This is seriously the best Banana Trifle you will ever have! Trifles are perfect for entertaining because that they’re actually better days after you make them. If you’re an entertainer like me, you know what a help that is.

I came up with this for Disney Dinners: Aladdin after stressing for months about what dessert to serve. My best friend Sarah said on the phone one day, “Why not do something with banana for Abu?” She’s a keeper. Bananas are also popular in Middle Eastern cuisine, though of course not a cream cheese trifle! That’s what I called creative license.

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I used half a loaf of my Best Ever Banana Bread for this dish and it did not disappoint. The cinnamon in the banana bread really shines in this trifle. This trifle also uses freshly whipped cream, which you might be tempted to sub out but trust me, whipped cream is far superior in texture.

I used Pepperidge Farms Chessman Cookies because that’s what my mama uses in her banana pudding, but I suppose you could use whatever shortbread cookies you’d like.

I bake banana bread whenever I have ripe bananas and then toss the whole loaf in the freezer for a rainy day. How easy is that for a dinner party? Just pull banana bread out of the freezer the day before you want to make it and poof, instead trifle.

This serves a crowd. It’s easily ten servings and keeps well. Just remember that banana bread should be kept in the fridge so if you bake banana bread ahead of time, don’t leave it on the counter. Also, be sure to thoroughly cover the bananas with whipped cream on the top layer. They won’t turn brown if they aren’t exposed to air.

This was such a hit at my Aladdin party that Heath actually ate seconds and said, “You should package this and sell it!” Well there you go. I hope your friends love this as much as mine do!

Banana Trifle

1/2 loaf banana bread – recipe here
1 package instant french vanilla pudding
2 cups cold milk
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups cold whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 bananas, sliced
10 oz shortbread cookies, crumbled

1. Bake banana bread and cool completely. (Can be done the day before and kept in the fridge until ready to use.)
2. Whisk pudding mix with milk for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. 
3. Beat cream cheese with sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
4. Add pudding and 2 tsp vanilla extract to cream cheese mixture and mix well.
5. Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Add powdered sugar and 2 tsp vanilla. 
6. Gently fold half of whipped cream into pudding mixture, reserving half of whipped cream for trifle.
7. Layer the following in a trifle dish: crumbled banana bread, pudding mixture, banana slices, whipped cream, cookies, banana bread, pudding mixture, banana slices, whipped cream, cookies.

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