Strawberry Banana Icebox Cake (No-Bake & Make-Ahead)

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Cool down this summer with a Strawberry Banana Icebox Cake! Fresh fruit, pudding, and graham crackers come together in this simple no-bake treat perfect for picnics.

You don’t need the oven for this one. Layers of graham crackers, sliced strawberries, bananas, and a cheesecake pudding mixture chill together overnight until the crackers soften into cake-like layers. No baking required, and it slices clean enough to bring to a potluck.

QUICK LOOK: Strawberry Banana Icebox Cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Chill Time: 8 hours
Servings: 15
Cook Method: No-bake! It sets in the refrigerator (or freezer for a make-ahead option)
Flavor & Texture: Cool and creamy with soft, cake-like graham cracker layers, fresh strawberries, and ripe banana in every bite
Difficulty: Easy

What Makes This the Best Strawberry Banana Icebox Cake?

The two things that ruin most icebox cakes are bananas that brown before you serve it and a bottom layer that turns to mush instead of softening into a cake-like texture.

This recipe solves both: building the layers in a specific order so the pudding mixture buffers the fruit from the crackers, and giving you both a fridge-overnight method and a freezer-ahead method, so you can build this days before you need it instead of just the night before.

If you’ve made a banana pudding recipe before, this works on the same principle. Time and moisture turn the crackers tender.

I make a version of this strawberry banana icebox cake the second strawberries show up at the farmers market. It’s the kind of no bake dessert that gets emptied at a cookout before the bbq burgers are even off the grill.

If you love the no-bake, make-ahead format as much as we do, you’ll also want to try our berry icebox cake and our whipped ricotta crostini for the savory side of your spread.

Enjoy! -Julie

Key Ingredients

This is a 6-ingredient dessert:

Bananas: ripe but firm, sliced
Strawberries: fresh, sliced or diced
Graham crackers: the “cake” layers once chilled
Instant cheesecake pudding mix: sets the filling and adds tang
Whole milk: thickens the pudding base
Cool Whip: folded in for a lighter, mousse-like filling,

How Do You Make a Strawberry Banana Icebox Cake?

1. Make the pudding mixture. Whisk milk and instant pudding together until it starts to thicken, then fold in the Cool Whip. Tip: let the pudding fully set in the fridge for a few minutes before folding in the Cool Whip. This keeps the filling from going runny.

whipped cream in a bowl with a red spatula

2. Build the first layer. Line a 9×13 pan with graham crackers, then spread about ⅓ of the pudding mixture over the top, all the way to the edges.

spreading whipped cream over graham crackers in a pan

3. Add fruit. Top with chopped banana and diced strawberries.

sprinkling strawberries over bananas in a pan

4. Repeat the layers. Add another layer of graham crackers, then more pudding mixture, then a final layer of crackers.

5. Top and decorate. Spread the remaining pudding mixture over the top, then arrange the last of the banana and strawberries over the surface.

strawberries and bananas on top of an icebox cake

6. Chill. Cover and refrigerate overnight so the crackers can soften completely. Tip: don’t rush this step! The magic of an icebox cake is entirely in the chill time.

How Do You Get Clean Slices?

Use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts. The pudding layer will build up on the blade and drag the next slice if you don’t.

Cutting straight down rather than sawing back and forth keeps the layers from shifting. And don’t skip the chill time: a cake that hasn’t fully set will slide apart no matter how careful your knife work is.

a piece of strawberry icebox cake on a plate with a bite on a fork

How Far Ahead Can You Make This? Can You Freeze It?

You can make this up to 2 days ahead in the refrigerator, or build it further in advance and freeze it. If freezing, wrap the pan tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze until you’re ready to serve. Let it thaw in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before cutting. Slicing it frozen will crack the layers, and slicing it too warm will make the layers slide.

This makes it one of the better make-ahead potluck dessert options out there, since you can build it on a Thursday for a Saturday cookout and not think about it again until serving time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this with gluten-free graham crackers?

Yes, gluten-free graham crackers work the same way here. They soften with the same chill time, since it’s moisture, not gluten structure, doing the work.

Why is my icebox cake watery?

This usually means the pudding wasn’t given enough time to fully thicken before the Cool Whip was folded in, or the cake was sliced before it had a full chill. Both fixes are simple: let the pudding set first, and don’t rush the overnight chill.