Banana Split Pie

Every now and then there is perfect harmony in a recipe and every part of it seems like it came together flawlessly. This pie was a perfect dessert! We had my in-laws over for dinner tonight after not seeing them for the last 4 months!! I wanted to come up with a really nice meal for us all to enjoy. We decided to cook on the grill; I made porterhouse steaks, BBQ grilled shrimp, spaghetti salad and corn on the cob. I wanted to make something fun and different for dessert, so I went with a banana split pie. The flavor was perfection!! The only thing that I never like about desserts like this is how hard it is to "plate" it and have it look as good as it does in the pie plate! I did manage to stick it in the freezer for a few minutes before serving and it seemed to help a bit. Give this dessert a try for your next BBQ and I guarantee that you'll love it!

Banana Split Pie

For the crust:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 cup sugar

For the filling:

• 8oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup confectioner sugar, sifted
• 1 cup milk
• 1 box instant vanilla pudding (just use the packet, do not follow the package directions)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 strawberries (stems removed and sliced)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 bananas, sliced
• 1 20oz can crushed pineapple, drained

To top it:

1 8oz container Cool Whip
2-3 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
Maraschino cherries

Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar. Pour the melted butter over the top and combine with a spoon until all the butter is absorbed. Spoon the graham cracker crumbs into a 9 inch pie plate and press them against the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. I find it easiest to use the palm of my hand for the bottom and a spoon on the sides. At this point stick the crust in the freezer to help it set up before you put the filling in it.


To make the filling, take the room temperature cream cheese and beat it with a hand mixer until it is smooth and fluffy. Mix in the confectioner sugar and beat until incorporated. Add the milk, vanilla and pudding mix and stir to combine. You might not want to use the mixer yet because it could get messy. Whisk it all together until the pudding starts to firm up a little. Pour the filling into the pie crust and refrigerate until you are just about to serve it. You can prepare the strawberries ahead of time, but I wouldn't suggest layering everything until you are closer to the time you want to eat it. The color from the strawberries and cherries will bleed into the cool whip and it won't look quite as nice.


Slice the strawberries, place them in a small bowl and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top. Stir to incorporate and let them sit for a good 30 minutes to an hour. This will sweeten them up a little and soften them too! You can actually do this hours ahead of time and stick them in the refrigerator if you want.


When it is time to serve the pie, drain the pineapple over a bowl (if you want to keep the juice) and press it with a spoon to remove any excess liquid that could make your pie runny. Layer the pineapple over the pudding filling.

Now cover the pineapple with the strawberry slices.

Slice 3 bananas and layer them over the strawberries.

Cover with Cool Whip
(I used the fat free version and it was still amazing!)

Top with the walnuts and a cherry!

I served each individual slice with a cherry, but only had one on the top of the pie for show.


Enjoy!!!