Banana Split Fluff Salad

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This is not your grandmother’s ambrosia. This is the unholy, glorious, sugar-bomb love child of banana pudding, pineapple fluff, and a 1950s church-potluck salad that someone decided to super-size into a 9×13 mountain of creamy chaos. We’re talking about Banana Split Fluff – the dessert salad that eats like a sundae and serves a small army.

You will need a very large bowl. Like, comically large. Or just do it in batches like a sane person.

FULL INGREDIENTS (serves 20–30 normal humans or 8 absolute legends)

2 (3.4 oz each) boxes instant banana cream pudding mix (Jell-O or store brand, do NOT use cook-and-serve)

1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix (optional but makes it extra creamy – highly recommended)

4 cups (1 quart) cold whole milk (do not skimp here; skim milk makes sad fluff)

1 (20 oz) + 1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple in juice, UNDRAINED (yes, two full cans – this is the moisture backbone)

1 (20 oz) can pineapple tidbits in juice, UNDRAINED (optional third can if you want it extra juicy)

2 (8 oz each) tubs Cool Whip, completely thawed (16 oz total – the off-brand “whipped topping” works too)

1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened to room temperature (secret weapon for richness)

1 cup sour cream (another secret weapon – trust me)

5–6 large very ripe bananas, sliced into ¼-inch rounds (the spottier the better)

3 cups mini marshmallows (rainbow or plain – rainbow makes it look like unicorn vomit in the best way)

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries (or more – they bleed pretty pink color into everything)

1–2 cups maraschino cherries, drained, patted dry, and halved (stemless preferred)

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (toasted = god-tier, raw = still good)

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional but classic)

1 cup crushed Nilla Wafers or graham cracker crumbs (for texture)

½ cup mini chocolate chips or chocolate shavings (because banana split)

Extra whole maraschino cherries + banana slices + waffle cone pieces for garnish

Hershey’s chocolate syrup and/or caramel sauce for drizzling at serving

TOOLS YOU’LL NEED

  • One absolutely massive mixing bowl (at least 10-quart capacity) or a clean stockpot
  • Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
  • Rubber spatula the size of a canoe paddle
  • Very long spoon for folding
  • 9×13 pan + an extra large bowl if you run out of room (you will)

STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS (with way too much commentary)

  1. Prep your workspace
    Clear the entire kitchen counter. Accept that you will have Cool Whip on the ceiling later. Put on an apron you don’t care about.
  2. Beat the cream cheese base (the pro move most recipes skip)
    In your giant bowl, beat the softened 8 oz cream cheese with an electric mixer until completely smooth. Add the 1 cup sour cream and beat again until silky. This prevents pudding lumps and adds insane richness.
  3. Whisk in the pudding mixes
    Dump all three boxes of dry pudding mix (2 banana + 1 vanilla) into the cream cheese mixture. Pour in the 4 cups cold milk. Beat on low for 30 seconds, scrape the bowl, then beat on medium for exactly 2 minutes. It will thicken into a gorgeous pale yellow pudding. Let it sit 3–4 minutes to fully set.
  4. Add the pineapple tsunami
    Pour in BOTH full cans of crushed pineapple WITH juice. Stir gently. It will look way too runny. This is correct. The pudding will absorb it and the fluff will set up later in the fridge.
  5. Fold in the Cool Whip (the delicate dance)
    Add one entire 8-oz tub of thawed Cool Whip. Use a rubber spatula and fold gently – you’re not beating cake batter, you’re performing open-heart surgery on a cloud. Once mostly incorporated, add the second tub. Keep folding until no white streaks remain. It should now look like the creamiest dream you’ve ever seen.
  6. The marshmallow & fruit avalanche
    Now throw caution to the wind:
    • Dump in 3 heaping cups mini marshmallows
    • Add all sliced bananas (work quickly so they don’t brown – the pineapple juice helps prevent this)
    • Add strawberries and halved maraschino cherries
    • Fold gently but thoroughly. Things will start overflowing. Embrace it.
  7. Texture party
    Fold in:
    • Toasted pecans
    • Shredded coconut (if using)
    • Crushed Nilla Wafers/graham crumbs
    • Mini chocolate chips
      Do NOT overmix or it turns to mush.
  8. Transfer to serving vessel(s)
    Scoop everything into a greased 9×13 pan pressed high, plus an extra large bowl because there is ZERO chance it all fits in one dish. Smooth the top dramatically.
  9. Garnish like you’re being judged on Food Network
    • More banana slices in pretty patterns (they’ll brown in 30 min unless you brush with lemon juice – most people don’t care)
    • Whole maraschino cherries with stems
    • Extra pecans in rows
    • Crushed waffle cone pieces or mini ice cream cones stuck in at angles
    • A violent zigzag of chocolate and caramel syrup
  10. Chill for minimum 4 hours, ideally overnight
    Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. It gets better as it sits – the marshmallows soften, the bananas infuse everything, the pudding fully sets.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS (because this is a main character, not a side dish)

  • Serve in bowls with long spoons
  • Put out extra chocolate syrup, caramel, and more Cool Whip for people to go full psychopath
  • Crumble extra Nilla Wafers on top right before serving for crunch
  • Some monsters add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and call it “Banana Split Fluff Sundae”

FLAVOR VARIATIONS (because one version isn’t enough)

  1. Chocolate Overload Version
    Use chocolate pudding instead of vanilla, add ½ cup cocoa powder to the cream cheese step, double the chocolate chips, use chocolate wafer cookies.
  2. Peanut Butter Banana Elvis Version
    Beat ¾ cup peanut butter into the cream cheese step. Use honey-roasted peanuts. Die happy.
  3. Tropical Vacation Version
    Add diced mango, kiwi, and mandarin oranges. Swap coconut extract for vanilla.
  4. Low-Sugar (but still delicious) Version
    Sugar-free pudding, Lite Cool Whip, fresh pineapple instead of canned, skip marshmallows or use sugar-free ones.

STORAGE

Fridge: up to 3 days (bananas get weirder after day 2, but people still fight over leftovers).
Freezer: Yes! Freeze in airtight container up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in fridge – it becomes more like ice cream fluff.

FINAL WARNINGS

  • This recipe has ended diets.
  • It has started family arguments over who gets the corner pieces with extra toppings.
  • It disappears in under 10 minutes at any potluck.
  • You will be asked to bring it to every function for the rest of your life.

Now go forth and make the most gloriously excessive Banana Split Fluff the world has ever seen.

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