Skip to Content
Menu

Banana Split Lush

  • Save
  • Jump to Recipe
Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Feb 28, 2025
  • Save
  • Pin
  • Print
  • Share
  • Jump to Recipe

What is a lush? It’s a rich dessert with decadent ingredients and creamy layers. This dreamy, make-ahead dessert is definitely an explosion of flavor and textures for your taste buds. A shortbread cookie crust is topped with a light and airy cream cheese filling, smooth and satisfying homemade vanilla pudding, and sweetened whipped cream, all layered with pineapple and fresh strawberries. But we didn’t stop there…servings of this heavenly concoction are topped with walnuts, chocolate syrup, and cherries.

This scrumptious dessert comes to us from our Betty Crocker Cookbook, 13th edition cookbook. It serves a crowd and can be made up to 24 hours in advance, taking the pressure off cooking right before your guests arrive. Don’t let the ingredients intimidate you--we’ve broken this recipe down into bite-size steps that are easy enough for even a novice. Short on time? See our easy swaps in the recipe tips to get you in and out of the kitchen even faster.

Banana Split Lush

  • Prep Time 45 min
  • Total 8 hr 45 min
  • Servings 16
  • Ingredients 19
  • Save
  • Pin
  • Print
  • Share
  • Keep Screen On

Ingredients

Pudding

  • 2/3 granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cornstach
  • 1/4 salt
  • 4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
  • 1/4 butter, softened

Cookie Crust

  • 1 package (10 oz) shortbread cookies, crushed (about 2 1/4 cups)
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted

Sweetened Whipped Cream

  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 6 tablespoons powdered or granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla

Cream Cheese Layer

  • 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, drained

Toppings

  • 1 medium banana, chopped (1 cup)
  • 2 cups thinly sliced strawberries, patted dry (8 oz)
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/3 cup chocolate-flavored syrup
  • 16 maraschino cherries, drained and patted dry
  • 3 cups milk

Instructions

  • Step 
    1

    In 2-quart saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. 

  • Step 
    2

    Gradually stir at least half of the hot mixture into egg yolks, then stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into heatproof bowl. 

  • Step 
    3

    Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until slightly thickened.

  • Step 
    4

    Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir cookie crust ingredients until well mixed. Press mixture in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish; place in refrigerator while preparing whipped cream layer.

  • Step 
    5

    In very large chilled deep bowl, beat all sweetened whipped cream ingredients with electric mixer on low speed until mixture begins to thicken. Gradually increase speed to high and beat just until stiff peaks form, lifting whisk or beaters occasionally to check thickness. Do not overbeat. 

  • Step 
    6

    In large bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, scraping down side of bowl frequently. Fold in 1 1/2 cups of the whipped cream and the pineapple; spread over cookie crust. Top with banana and strawberries.

  • Step 
    7

    Spoon pudding evenly over fruit. Drop remaining whipped cream by spoonfuls onto pudding layer; spreading to cover. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 8 hours, but no longer than 24 hours. To serve, sprinkle with walnuts. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows; top each piece with 1 teaspoon chocolate syrup and a cherry.

Nutrition

560 Calories
37g Total Fat
6g Protein
48g Total Carbohydrate
36g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
560
Calories from Fat
330
Total Fat
37g
57%
Saturated Fat
20g
101%
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
130mg
44%
Sodium
250mg
10%
Potassium
270mg
8%
Total Carbohydrate
48g
16%
Dietary Fiber
1g
6%
Sugars
36g
Protein
6g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
25%
25%
Vitamin C
10%
10%
Calcium
15%
15%
Iron
6%
6%
Exchanges:
1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 1/2 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 7 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
3
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Recipe Tips

© 2025 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved

Reviews & Questions Section