Banana Cream Cheesecake: A Cool, Creamy No-Bake Classic (with Just Enough Bake) There are a lot of desserts out there that claim to be “the one” for summer, but if you ask me, this Banana Cream Cheesecake might just take the crown. It’s the perfect mash-up of two all-time favorites—banana cream pie and classic cheesecake—and it doesn’t require any water baths or fancy tricks. Just a buttery graham cracker crust, a creamy cheesecake base, fresh bananas, and a light banana pudding topping.
Indulge in a sweet, fruit-flavored treat with this recipe for Banana Cream Cheesecake. It’s like combining two of your favorite desserts into one flavorful treat. This isn’t your traditional, heavy baked cheesecake. It’s lighter, more casual, but still super satisfying. And because it’s mostly a no-bake situation (aside from the crust), it’s great for warm-weather days when turning on the oven for an hour just isn’t in the cards.
Banana Cheesecake
If banana cream pudding is one of your favorite classic treats and you’re also a cheesecake lover with a natural sweet tooth, you need to try this delicious Banana Cream Cheesecake. It combines the two classic desserts into one to leave you with a creamy and fulfilling snack to serve whenever you’re in the mood for it. And, while it might sound like a complicated treat to prepare, this recipe is easy to follow, leaving you with step-by-step instructions on making a dessert that you and your family will love.
Why You’ll Love This Banana Cream Cheesecake Recipe
- Easy to follow recipe: It’s a simple recipe that isn’t hard to follow. You can make it with ease and in no time, with about 30 minutes of prep, 10 minutes of cooking, and then an additional four hours of leaving it in the fridge to chill.
- Tastes so good: The Banana Cream Cheesecake tastes amazing. If you love sweet treats, this dessert will leave you impressed with its incredible taste.
- Customize it: You can add different ingredients on top as a finishing touch and customize the dessert to your liking to enhance it even more.
Ingredients You’ll Need for the Banana Cream Cheesecake
Make your flavorful homemade cheesecake with the following ingredients:
- Graham Cracker Crumbs – Crush the crumbs into pieces to prepare a homemade crust.
- Butter – You’ll need to melt your butter and mix it with the graham cracker crumbs and some granulated sugar to prepare a sweet, tasty crust.
- Cream Cheese – Allow your cream cheese to sit out for a bit to soften before you mix it with other ingredients.
- Cool Whip – Thaw your Cool Whip before you get started, dividing it.
- Bananas – Slice around four ripe bananas into pieces.
- Banana Cream Pudding Mix – Don’t forget to use the pudding mix to add additional banana flavoring to this cheesecake.
You’ll also need granulated sugar and milk to complete this simple and delicious recipe.
FAQ
Do I have to make a homemade crust for this cheesecake?
While you don’t necessarily need to make a homemade crust, it’s best to do so. It’s so simple, requires mixing three ingredients, and is super flavorful. The homemade crust truly takes this dessert to the next level, making it that much more enjoyable to bite into.
Can I use any brand of frozen whipped topping?
Yes, absolutely. If you don’t have Cool Whip, you can use a generic version of the whipped topping for this recipe.
What brand of cream cheese do I need to use?
Feel free to use any brand of cream cheese! It’s always best to use full-fat instead of fat-free cream cheese, no matter the brand selected.
Can I add more bananas to this dessert?
Definitely. While four bananas should be enough, you can use more banana slices if you’d like. It all depends on your preference. If you have smaller bananas, you may need more than four of them to have plenty of banana slices to add to your cheesecake.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- If you’d like to add extras to this dessert, you can do so! Many additional toppings would go great with this cheesecake, including caramel syrup, a chocolate drizzle, strawberry slices, and even chopped nuts. Get as creative as you’d like to customize this dessert to your liking.
- When preparing the crust, you have a few options. You can buy graham cracker crumbs in a box so that you don’t have to worry about going through the process of crushing the graham crackers into crumbs yourself. On the other hand, if you already have some graham crackers at home, you can crush them with a food processor to make the process super simple!
- You can also customize the crust to your liking by using different types of graham crackers, including cinnamon or chocolate ones. If you don’t want to use graham crackers, you can use cookies as an alternative for the homemade crust in this recipe.
Creamy Cheesecake + Real Bananas = Magic
The cheesecake layer is where things get really good. It’s not baked, so it stays light and silky. You cream together softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth—take your time here, you don’t want any lumps. Then fold in some whipped topping to make it even fluffier.
Before that mixture goes into the crust, we lay down a layer of sliced ripe bananas. This step is key. It gives the whole thing that true banana cream pie feel, and the bananas soften just enough after chilling to melt right into each bite.
Once your cheesecake mixture is spread over the bananas, you’re going to layer on even more banana slices. It’s banana cream cheesecake, after all—go big or go home.
Storage Options
This Banana Cream Cheesecake will keep well in the fridge for a few days if stored properly. To best preserve, its freshness, make sure to cover it with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. You can also freeze this cheesecake and enjoy it at a later date, just be sure to allow it to thaw completely before serving.
Variations for Banana Cream Cheesecake
Feel free to experiment with this recipe by adding different types of toppings and extra ingredients. Some delicious additions include chopped nuts, fresh berries, caramel or chocolate sauce, or even some sprinkles for a fun touch. Additionally, you can customize the crust depending on your personal preferences—whether it be graham crackers, cookies, or even a graham cracker crust mix from the store. Get creative and make this dessert your own!
That Pudding Topper
To finish it off, there’s a thick layer of banana pudding mixed with more whipped topping. It’s super simple—just whisk milk and instant banana cream pudding mix until it thickens, then fold in the rest of the whipped topping. You get this smooth, airy layer that sets up beautifully in the fridge and adds a whole extra level of banana flavor without being too rich.
Spread it over your cheesecake layer, smooth it out, and now comes the hardest part: letting it chill. This needs at least 4 hours in the fridge to firm up, but honestly? It’s even better if you let it go overnight. The flavors mellow and blend, and the texture is spot-on the next day.
This Banana Cream Cheesecake is the kind of dessert that disappears fast. It’s got all the nostalgic comfort of banana pudding and cream pie, with just enough cheesecake tang to balance it out. No fancy decorating needed. No complicated steps. Just a chill, creamy dessert that works for summer BBQs, family dinners, or whenever you’ve got a few ripe bananas sitting on the counter begging to be used.
If you’re looking for something low-stress but still totally satisfying, this one’s a keeper.
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Banana Cream Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs crushed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Cheesecake
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 8 oz. cool whip thawed and divided
- 4 ripe bananas sliced
- 1 ¾ cup milk
- 3.4 oz. instant banana cream pie pudding mix
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and prepare a 9-inch springform pan by spraying generously with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
- Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until you get 1 ¾ cup crumbs. Add the melted butter and sugar and pulse until just combined.
- Pour into the bottom of the prepared springform pan and use the back of a spoon or measuring cup to pack the crumbs to form a crust. Bring the crumbs about 1 inch up the sides of the pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack while you prepare the filling.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the cream cheese on high speed until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and mix until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix more if necessary to remove any lumps.
- Fold in 2 cups of whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Layer banana slices over the baked crust. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the bananas and carefully smooth into an even layer.
- Arrange the remaining banana slices over the cream cheese layer.
- In a separate bowl, combine the milk and banana pudding mix. Allow to sit for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
- Fold in the remaining whipped cream into the pudding mixture.
- Spread the pudding mixture over the last banana layer and smooth.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until the cheesecake has set.
- To remove from the pan, carefully run hot water around the sides of the springform. Remove the outside ring and decorate with whipped cream, crushed graham crackers, and fresh berries if desired.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Keep the cheesecake stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
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