The ice box cake is an easy peasy no-bake summertime classic that just happens to be insanely delicious, too. The options for ice box cake are endless (Pinterest boards are exploding with variations), but the most popular combination is simply made with sweet cream and chocolate wafers.
Of course, the Pelosi family thought outside the (ice) box and added their own, delicious twist to this classic. The graham cracker and banana take this ice box cake OTT! The flavor combination is true perfection after it sleeps for hours in the fridge and has been a summertime family gathering staple since I can remember.
Easy and cheap = the perfect sweet treat!
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Graham Cracker Ice Box Cake
What You’ll Need
- 6 ripe bananas
- 1 14 oz box of graham crackers
- 3 boxes instant chocolate pudding and enough SUPER cold milk to make them per their box instructions
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
What You’ll Do
- Grab your bananas and slice 5 of them into coins. Save the 6th banana for later.
- Following the instructions on their boxes, make all three boxes of pudding in one large bowl. Make sure your milk is extra cold.
- Grab a 13×9 pan and your graham crackers (pan size can be flexible of course, you may just end up using less crackers, bananas and pudding). Place an even layer of graham crackers on the bottom of the pan. Follow with a layer of banana coins on top, then spread half of your chocolate pudding on top. Repeat those layers one more time using the rest of your pudding.
- Cover your ice box cake delicately with plastic wrap*.
- *An aside: I like to make sure the wrap seals the top of the pudding as to prevent any film from forming on top of the pudding. You lose a very small amount of pudding when you remove, but it’s worth it.
- Refrigerate at least 8 hours (ideally overnight if you can) to make the magic happen. The flavors develop while the graham crackers soften and everything gets nice and cold.
- Remove the ice box cake from the fridge and remove the plastic cover. Smooth out the pudding with a spatula to make it look pretty. She deserves it after her long, cold slumber.
- Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs and your last banana coins on top of the ice box cake for both a fun decorative moment and a STRONG visual foreshadowing of what’s inside of the ice box cake. Your guests will appreciate this!
- Grab your whipping cream, and throw in a tablespoon of vanilla extract and sugar. You may prefer less or more of each ingredient—I encourage you to live your truth here. Proceed to whip your cream in a cold bowl.
- Serve your ice box cake FRESH out of the fridge, so it’s extremely cold. Throw an obscene dollop of whipped cream on each slice and enjoy!
Make It Step By Step With Me:
1. There’s a strong chance this recipe will cost you under 10 dollars if you play your coupons right.
2. Grab your bananas and slice 5 of them into coins. Save one banana for later.
3. Combine all three packages of chocolate Jell-o and super cold milk into a bowl.
4. Whisk until combined.
5. Grab a 13×9 pan and your graham crackers (pan size can be flexible of course, you may just end up using less crackers, bananas and pudding).
6. Place an even layer of graham crackers on the bottom of the pan.
7. Place your banana coins on top of the graham crackers. We will do another layer so make sure you save enough coins. Also can we move somewhere that accepts banana coins as currency? LMK if you have any leads…
8. Evenly spread half of your pudding over the crackers and bananas.
9. Repeat those layers one more time.
10. Cover your ice box cake delicately with plastic wrap*.
*An aside: I like to make sure the wrap seals the top of the pudding as to prevent any film from forming on top of the pudding. You lose a very small amount of pudding when you remove, but it’s worth it.
Refrigerate at least 8 hours (ideally overnight if you can) to make the magic happen. The flavors develop while the graham crackers soften and everything gets nice and cold.
11. Just before you serve your ice box cake, slice your last banana and crumble a few graham crackers into crumbs to decorate the top.
12. Remove the ice box cake from the fridge and strip it of its plastic covering. Smooth out the pudding with a spatula to make it look pretty (she deserves it after her long, cold slumber).
13. Sprinkle your graham cracker crumbs and banana coins on top of the ice box cake for both a fun, decorative moment and STRONG visual foreshadowing of what’s inside of the ice box cake. Your guests will appreciate this!
14. Grab your whipping cream and throw in a tablespoon each of vanilla extract and sugar. You may prefer less or more of each—I encourage you to live your truth here.
Proceed to whip your cream in a cold bowl.
15. Serve your ice box cake FRESH out of the fridge, so it’s extremely cold. Throw an obscene dollop of whipped cream on each slice.
You can brag to your friends about how CHEAP, EASY, AND FUN this ice box cake was to make OR you can lie and say you made the pudding from scratch, as well as the graham crackers and have a banana tree in your backyard.
Either way, enjoy!
