This no bake banana trifle is easy to whip together with only 6 ingredients. A cream cheese-vanilla pudding mixture begins the layering succession followed by whipped cream and crushed Nilla wafers.
8cupswhipped creamCool Whip or homemade, see below
3largebananas
11ouncesNilla wafers1 box
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth.
Slowly begin beating the milk into the cream cheese. Mix in a little milk at a time until mixture is smooth and creamy. As you add more milk, switch to a whisk to mix in the rest to minimize splatter.
Sprinkle pudding mix over the milk mixture and whisk for several minutes until mixture thickens.
Fold in 1 cup whipped cream.
Slice 2 bananas and fold the pieces into the pudding mixture.
Build the trifle by layering 1⁄3 of the pudding mixture, 1⁄3 of the remaining whipped cream, and 1 1⁄2 cups of crushed Nilla wafers per layer. We made three layers each of pudding and whipped cream and two layers of Nilla wafers.
After the first layer of pudding and whipped cream, place whole Nilla wafers around the perimeter of the trifle bowl if you’d like a decorative look to the trifle. After the second layer of pudding, whipped cream, and cookies, place a circle of banana slices (use the remaining banana) for another decorative touch.
Layer the third and final portions of pudding and whipped cream.
Place a couple whole Nilla wafers and some crumbles on top for decoration.
Notes
*For the whipped cream* - We whipped a full 32 oz. carton of heavy whipping cream and sweetened it with about 3⁄4 cup of granulated sugar (you can also use powdered sugar). Whip until soft peaks form, then add the sugar, then continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Don’t overwhip. Adding confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) to the whipped cream not only helps sweeten, it but also helps stabilize. To make this recipe quicker, you can substitute with Cool Whip.
Be sure to use instant vanilla pudding for this recipe otherwise the mixture will not set properly.
To properly soften cream cheese, remove it from the refrigerator, slice it into cubes, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes on a plate.
The banana slices that are mixed into the pudding mixture stay fresh for several days if the trifle is stored in the refrigerator. For any banana slices used to form a row around the trifle layers or on top of the trifle, I recommend tossing with a teaspoon of lemon juice to prevent browning.
If you are using banana slices as a decorative ring, serve the trifle right away. If you are preparing the trifle more than a few hours in advance, I would recommend using whole Nilla wafers as your decorative rings and keep the banana slices protected in the pudding layers.
To Make in Advance - Prepare the trifle a day in advance and store it, covered, in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it.
STORAGE - Cover the trifle with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
FREEZING - Although it's possible to freeze this trifle, I wouldn't necessarily recommend doing so as the bananas are more prone to browning and it simply won't last longer than a week or two at most in the freezer due to the whipped cream (and sliced bananas).