Banana Pudding Icebox Cake

This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Banana Pudding Icebox Cake is the perfect no-bake dessert for summer. It’s a thicker, more fancy-looking version of banana pudding and it’s absolutely delicious!

Banana Pudding Icebox Cake on a cake stand with a slice removed

Banana Pudding Icebox Cake

So I’m going to get serious for a minute. Yesterday’s church service was just too good for me to not share it with you. To finish up a series, we had Benjamin Watson of the New Orleans Saints join us. You may or may not be familiar with Benjamin Watson’s Facebook post that went viral last fall after the verdict in the Ferguson case was released. It’s one of the most well put things I’ve ever read – accurately capturing the range of emotions that I’m sure many have felt.

There have been so many cases in the news – Ferguson, Baltimore (and more) and now the awful shooting in Charleston. It overwhelms me how much hate and pain fills the news every time something happens and it makes me sad. Benjamin Watson said it better than I ever could have. He talked of sin and the Gospel and bringing communities together – not tearing them apart. Yesterday’s message was moving, insightful and sparked a great discussion between the hubs and I. I absolutely recommend watching it. I hope it inspires you like it did us. Before I move on to the recipe, I’ll leave you with this bit of scripture that was sort of the point of the message:

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:26–28

Banana Pudding Icebox Cake on a glass cake stand
Banana Pudding Icebox Cake slice on a plate

So I’m not entirely sure how to move on from that to a recipe, so I’ll just do it. 🙂

This icebox cake is layers of a banana and vanilla flavored filling that’s somewhat mousse-like and very light, with a layer of vanilla wafer cookies and bananas in the middle. It’s so easy to make – the hardest part is letting it sit in the fridge to firm up.

How to Make Banana Pudding Icebox Cake

To put the layers together, you’ll make the banana and vanilla filling separately, though they have similar ingredients. The vanilla filling is made by mixing cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Some milk and vanilla extract are added, then homemade whipped cream is folded in. You could substitute Cool Whip if you prefer to simplify the recipe even further. I won’t tell.

The banana layer is made exactly the same way, except that dry banana pudding mix is added before the whipped cream is folded in. You don’t actually make the pudding, just add the dry mix. It will make the mixture kind of sticky, but that’s ok. As you fold in the whipped cream, it will loosen up and become a nice consistency. It might take a minute, so be patient. It will all come together.

The fillings are layered with the vanilla wafers and banana slices. I dipped the wafers in some milk first to help them soften. Nobody wants a cookie they can’t cut through.

Once everything is layered, just let it set up in the fridge until firm. It’s made in a springform pan, so that you can remove the sides and have a pretty looking dessert, but you could also make it in a 9×9 square pan, if you prefer. Either way, it’s easy peasy and delicious! The hubs’ literally refused to let me share it. 🙂

Banana Pudding Icebox Cake on a glass cake stand

You might also like

Easy Banana Bread
Banana Cream Pudding in a Jar
Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
Bananas Foster Layer Cake
Banana Pudding Cheesecake
Banoffee Cupcakes
Banana Churros with Chocolate Peanut Butter Sauce

Print
clock clock icon cutlery cutlery icon flag flag icon folder folder icon instagram instagram icon pinterest pinterest icon facebook facebook icon print print icon squares squares icon
Banana Pudding Icebox Cake on glass stand
Recipe

Banana Pudding Icebox Cake

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 12-14 Servings
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: No Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Banana Pudding Icebox Cake is the perfect no-bake dessert for summer. It’s a thicker, more fancy-looking version of banana pudding and it’s absolutely delicious!


Ingredients

VANILLA FILLING 

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/8 cup milk
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

BANANA FILLING 

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp milk
  • 3.4 oz package of dry banana cream instant pudding mix
  • 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS

  • Vanilla Wafer Cookies
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 34 Bananas
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. To prepare the vanilla filling, beat cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a mixer until smooth.
2. Add milk and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Set aside.
3. To make the whipped cream, whip heavy whipping cream until it begins to thicken.
4. Add powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Set aside.
6. To prepare the banana filling, beat cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a mixer until smooth.
7. Add milk and beat until smooth.
8. Add dry banana cream pudding mix and mix until smooth. Mixture will be sticky. Set aside.
9. To make the whipped cream, whip heavy whipping cream until it begins to thicken.
10. Add powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks form.
11. Fold whipped cream into banana mixture. It might seem like it won’t come together at first, since the cream cheese mixture is sticky, but carefully fold the two together and they will smooth out.
12. To layer the dessert, I’d recommend first lining the sides of a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper, to make removal from the pan easier. The parchment paper will keep the sides of the dessert from sticking to the pan. Then spread half of the banana filling evenly in the bottom of the pan.
13. Top the banana filling with half of the vanilla filling.
14. Dip vanilla wafer cookies into the milk, one at a time, and add them in a single even layer on top of the vanilla filling.
15. Spread a very thin layer of banana filling on top of the cookies. You should still be able to see the cookies. This layer is primarily to fill ing the gaps left around the cookies.
16. Add a layer of sliced bananas.
17. Top banana slices with remaining banana filling and spread into an even layer.
18. Add remaining vanilla filling and spread into an even layer.
19. Place pan in the freezer until firm, 4-5 hours.
20. Once firm, remove icebox cake from springform pan and place on serving plate.
21. Add additional heavy whipping cream to a mixer bowl and whip until it begins to thicken.
22. Add powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks form.
23. Pipe whipped cream around the edges of the icebox cake and top with additional wafer cookies and banana slices.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 527
  • Sugar: 42.1 g
  • Sodium: 336.9 mg
  • Fat: 28.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 61.1 g
  • Protein: 8.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 91.1 mg

Filed Under:

Enjoy!

Share a Comment

Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love hearing from you and seeing what you made!

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

76 Comments
  1. Michele

    I’ve made this so many times, it sooo good. I know see so many catching on the the recipe and even putting a spin on it.

  2. Karon

    I love this recipe. The puddings are delicious! It’s such an impressive dessert with very little effort. I did make a vanilla wafer crust for the bottom and added a little vanilla flavoring in the whipped toppings. Also you can make the whipped topping all together and just measure out the amounts for each pudding mixture which is 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1/2 cup powdered sugar equals 2 cups of whipped topping.






  3. Ruth

    Is this recipe a frozen ice cream cake or icebox (fridge) cake? The directions say to place in freezer for 4-5 hours to firm up. Is it taken out and kept in the fridge after that? It looks delicious and I would like to make it in advance of a party but wondering if it is to be stored in the freezer.

    1. Lindsay

      This one is meant to be frozen, but I do think it would be fine if you stored in the fridge too. It’s been a while since I’ve made it, so I can’t remember the exact texture, but the ingredients are very similar to other icebox cakes of mine that I don’t freeze.

  4. Keira

    I need to write this review! I first made this recipe for my husband in 2020 and have been making it so much because everywhere I go people want me to make it! It is a TOP favorite and I bake all the time. Thank you so much for sharing such an amazing dessert. P.s. made it twice this week!






  5. Suellen

    I made this for our staff meeting today. Many of our local staff here in Haiti have never had banana pudding. They loved it! I was looking for a recipe that would hold up and make a nice presentation. This was perfect. I made a cookie crust and the presentation was beautiful. I couldn’t find nilla wafers so I made it with langues de chat. They are thinner so I made a double layer of cookies. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing.






  6. Karon Waters

    This is a great recipe for an alternative banana pudding! It is very rich, but light and flavorful. I was concerned that the banana cream instant pudding would give it an artificial taste however mixing it with the homemade whipped topping is great. I did make a vanilla wafer crust to give it a base for all the puddings. Yummy!






  7. Janet

    Since the CDC says it’s now safe for vaccinated adults to get together with other vaccinated adults, I want to have a small group of friends over (after a very long year!) and I was thinking of serving this cake, it looks very festive. My question is this, the get together won’t be a sit down meal, but rather dishes set out so that people can help themselves. So I’m wondering, since it’s frozen, how long can this cake be left out. It’s not ice cream, so it won’t melt. But since the directions say to freeze it, not just refrigerate, I’m uncertain as to what might happen if it’s left out for a while.

  8. Branda

    How long can i freeze this?If i made this tonight and didnt add the acutal banana slices would this be good come Thursday if i freeze it now until then? Traveling for the holidays and trying to make most of stuff ahead of time 🙂

  9. Linda butler

    For the banana pudding filling, it states 3.4oz of dry filling of banana pudding mix. The dry boxes here are .9 oz. so was I supposed to put in 4 dry packets? It turned into a hard lump that would fold in. Should I have only used 1 .9oz package?

    1. Lindsay

      Gosh, I’m not sure. I’d think you’d want to use the same amount by weight but maybe the ingredients in the box are a little different?

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I’m the baker, recipe developer and photographer behind Life, Love and Sugar. I love sharing trusted recipes with helpful tips to give you great results.

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29