Gluten and Dairy Free No-Bake Tropical Icebox Cake
The days are heating up, the sun is out longer, and I want to be outside with my husband, dogs, and friends. As much as I love being in the kitchen baking, I love having recipes that come together effortlessly. Gluten and Dairy Free No-Bake Tropical Icebox Cake is one of my favorites.
Some dishes just feel like a vacation. In one bite they can transport you to a tropical island. You can almost feel the palm trees swaying and hear the salty turquoise waters lapping at the powdery white sand. This island inspired treat will give you all of the flavors of vacation you love without ever leaving your house.
Beat the Heat
As much as my faithful sous chef’s Tank and Stitch love to man the hot stove, sometimes I want to keep it cool with a no-bake dessert. Gluten and Dairy Free No-Bake Tropical Icebox Cake combines easy pantry staples with an abundance of fresh fruit.
Whether you’re looking for the perfect dessert to bring to a springtime party or have at your next backyard barbecue, this luscious and easy dessert will be a hit. Packed with bites of fresh fruit in every layer, your friends and family will be asking for this again and again.
While my husband and I don’t live in Florida anymore, I still love all of those tropical flavors. This easy confection combines fresh kiwi, pineapple, bananas, and the fruit that will always remind me of Matlacha, mangos.
It gets a double dose of pineapple from both fresh pineapple, and crushed pineapple that is mixed in with the creamy banana pudding layer. That’s part of the beauty of this dessert, it takes a pantry favorite like instant pudding and combines it with a bounty of vibrant fruit. Gluten Free graham crackers create the perfect base to stand up to the creamy layers, softening and becoming something new.
Easy Gluten and Dairy Free No-Bake Tropical Icebox Cake
Not only is this dessert easy, it’s also the perfect make ahead dish. It’s one of those desserts that just gets better the long it is allowed to sit.
- This dessert is completely Dairy Free and Gluten Free, but you can make it with full dairy products or regular graham crackers.
- Pick your casserole dish. You can make this in a 7×10 dish for a thicker icebox cake, or 9×11 dish for thinner dish.
- Make sure your cream cheese is room temperature. This will allow everything to mix together smoothly and easily.
- Mix together your Dairy Free milk, crushed pineapple with the juices, and pudding mix until the pudding has thickened.
- Mix in the Dairy Free cream cheese.
- Fold in 1 cup of your Dairy Free whipped topping.
- Line your baking dish with graham crackers.
- Spread half of the banana pudding mixture on top.
- Add slices of bananas over the top of the pudding.
- Top with graham crackers.
- Repeat the process for the next layer of your Gluten and Dairy Free No-Bake Tropical Icebox Cake.
- Top your dessert with the remaining whipped topping and your chopped mango, pineapple, and kiwi.
Are you looking for more easy no bake desserts? Make sure you check out my recipe for Dairy Free Cookie Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake.
Gluten and Dairy Free No-Bake Tropical Icebox Cake
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 7×10 or 9×11 baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 bananas, sliced large
- 16 Gluten Free graham crackers may need to adjust depending on the size of your baking dish
- 1 1/2 cups Dairy Free milk
- 8 oz Dairy Free cream cheese, room temperature
- 3.4 oz instant banana pudding mix
- 8 oz Dairy Free whipped topping
- 8 oz crushed pineapple
- 1 cup pineapple diced
- 1/2 cup mango, diced
- 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced thin
Instructions
- Add the Dairy Free milk, crushed pineapple and juices, and pudding mix to a bowl. Mix until thickened.
- Mix in the cream cheese.
- Fold in 1 cup of the whipped topping.
- Line a 7×10 baking dish or 9×11 baking dish with graham crackers. The 7×10 will give you a thicker dessert while the 9×11 will give you a thinner dessert.
- Spread half of the banana pudding mixture over the graham crackers.
- Top with half of the banana slices.
- Top with more graham crackers.
- Spread the remaining pudding mixture over the graham crackers and top with bananas.
- Add the rest of the graham crackers.
- Spread the whipped topping over the top.
- Top with the pineapple chunks, mango, and kiwi.
- Allow to refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set up.
- Enjoy!