This delicious banana split dump cake recipe makes the best dessert when you want something quick and easy. The secret is using store-bought ingredients to speed the process along, but don’t be fooled. It has all the flavors you remember and is loaded with your favorite banana split toppings, talk about an instant crowd-pleaser!
I love that this fun dessert is just as simple to make as a traditional dump cake. It doesn’t get much easier than layering ingredients in a baking dish and cooking! Although it’s a decadent cake, since it’s an ice cream sundae-inspired dessert, you can let guests customize their own by offering an array of toppings. This is perfect for potlucks and parties, especially when there’s a crew of kids around. A single recipe feeds 12 people, so there is enough to go around.
When the sweet tooth sets in, it can be hard to choose a delicious dessert! If you like easy, my other favorites are strawberry cheesecake dump cake and lemon pineapple dump cake. For more of an ice cream taste, try my Oreo ice cream cake or mint chocolate chip ice cream cakes. They are great for the summertime and do not take a lot of effort. If you have a ton of bananas that need to be used, go with this banana pudding trifle or banana cheesecake parfait.
Jump to:
🍌 Ingredients:
Equipment Needed:
- crushed pineapple – be sure to not drain the juice, that’s what helps to give this great dessert its signature flavor.
- strawberry pie filling – we love strawberries, but some prefer to use cherry pie filling.
- white cake mix – this cake mix lets the flavors of a banana split shine through.
- salted butter – keep it cold until you are ready to use, it’s much easier to slice compared to room-temperature butter!
- sweetened coconut and walnuts – these are going to be toasted to perfection!
- bananas – although riper bananas are sweeter, we enjoy using those that are a little firmer.
Optional Garnish:
Serve with all of your favorite banana split toppings: more sliced bananas, whipped cream, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, chocolate sauce or hot fudge sauce, and maraschino cherries.
Baking dish – we are using a 9×13 dish and this seems to be the best size. Avoid using an 8 or 9 inch cake pan. The texture really does change, which also changes the flavors.
Variations and Substitutions
- Yellow cake mix – we enjoy using white cake mix the best, but yellow will bake just as well.
- Chocolate lovers – some like the idea of more chocolate and choose a chocolate cake mix. It is an even swap for the white, but it will have a different flavor.
- Gluten-Free – to make this banana split cake recipe gluten-free, simply use a gluten-free cake mix. All of the other ingredients are already free of gluten.
- Homemade pie filling – if you have a recipe you love for pie filling, use that instead of store-bought.
- Pineapple options – the crushed pineapple mixes into cake really well. However, if you wanted it a little chunkier, you can swap it for cans of pineapple chunks or tidbits.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 1: Stir the crushed pineapple and pie filling together in the bottom of a baking dish.
Step 2: Sprinkle the cake mix in an even layer on top of the pineapple mixture.
Step 3: Add the thin pats of butter over the entire top of the dry cake mix. Cold butter slices cut easier and maintain the square pats better.
Step 4: Sprinkle coconut and nuts on top of the butter.
Pro Tip: The coconut and nuts should be toasted not burnt once you are ready to take the cake out of the oven.
Step 5: Bake banana split cake until the topping is browned and bubbling around the edges.
Step 6: Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes. Slice bananas and space them out over the top of the dump cake before serving.
SERVE: Scoop and serve with your favorite banana split toppings!
- If desired, add the banana slices as a layer on top of the pineapple and strawberry filling.
- To prevent the bananas from browning, drizzle them with a little lemon juice.
- Recipe adapted from: https://www.lemontreedwelling.com/banana-split-dump-cake/
Fun Fact
The traditional banana split is over 100 years old and was originally created and sold in a drugstore for just 10 cents!
Recipe FAQs
Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for a month. If you know ahead of time you will be storing/freezing the cake, do not add the sliced bananas. Instead, add them to individual servings along with other toppings or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
A dump cake is typically made with a fruit filling, a box cake mix, a layer of butter, and dumping the ingredients together. The texture is also closer to a cobbler versus a birthday cake.
The main difference is that cobblers have a pie crust or biscuit dough topping and dump cakes require cake mix.
Banana Split Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 20- ounce can crushed pineapple juiced included
- 21- ounce can of strawberry pie filling
- 1 package of white cake mix
- ½ cup salted butter cold
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 2-3 medium bananas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spread the crushed pineapple and the strawberry pie filling into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the first two layers.
- Slice very thin pats of butter and spread over the entire top of the dry cake mix. Cover as much of the cake mix as possible. Hint: cold butter is much easier to slice and to maintain square pats for covering the top of the dump cake.
- Sprinkle coconut and chopped walnuts over the top of the butter.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the topping is browned and the filling is bubbling around the edges. The coconut and walnuts should be evenly toasted but not burnt.
- Allow dump cake to cool for at least 30 minutes. Slice bananas and space over the top of the dump cake just before serving.
Notes
Store, covered, in the refrigerator for 5-7 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator or reheat to serve. (Do not place banana slices over the top of the cake if you will be storing it. Instead, top the individual servings with sliced bananas and other toppings. Notes:
Serve with all of your favorite banana split toppings: more sliced bananas, whipped cream, sprinkles, chocolate sauce, and maraschino cherries.
You can also bake the sliced bananas into the filling. Layer them on top of the pineapple and strawberry pie filling.
Drizzle a little lemon juice over the banana slices to prevent browning, if desired. Recipe adapted from: https://www.lemontreedwelling.com/banana-split-dump-cake/
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Eshia says
I like baking Peach Dump cake and have thinking of using strawberries and walnuts, so this is a must try recipe…. Once I do I will leave another post. Thanks!
girlinspired says
Yay! Happy baking!
Karen Brucia says
I don’t like coconut, can I leave it out of the recipe?
girlinspired says
Yes! You can definitely leave off the coconut!