Description
Indulgent banana delight layered dessert combines creamy textures with rich caramel notes from Mexico. Delicate flavors and simple ingredients create a memorable sweet experience you will savor completely.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 bananas
- 2 cups (475 ml) graham cracker crumbs
- 1 (20 oz / 567 g) can crushed pineapple, well drained
- 1 (10 oz / 284 g) jar maraschino cherries, drained & patted dry
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups (240 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 (8 oz / 227 g) container of Cool Whip non-dairy whipped topping (or homemade whipped cream)
- ⅓ cup (40 g) chopped pecans
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Crust Preparation: Blend graham cracker crumbs with melted butter until mixture resembles coarse, moist sand, then firmly compress into a uniform base within a 9×13″ pan.
- Cream Cheese Layer: Whip cream cheese, remaining butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt using an electric mixer until achieving a light, silky consistency, then carefully spread across the graham cracker foundation.
- Fruit Layering: Arrange sliced bananas in a systematic pattern over the cream cheese surface, followed by evenly distributing thoroughly drained crushed pineapple to create a vibrant, textural foundation.
- Topping Application: Delicately spread Cool Whip across the fruit layer, creating a smooth, billowy surface, then generously scatter chopped pecans for additional crunch and depth.
- Finishing Touches: Strategically place maraschino cherries atop the dessert for visual intrigue and complementary sweetness, then refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours to allow flavors to harmonize and set.
Notes
- Prep Like a Pro: Use room temperature cream cheese for smoother, lump-free mixing that blends effortlessly with other ingredients.
- Banana Brilliance: Select perfectly ripe bananas with golden-brown speckles for maximum sweetness and ideal texture in the dessert.
- Moisture Management: Drain pineapple completely using a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to prevent excess liquid from making the dessert soggy.
- Chill for Perfection: Allow minimum 4 hours of refrigeration for deeper flavor integration and firmer, more cohesive layered texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 246
- Sugar: 19 g
- Sodium: 189 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg