1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
Crushed strawberry wafers (optional, for garnish)
Directions
Start by preparing the cheesecake layer. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. This can take about 2 minutes. If your cream cheese is not soft enough, you can microwave it in 10-second intervals to soften it, but be careful not to melt it.
Next, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture. Continue beating until the mixture thickens and forms soft peaks. The consistency should be thick but still smooth, almost like whipped cream. Be careful not to overmix, as this can cause the cream to curdle.
Once the cheesecake layer is ready, set it aside and move on to the pudding layer. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla instant pudding mix and cold milk. Whisk for about 2 minutes until the pudding thickens. You’ll notice that the mixture starts to firm up quickly, but be sure to continue whisking for a full minute to ensure it’s smooth and well combined.
Now it’s time to assemble the dessert! In a trifle dish or a large serving bowl, start by laying down a layer of vanilla wafers (or your choice of cookies). Arrange the cookies so they cover the bottom of the dish. You can use the flat sides of the wafers to help them stay in place, but don’t worry if they break—this will just add to the texture of the dessert.
Next, add a layer of sliced bananas on top of the cookies. The bananas will provide a natural sweetness and complement the creamy layers above. Be sure to use ripe bananas that are firm, not too soft, to avoid them turning mushy in the pudding.
