Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad

Strawberry banana cheesecake salad is a delicious and easy fruit dessert. The creamy fruit salad is made with juicy strawberries and sweet bananas, coated in a silky cream cheese mixture. The best part? The cheesecake fruit salad recipe is ready in 20 minutes and only uses 7 ingredients. This strawberry banana dessert couldn’t be easier!

Strawberry banana cheesecake salad

This fruit strawberry banana cheesecake salad with no-bake cheesecake filling is full of flavor, and everyone will love it.

Strawberries and bananas are always a winning combination, but add the velvety cheesecake mixture and it becomes next-level delicious.

The perfect blend of fresh, fruity, sweet and creamy!

And if you make this for a party or potluck, don’t expect to bring any leftovers home.

When I made this strawberry fruit salad for a BBQ a couple of years ago, my family got very excited.

My husband fought off anyone looking for seconds just so he could have an extra helping. The kids argued about who could lick the bowl clean, and my cousins refused to leave without the recipe.

Who would have thought that a simple strawberry dessert could inspire that much passion? 😆

Let’s have a look at the shopping list for this strawberry banana recipe. You can find ideas for potential substitutions below. See the recipe card at the end of the post for exact measurements.

• Cream cheese is a must for an authentic cheesecake flavor. I used regular, full-fat cream cheese.
• Heavy cream creates a luscious, creamy texture and makes the cheesecake mixture fluffy and delicious.
• Honey provides sweetness and a subtle caramel note that reminds me of baked cheesecake.
• Vanilla extract gives the cream cheese salad a rich aroma and rounds out the cheesecake flavoring.
• Strawberries: Fragrant, sun-ripened summer strawberries are best for this lazy cheesecake salad. The recipe doesn’t work well with frozen strawberries as they are too soft.
• Bananas: Ripe bananas give the best texture and flavor. “Ripe” means yellow bananas with few brown spots. You can use overripe bananas (= spotted black bananas), but they will fall apart, and you may need less honey.
• Lemon juice adds tang and protects the bananas from browning.

How do you make cheesecake salad? This strawberry banana cheesecake salad recipe comes together in just 20 minutes.

The most time-consuming part of the recipe involves slicing the strawberries and bananas.

After that, simply whisk together the cream cheese base and pour over the fruit salad. That’s it!

Let me show you the basic steps for how to make strawberry banana cheesecake salad from scratch:

#1: Prepare strawberries.

• Carefully rinse the strawberries to remove dirt and sand. Pat away any moisture with paper towels, the outside of the strawberries should be dry.
• Hull and cut the strawberries into slices and add into a large mixing bowl.

#2: Cut bananas.

• Peel the bananas and cut into rounds. Add to the strawberries.

#3: Mix fruit.

• Pour the lemon juice over the bananas and stir until the fruit is mixed and coated with lemon juice. Set aside.

#4: Whip cheesecake mixture.

• Add the softened cream cheese, honey, and vanilla extract into a separate mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip until smooth, for about 3 to 4 minutes. Scratch down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
• Tip: The cream cheese may cling to the beaters but will loosen as you continue beating.

#5: Add cream.

• Add the heavy cream, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, and whip until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Continue until all the cream is added, and be sure to mix well after each addition.

#6: Assemble the fruit salad.

• Gently fold the cream cheese mixture into the fruit. Optionally, reserve a few fruit pieces for decorating.

• Decorate the top with sliced strawberries and banana coins.

• Serve the strawberry banana cheesecake salad immediately or chill until ready to eat.
• If you’re taking this to a party, keep it chilled and take care that the fruit cheesecake salad doesn’t warm up too much.

I’ve been making my tried and true strawberry cheesecake salad every summer for years now. Along the way, I learned a few tips and tricks to make this strawberry banana dessert recipe even better.

• Pat the strawberries dry. Rinse the strawberries under running cold water and put them into a colander, so the water drips off. I also like to pat each strawberry with a paper towel to ensure the berries are dry. Excess water will thin out the creamy cheesecake mixture.
• Remove the stringy bits from the bananas. After peeling the banana, remove the stringy bits called “phloem bundles” from the fruit. The bundles are edible but aren’t the most attractive thing to find in your banana strawberry cheesecake salad.
• Soften the cream cheese. Without softening the cream cheese, you’ll have a hard time whipping it smooth. You can either let the cream cheese sit on the counter for about 30 minutes, or warm it unwrapped on a plate in the microwave on high for 15 seconds.
• Add the cream gradually. Don’t dump it in all at once or the mixture will become clumpy no matter how long you whip.
• Prepare the salad shortly before serving. The easy strawberry fruit salad tastes best freshly made, so try to assemble the cheesecake salad recipe close to the serving time. See below for tips on making fruit salad with cream cheese ahead of time.

You can make easy variations with this luscious strawberry cream cheese salad recipe.

• Yogurt: You can sub the cream cheese with Greek yogurt or vanilla yogurt. The fruit salad won’t have the same cheesecake flavor but still be a delicious and healthy dessert. I imagine the recipe would also work with cool whip, banana pudding, or whipped cream, but I haven’t tried it.
• Cream: For a lighter dessert, use light cream or sour cream instead of heavy cream.
• Sweetener: Maple syrup, agave syrup, or date syrupare good alternatives for honey.
• Fruit: Cheesecake salad can be made with a variety of fruits and berries. Try pairing bananas with blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, or mango.
• Citrus juice: Lime juice and orange juice are tasty subs for lemon juice.
• Add–Ins: Switch things up by adding chopped nuts, chocolate chips, marshmallows, crushed cookies, or graham cracker.

How to store leftover strawberry banana cheesecake salad

Transfer leftover strawberry banana cheesecake salad into an airtight food storage container and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can also over the salad bowl with plastic wrap/clingfilm.

How long last does cheesecake salad last?

You can refrigerate strawberry banana cheesecake fluff for up to 2 days. The strawberries draw moisture, and the thick, creamy cheesecake filling will thin over time. The salad tastes delicious, but the texture is different.

Can you make banana strawberry cheesecake salad ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the components of the fruit salad 1 day ahead of time. I recommend preparing and storing the fruits and cheesecake mixture separately until your ready to eat. This is what you do:

• Clean, dry, and slice the strawberries. Add them into a large glass mixing bowl.
• Peel and cut the bananas. Add to the same bowl and cover generously with lemon juice – otherwise, the banana coins will turn brown.
• Prepare the cheesecake mixture in another bowl.
• Cover both bowls with plastic wrap/cling film and refrigerate until it’s time to assemble the salad.
• Drain any excess liquid from the fruits before combining with the cheesecake mixture.

Can you freeze cheesecake salad?

No, because cheesecake fruit salad doesn’t defrost well. The fruit becomes mushy, and the cheesecake salad will be watery.