Banana Split "cake"

Jennygal's Note:

From the summer edition of Whats Cooking by Kraft. A no-bake recipe with a beautiful presentation. Cook time is chill time.

• Total Time: 5 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 5 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 24

• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1⁄3; cup margarine , melted
• 2 (250 g) packages cream cheese , softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 (14 ounce) can crushed pineapple , drained
• 6 bananas , divided
• 2 cups milk
• 2 (113 g) packages instant vanilla pudding
• 2 cups Cool Whip , thawed and divided
• 1 cup pecans , chopped

Directions:

1. Mix crumbs and margarine and press onto bottom of a 13x9 pan. Freeze 10 minute.
2. Beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Spread carefully over crust. Top with pineapple. Slice 4 bananas over the pineapple.
3. Pour milk into a large bowl. Add pudding mixes and beat with wire whisk for 2 minute Gently stir in 1 cup cool whip and spread over banana layer in the pan.
4. Top with remaining cool whip. Refrigerate at least 5 hours.
5. Slice remaining bananas just before serving and arrange over dessert. Sprinkle with pecans. Store leftovers in fridge.

Reviews

[Andrea in NH]

Great dessert. I cut the recipe in half and made it in a 8 x 8 pan. I used ff cheese, pudding and cool whip and you couldn't tell the difference. I didn't have pecans so I used sliced almonds. The crust didn't stay together very well. The next time I'll try baking it.

[Toadflax]

Delicious dessert, a keeper. I made this a week or so ago from the magazine and was going to post it - glad you did it first. I, too, cut the recipe in half and used an 8x8 pan. Otherwise I made it exactly as you describe. Oops I didn't add the bananas on the top but was quite generous with them in the layer. I dare not make this again too soon because it is "too good" - I usually don't eat desserts but I couldn't leave this alone. Thanks for posting.

[andypandy]

I made this recipe yesterday from Kraft Whats Cooking magazine. I did reduce the recipe to half and placed in a brownie 7 x 11 inch pan. I also used White Chocolate Pudding instead of vanilla, and also vanilla wafers as that is what I had on hand. I also dipped the banana slices into the pineapple juice first so they wouldn't discolour. Also added 2 tbsp. of the cool whip to the cream cheese as to lighten it up a bit for easier spreading over the crumb bottom. Didn't really change the recipe any in amounts just procedure. Family favourite now, no complaints on the recipe at all.