Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad Recipe
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Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad is an easy dessert that combines fresh, juicy strawberries, ripe bananas and a creamy cheesecake mixture. Cheesecake salad is a perfect treat for any occasion! Whether you’re hosting a brunch, a picnic, or just craving something sweet, this light fruit salad with cream cheese salad is sure to impress without a lot of effort!
When trying to plan your next gathering like a holiday party, bbq or potluck, this fruit salad needs to be on your menu! Serve it up at your 4th of July party (or Labor Day or Memorial Day celebration) or add it to your regular menu to serve with your favorite grilled meats for a nice side dish or light summer dessert option. It’s great for every day or for special occasions year round and always disappears quickly.
You are going to love how quickly and easily this banana and strawberry cheesecake salad comes together! If you love this style of fruit salad recipes, I have plenty more to share. Some similar recipes include my Strawberry Fluff Salad recipe, Green Fluff Salad and this classic Cream Cheese Lime Jello Salad. All are simple and delicious!
Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad Ingredients
To make this easy cheesecake salad recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- strawberries
- bananas
- cream cheese
- Greek yogurt and/or sour cream
- banana cream pudding or cheesecake instant pudding
- whipped topping (like Cool Whip)
- fresh lemon juice
- vanilla wafers or graham crackers
Vanilla wafers or graham crackers are an optional garnish but I think they add a lot to the flavor and overall presentation of this fruit salad. It helps it taste even more like cheesecake! If you don’t have instant banana pudding or cheesecake pudding you can substitute vanilla or french vanilla as well.
How to Make Cheesecake Salad
There are only a few steps in making strawberry banana cheesecake salad! You’ll want to start by beating your softened cream cheese with a mixer until creamy. Add in your yogurt, sour cream and pudding mix. Beat until fully combined.
Next, fold in your whipped topping.
This creamy cheesecake filling is still pretty thick at this point and that is ok! You’ll want to chill for at least an hour.
Prepare Strawberries and Bananas
I recommend waiting to add in your fruit until right before serving so your fruit is in optional condition. Even with the lemon juice, the bananas will brown over time and look much less appealing. (They will still taste delicious!)
Wash and dry your strawberries before removing stems and slicing.
Add in your sliced bananas. You’ll want two to three bananas, depending upon size. I used three medium bananas.
Drizzle your lemon juice over the strawberries and bananas. Gently stir to coat. Add your fruit to your chilled cheesecake mixture and gently fold to combine. (You can set a few pieces of fruit aside for garnish, if desired.)
Transfer to a serving dish. I would suggest a 1.5 quart bowl for this salad.
Cheesecake Salad Garnish Ideas
You can leave this banana strawberry cheesecake salad as is or you can add some garnish. Here are a few of my favorites:
- strawberries (whole, halved or sliced)
- banana slices
- blueberries (red, white and blue theme for 4th of July, Memorial Day or Labor Day)
- crushed vanilla wafers
- graham cracker crumbs
- toasted coconut
- chopped pecans
- mini marshmallows
I used strawberry halves, banana slices in lemon juice and crushed vanilla wafers for a little crunch. You can also offer additional garnish for individual servings.
This creamy fruit salad is always a huge hit. The combination of sweet bananas, luscious strawberries and cheesecake filling is my kind of salad on a hot summer day.
Do I have to use banana cream instant pudding?
You do need to use an instant pudding but what exact flavor is up to you! I chose banana cream because I wanted to lean more heavily into the banana flavor, but if you don’t care for banana cream pudding or you prefer to focus on the cheesecake flavor, instant cheesecake pudding or vanilla pudding are just as good!
Strawbery Banana Cheesecake Salad
Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad is always a crowd favorite at any holiday dinner, potluck or cookout. This tasty fruit salad features juicy strawberries, sliced bananas, cream cheese, pudding and whipped topping. You'll love it as a light dessert or side dish at your next gathering or for every day!
Ingredients
- 1 brick (8 oz) cream cheese softened
- 1 pkg (3.4oz) JELL-O Banana Cream Flavor Instant Pudding (or cheesecake or vanilla)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt* (vanilla preferred)
- 1/2 cup sour cream*
- 1 tub (8 oz) COOL WHIP whipped topping thawed
- 1 lb (16oz) strawberries sliced
- 3 medium bananas (ripe but firm), sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approximately half a lemon)
- crushed vanilla wafers or graham crackers for garnish (optional)
- additional strawberries/bananas slices for garnish (optional)
Instructions
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In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy.
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Add pudding mix, yogurt and sour cream. Mix well. Fold in whipped topping until fully combined. Refrigerate at least one hour.
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Add sliced strawberries and bananas into a large bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice and gently stir. Fold in cheesecake mixture just before serving, being careful to not damage fruit. Transfer to serving dish.
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Garnish with crushed vanilla wafers or graham crackers and additional strawberries and bananas, if desired. Serve immediately.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
*Can use 1 1/2 cups of Greek yogurt or 1 1/2 cups sour cream instead of a combination as shown.
Store leftovers covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Best if eaten same day but can be refrigerated to up to 3 days.
Do not prepare the pudding mix as stated on the package. There is no milk in this recipe.
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
More Cool Whip Recipes
I love recipes using COOL WHIP whipped topping for a light and fluffy dessert. Have more COOL WHIP? Here are a few more easy recipes with whipped topping:
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