Summer is the time for family gatherings and backyard barbecues. I have to be honest, before COVID, I was not really a huge fan of outdoor picnics. Not that I don’t enjoy a fresh grilled burger, I just always preferred to enjoy it indoors. But over the last year, eating outdoors has kind of grown on me. There is just something about the smell of the grill and the fresh air that just says summer. What else just says summer? Banana pudding! This creamy dessert can be made in many different ways, but one of my absolute favorites is this no-bake banana cheesecake lush. It is so easy to make and it’s the perfect picnic dessert that everyone will love.

Banana pudding is somewhat of a Southern thing, and traditionally is made with vanilla pudding, bananas and vanilla wafers. But why stick with tradition when there are so many ways to dress it up? As long as you have the staples, which are pudding and bananas then you are free to change up the rest. It will still taste like banana pudding, only better! It might just become your new favorite banana dessert!

The No-Bake Banana Cheesecake Lush Crust

Most banana puddings that are traditional don’t really have a “crust”. They simply have some vanilla wafers mixed in or placed on top. While I do love vanilla wafer cookies, I decided to change it up with some golden oreo cookies. They crush easily and add not only a nice crunch, but great flavor too. In any recipe, it is a good idea to have some different textures that compliment one another. The creaminess of the pudding goes really well with the crunch of the oreos. The crust might even be your favorite part! All you have to do is crush the oreos (either by hand or with a freezer bag/rolling pin) and mix with butter. You don’t have to bake it, just pop it in the fridge until set. You could also use graham cracker crumbs if you can’t find the oreos.

The No-Bake Cheesecake

You can add the word “cheesecake” to any recipe and you will immediately have my attention. It is definitely one of my all time favorite desserts. But let’s be real here, cheesecake is time consuming and can be very fickle. Not exactly my idea of the ideal summer dessert. No-bake cheesecakes are a great alternative. They still have a lot of great cheesecake flavor, but are much faster to make and almost foolproof. Who doesn’t love that? The cheesecake layer is simple to mix up, but it will need some time to refrigerate before you add the pudding so plan accordingly.

The Pudding

As I mentioned before, most banana puddings use vanilla pudding, but I like to do a mixture of vanilla and banana flavored. To me, the vanilla alone is somewhat blah, but using just banana gives it too much of an artificial flavor. Mixing the two will give you just the right balance of flavor. I use half the amount of milk that the box calls for because I don’t want it to have a loose consistency. I prefer it to be more on the thick side so that the dessert stays together when it is cut into pieces. You can use whole or 2% milk for this part. If all you have is skim or 1%, don’t panic! I have made it with those before and it turned out fine. Just adjust the amount (start with a little less) to make sure your pudding comes together and is thick enough.

The No-Bake Banana Cheesecake Lush Topping

There is one more ingredient that is almost quintessential to summer, and that would be cool whip. Sure, you could buy some heavy cream and make your own whipped topping, but why? We have kept everything else super easy to this point, so don’t feel like you have to get all fancy now! Cool whip is just as delicious and trust me, nobody will miss the homemade. I like to put a full 8 oz. container over the pudding and then top off the no-bake banana cheesecake lush with a sprinkling of more crushed oreos. The extra oreos on top help to add just a touch more crunch and ties this no-bake dessert all together.

Serving

Once you have it all put together, it will need to refrigerate one last time for at least an hour to help it set up. This will ensure that you are able to cut it into squares when serving. This dessert is refreshing and rich, yet not overly sweet. It is the perfect end to a picnic! Everyone will be coming back for seconds! So if you are looking for your next easy dessert to serve at a family picnic or gathering, then give this no-bake banana cheesecake lush a try. One bite and you will see that the proof really is in the pudding! Happy no-baking!