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, and add a few maraschino cherries for garnish along with the nuts.
What To Serve With Banana Split Cake
This is a rich, sweet, and complete dessert that is a crowd-pleasing favorite at potlucks and parties. It stands perfectly on its own and needs no other accompaniment other than a fork and a plate.
How To Store Banana Split Cake
- Refrigerate: This cake must be stored in the refrigerator because of the eggs and dairy. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap. It will keep well for up to 4 days, though the bananas may brown slightly and the crust will soften over time.
Banana Split Cake Nutrition Facts
- Serving: 1 square
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Protein: 5g
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Sugar: 52g
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
This is a classic, old-fashioned Southern recipe that often includes raw eggs. For maximum food safety, it is highly recommended to use pasteurized eggs, which have been gently heated to kill any potential bacteria. You can find them in the dairy section of most grocery stores.
For a completely no-bake version, you can skip baking the crust and instead place it in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes to firm up before adding the fillings. The baked crust will be slightly crisper.
Yes. If you don’t have graham crackers, this dessert is also fantastic with a crust made from crushed vanilla wafers or chocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos).
Try More Recipes:
- Paula Deen Lemon Gooey Butter Cake Recipe
- Paula Deen 1-2-3-4 Cake Recipe
- Paula Deen Caramel Cake Recipe
Paula Deen Banana Split Cake Recipe
Description
A classic, no-bake layered dessert that tastes just like a banana split, with a graham cracker crust, a sweet buttery filling, and layers of pineapple, banana, and whipped topping.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter; press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9×13-inch pan.
- Bake the crust for 5 to 8 minutes. Let it cool completely.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, confectioner’s sugar, and eggs until fluffy.
- Spread this mixture over the cooled crust.
- Top with an even layer of the drained crushed pineapple, followed by a layer of the sliced bananas.
- Spread the whipped topping over the bananas.
- Sprinkle with chopped nuts and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- The most important tip for this recipe is to let the crust cool completely before adding the creamy layers to prevent it from getting soggy.
- For food safety, it is highly recommended to use pasteurized eggs in the uncooked filling layer.
- Be sure to drain the crushed pineapple very well to keep the dessert from becoming watery.
- This dessert is even better when it’s made a day in advance, which allows all the layers to set up and the flavors to meld.
