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Banana Split Trifles

written by Ashley Fehr

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5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 10

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Last updated on February 28, 2024

These Banana Split Trifles are made with white cake, vanilla pudding, bananas, strawberries and pineapple. Topped with whipped cream, nuts and a cherry, they are the perfect summer treat!

banana split trifle in mason jar with whipped cream

Table of Contents

Banana Splits are one of the quintessential desserts of summer, and these easy trifles are one of my favorite way to do them up!

True, there’s no ice cream, but without the cream they are perfectly portable and great for picnics and barbecues!

I love making these in mason jars (large or small!) so that individual servings are ready to grab and go.

banana split trifle in jar with no whipped cream

Ingredients and Substitutions:

  • Vanilla cake mix: I’ll admit, I’m not much of a cake mix baker these days, but when I first published these in 2015 with a blog, a full time job, and a toddler, I took shortcuts where needed! Feel free to swap in a homemade vanilla cake that you love (or hey, even store bought!)
  • Vanilla pudding: Taking a shortcut on the cake gives us more time to make homemade pudding, and it’s worth it! That being said, a vanilla pudding mix is an easy swap when needed.
  • Fruit: there are a few different variations on the Banana Split, but I chose to use bananas, strawberries and pineapple for my added flavors here. Feel free to swap them out with another fruit (try raspberries in place of strawberries!), or add in some chocolate sauce for extra indulgence.
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Can I make this in one large bowl?

Absolutely!

Simply create your layers in a large glass trifle bowl or any large glass bowl will do.

You can even layer it up in a 9×13″ pan for easy serving if you wish!

close up of banana split trifle with whipped cream

Can I make them ahead?

Because the bananas brown quickly (even when brushed with lemon or pineapple juice), I prefer not to make them more than a few hours in advance.

There’s nothing wrong with eating brown bananas, so you can make it earlier, but they just won’t be as pretty.

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Banana Split Trifles

written by Ashley Fehr

5 from 4 votes
These Banana Split Trifles are made with vanilla cake cubes, pudding, bananas, pineapple and strawberries.
banana split trifle in mason jar with whipped cream
Review
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Dessert
Servings 10
Calories 503cal

Ingredients

  • 1 vanilla cake mix prepared according to package directions cooled and cubed

Vanilla pudding:

  • 4 cups milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 6 tbsp corn starch
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp butter

To assemble:

  • 4 cups fresh strawberries chopped
  • 4 cups fresh pineapple chopped
  • 4 bananas sliced
  • 2-3 cups prepared whipped topping
  • 8-10 cherries
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

To make vanilla pudding:

  • In a large pot, bring milk to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring often (you don’t want the milk to scorch).
  • In a medium bowl, combine sugar, corn starch, salt, and vanilla. When milk is nearly boiling, whisk in the sugar mixture and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in butter. The pudding will continue to thicken as it cools. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

To assemble:

  • Layer trifle in this order: cake, bananas, pudding (cooled to room temperature), pineapple, strawberries.
  • I like to do 2 layers of this, then top with whipped cream and cherries – you can obviously adjust to your tastes!
  • Chill until ready to serve. You can store in the refrigerator for a couple days if you need to, but I wouldn’t leave it too long because you want your fruit as fresh as possible.

Notes

*When making trifle, I like to work with the pudding before it’s chilled and set, this way it sinks into the cake layer more.
*I like to brush banana slices with lemon juice to prevent browning. You could also use pineapple juice!
*This recipe will make 8-10 trifles, depending on the size.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 503cal | Carbohydrates: 100g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 550mg | Potassium: 519mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 66g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Vitamin C: 70mg | Calcium: 254mg | Iron: 1.6mg
Keywords trifle

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Danielle says

    Eating cake for lunch is definitely a perk of being a food blogger! Especially if it’s in the form of this banana split trifle! I’m so in love with this and it’s absolutely gorgeous too.

    Reply

  3. Sues says

    These are incredibly beautiful! And so perfect for throwing in my bag and bringing for dessert at work 🙂 OK maybe not, but my co-workers would be so jealous!

    Reply

  5. Dorothy Dunton says

    Hi Ashley! These look so good! I love strawberries and where we are they start coming to the markets in April. My rule is if it smells like the fruit you are buying it will taste good. I have had people come up to me in the store wondering why I was sniffing the berries or pineapple! That’s my way of knowing I’m getting fruit that will actually taste good and I hate white strawberries – they should be RED!

    Reply

  6. Shinee says

    Oh dreamy! I love the flavors. You just inspired my tomorrow’s smoothie: pineapple, banana and strawberries! Haha and maybe this for dessert too!

    Reply

  11. Allie | Baking a Moment says

    I just want to dig a big ol’ spoon right down in there! These look fantastic and so summery. I don’t blame you a bit for eating it for lunch! Hope the spring temps make it up your way soon sweetie!

    Reply

    • Ashley says

      Haha, there’s lots of fruit, right? Things are slowly looking up, but it’s been pretty chilly here lately!

      Reply

    • Ashley says

      Oh no! I hope we can grow some here, but we have so much yard work to do before I’ll have any place to grow anything 🙁 Maybe next year!

      Reply

  18. Stacey @ Bake Eat Repeat says

    Is THAT what Heath bits are? I never knew, I always wondered what they were! Now I know, it’s Skor. That is silly. Also, I agree that strawberry season is not nearly long enough here, I get all jealous when people start talking about great strawberries in April and I know they won’t be great for at least another month! These trifles look amazing, and I am definitely dreaming about fresh fruit and summer too!

    Reply

    • Ashley says

      Yes! Haha, they are pretty much exactly the same I think! Thanks Stacey — I’m anxiously waiting for July when I can pick my own! That’s the best way 🙂

      Reply

    • Ashley says

      Absolutely! They are actually probably pretty healthy — there’s not much room for cake in there 😀

      Reply
5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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