The best Banana Split Fluff Salad is an easy dessert salad that is loaded with all your favorite banana split toppings. Stir everything into one bowl, and it is ready to go.
Bring a bowl of this easy fruit salad and a Banana Split Cake to your next picnic and watch everyone devour the sweet goodness.
Dessert Salad
Now this is how I like to eat my salad. Anything loaded with fruit, nuts, marshmallows, and chocolate has to be a good thing. Yes, you read that right. This ambrosia salad recipe has chocolate in it. You can totally leave them out if you can't do a "salad" with chocolate in it.
Now I know what you are thinking. There is no way this creamy fluff salad recipe should be called a salad because it does not contain green leafy vegetables.
Well, technically this is more like a dessert because it has pudding and marshmallows in it. But hey, I like to call it fruit salad dessert because then I can eat a second helping without feeling too much guilt.
My mother-in-law makes a pistachio fluff salad that I absolutely love. You probably have had this same watergate salad at church potlucks or barbecues because a Jello salad and ambrosia salad have been staples at church functions for years.
Any time anyone shows up with a Cool Whip fruit salad of any kind, it is always one of the first things to disappear.
The other day I was totally craving an easy fluff salad! Ever since I made this Banana Split Brownie Pie, I am always looking for ways to turn things into banana split desserts because that's a flavor I will never tire of!
What You'll Need
This fluff salad has all the classic banana split flavors in one bowl. Mix it all in one bowl and serve.
- Crushed Pineapple - do not drain the liquid
- Banana Pudding - very important that you get the instant pudding mix
- Cool Whip - gives it the fluffy texture. You can also use 3 cups of this Homemade Whipped Cream recipe.
- Toppings - walnuts, mini chocolate chips, cherries, marshmallows, sliced bananas
How to make Banana Split Fluff
- Stir the pudding into the pineapple in a large mixing bowl. Do not drain the can of pineapple because the juice will help the pudding thicken up.
- Fold in an entire container of thawed Cool Whip into the pudding with a spatula.
- Gently stir in marshmallows, chopped walnuts, banana slices, mini chocolate chips, and maraschino cherries. Feel free to change up the banana split toppings to include the ones you like or don't like.
- Refrigerate the dessert salad for at least an hour because the flavors need time to thicken and meld together. This also gives the marshmallows time to soften and become soft fluffy bites.
BruCrew Tip: If you are serving this banana split fluff later in the day or even the next day, I recommend stirring the bananas into it right before serving. This just keeps the bananas from getting brown and mushy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use a different flavor of pudding?
Yes, you sure can. Vanilla or french vanilla pudding would taste great.
Can you make this dessert salad ahead of time?
This fluff salad dessert is best served the day you make it. It can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time, but do not stir the banana slices into it until right before you serve it.
Other Fluff Salads
- Strawberry Fluff Salad
- Cookies and Cream Fluff
- Rocky Road Chocolate Fluff
- S'mores Cheesecake Fluff
- Pumpkin Fluff
More Easy No Bake Desserts
- White Chocolate Parfait
- S'mores Eclair Cake
- Easy Tiramisu recipe
- Swiss Rolls Cake
- No Bake Strawberry Pie
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Recipe
Banana Split Fluff Salad Recipe
This Banana Split Fluff Salad is an easy fruit salad loaded with all your favorite banana split toppings. Stir everything into one bowl, and it's ready to go.
Ingredients
- 1 - 3.4 ounce box instant banana pudding
- 1 - 20 ounce can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
- 1 - 8 ounce container Cool Whip, thawed
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts + 2 Tablespoons for garnish
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips + 1 Tablespoon for garnish
- 2 ripe bananas, sliced
- 2 - 10 ounce each jars maraschino cherries, halved and patted dry
Instructions
- Stir together the dry pudding mix and pineapple until dissolved and thickened.
- Fold in the Cool Whip with a spatula.
- Gently stir in the marshmallows, ½ cup nuts, ¼ cup mini chocolate chips, bananas, and cherries.
- Refrigerate 1 hour to chill. Top with reserved nuts and chips and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you are making this fluff salad to serve later, stir the bananas in right before serving to keep them from getting brown and mushy.
- You can also dip the banana slices in lemon juice to keep them from browning too quickly, but it may add a slight lemon flavor to the dessert.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 137Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 21mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 1g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*The post for Banana Split Fluff Salad was first published April 2015. The post was updated and republished April 2019.
Roberta
Can I make this night before and put the bananas on when we eat it
Jocelyn
Yes, I would stir the bananas in right before serving.
Amanda
Hi, about how many people does this serve? Just wondering.
Jocelyn
How many do you need to serve? The fluff makes about 8 cups, so I usually figure about 1/2 cup per person. So, it should serve 16 people just fine. I hope that helps and you enjoy the fluff salad!
Barbara
This looks so yummy! Could you use sugar free pudding and whipped cream? I’m trying to cut my sugar intake.
Jocelyn
Yes, both of those sugar free items will work in this creamy salad. I hope you enjoy it.
Cat
Hello.
I have been craving banana splits for over a year now. It comes and goes. While on Pinterest I somehow came across fluff salad recipes.
Well to my great surprise a Banana Split fluff salad.
Least to say I made it and it was GOOD!!!
Thank you so much for sharing. This is a keeper. Next going to try your Rocky Road Fluff salad.
Thanka Thanka!!!!
Jocelyn
Yay! I am so glad you stumbled across my salad on Pinterest and tried it. It's one of my favorite summer "salads". Thank you so much for stopping back in and letting me know you loved it!
Helen britto
I am not able to find cool whip in my country, can i substitute anything else
Jocelyn
You could make a stabilized whipped cream by beating 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream and 6 Tablespoons powdered sugar together until it doubles and has almost stiff peaks. Use that in place of the Cool Whip. I hope that helps.
SANDRA HAGLER
I'm planning to make this, but realized I only have one jar of the cherries. I think I'll add some chopped, white grapes to replace the extra cherries. this looks wonderful. I'll make two small bowls to share with my daughter and her family.
Karen
I cant believe how easy this was to make. It didn't last long in my house. Simply delicious.
This ones a keeper.
Steph
This looks incredible! Can't wait to make it for a BBQ we're going to next week!
Julie
How fun! My girls are going to love this!
Sommer
I love to serve this as dessert during family barbecues!
Toni
This salad was really amazing! My kids loved it!
Judy Smith
If I cut this recipe in half (there is only me to eat it) would I only use half the pudding mix?
Jocelyn
Yes, I would measure the pudding mix and only use half of it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Heather
So lovely. So nice. Very informative. God bless you.
Emily
All I could find was semi sweet mini chips! Hope that format make a difference
Darla Thompson Ortiz
Do you use the juice from the cherries in the salad?
Jocelyn
No, you want to drain the cherries. I like to pat them dry with paper towels before cutting them up. I hope you enjoy the "salad"!