Banana split cake

Did your Mom make banana pudding a lot when you were growing up? It was one of my favorite desserts as a kid. I loved the pudding with bananas and cookies.

I still like the dessert but I never think to make it. When I saw this recipe, it did remind me of the childhood dessert but revised. The original recipe calls for honey grahams but I had to go with the Nilla wafers.

Banana split "cake"
1 1/2 cups Nilla wafer cookies, crushed
1/8 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 packages (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
4 bananas, sliced thinly
2 packages (3.4 oz) vanilla flavor instant pudding
2 cups cold milk
2 cups Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed
2 bananas, for garnish

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the cookies, sugar, and butter.
2. Press the cookie mixture into a 13x9 or other desired pan. 
3. Freeze for 10 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar.
5. Carefully, spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the cookie layer.
6. Top the cream cheese with the pineapple.
7. Top the pineapple with the sliced bananas.
8. Beat the pudding mixes and milk with a whisk for about two minutes.
9. Fold in 1 cup of Cool Whip.
10. Spread the pudding mixture on top of the banana layer.
11. Top the pudding mixture with the remaining Cool Whip.
12. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.
13. Before serving, top the dessert with slices of bananas.

Recipe slightly adapted from Food & Family Cookbook Best Loved: Quick & Easy Recipes page32.

Did you already know...
-Nilla wafers are made by Nabisco.
-In 2000, Kraft food acquired Nabisco. 
-Kraft food has over 100,000 employees worldwide.
-45% of the employees are women.