To make these chilled treats, you need nothing more than a mixing bowl and spoons! These are perfect desserts to bring to special occasions, or a quick way to satisfy those sweet cravings. With these simple steps, you’ll be able to make your delicious dessert and eat it within the same hour.

Banana Split Fluff Salad
Average Prep Time: 10-20 minutes

Ingredients:

• Crushed Pineapples (20oz. can) – Do NOT drain the juice as it helps to thicken the whipped cream.

•     Cool Whip (8oz.) – Make sure that the cream is thawed. Gives the salad a smooth and creamy texture. 8 ounces is the standard, but feel free to experiment with the texture by adding more or less than what’s stated.

• Banana Pudding – Make sure it’s the instant pudding mix. If banana pudding isn’t currently available to you, vanilla or french vanilla pudding is a great alternative.

• Toppings – Chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, cherries, small marshmallows, and sliced bananas are commonly used. However, you can exclude or add any toppings to your liking.

Instructions:

1. Add 20 ounces of crushed pineapples and 3 ounces of banana pudding mix into your mixing bowl. Stir until the mix completely dissolves.

2.   Add 8 ounces of Cool Whip and stir until the whipped cream completely mixes together.

3.   This is where you add your toppings. Add any toppings you like and stir.

Recommended Amounts:

• ½ cup of walnuts (Chopped walnuts are recommended.)

• 5 teaspoons of chocolate chips

• 5-10 ounces of cherries (If using maraschino cherries, it’s recommended that you dry them before adding.)

• 1 cup of small marshmallows

• 2 sliced bananas

4. OPTIONAL: Refrigerate for 1 hour. This helps for the flavors to blend and set in. However, you can still eat it right after preparation.

5. Add any additional toppings to your salad if desired and enjoy!

   Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits
   Average Prep Time: 15 – 30 minutes

   

   Ingredients:

   • One pound of strawberries

   • ¼ cup of granulated sugar (Brown sugar is also an alternative option.)

   • 1 teaspoon of lemon zest

   • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

   • 1.5 cups of graham cracker crumbs (You can buy these at a nearby store. If not available, you can take 1 sleeve of graham crackers and crush them.)

   • ¼ cup of melted butter

   • Two 8-ounce blocks of cream cheese (softened)

   • 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

   • 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste or vanilla extract

   Mixing and stirring with a whisk is recommended but not required if you don’t have one on hand.

   Instructions:

   1. Remove the stem from the strawberries and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Place them into a bowl with lemon zest, lemon juice, and the granulated sugar and stir well. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

   2. While waiting for the strawberries, place your sleeve of graham crackers into a large Ziploc bag and crush finely to make your graham cracker crumbs. (Skip this step if you already have some on hand.)

        3. Place the graham cracker crumbs into a bowl and add the melted butter. Stir until the crumbs are moist and set aside.

        4. In a large bowl, put the two blocks of cream cheese, condensed milk, and the vanilla paste or extract inside and stir until you have a smooth mixture

       5. Now it’s time to assemble your parfait! Grab a small glass or any small container of your liking. First, pour a layer of cream filling into the bottom of the glass. Then, add a layer of your graham cracker crumbs. Finally, add a layer of strawberries on top. Repeat this pattern until you have completely filled the container. 

   6. OPTIONAL: You can refrigerate the parfaits for an hour before consuming, but you can also eat it right after preparation.

   

   Oreo Fluff Salad
   Average Prep Time: 10-30 minutes

   Ingredients:

   • 2 packages of Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (3.4 oz.)

   • 3 cups of cold milk

   •   Cool Whip (8 oz.) – Make sure that the cream is thawed. 

   • 8-ounce block of cream cheese (softened)

   • 1 family-size package of Oreo cookies – If you wish to add more cookies as your topping after making your Oreo Fluff, buying another package is recommended.

   • 2 cups of mini marshmallows (add more if desired)

   • Additional Toppings (OPTIONAL): Chocolate syrup, sprinkles, etc.

   Mixing and stirring with a whisk is recommended but not required if you don’t have one on hand.

   Instructions:

   1. Put the instant vanilla pudding mix and milk into a mixing bowl and stir until the pudding mix fully dissolves.

        2. Add the softened cream cheese into the mixture and stir until you get a smooth texture. Then set aside the bowl.

   3. Put one package of Oreos into either a gallon-large Ziploc bag or a large bowl and crush them up. If you have a food processor, you can use that instead.

   4. Put the crushed cookies along with the marshmallows inside the pudding mixture and stir until fully combined.

   5. Add the Cool Whip in the mixture and stir until fully combined.

   6. Transfer the mixture into a serving bowl if desired. Add any toppings to your liking and enjoy!

   Works Cited

   Joanne (2023) Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait (no bake), Fifteen Spatulas. Available at: https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/no-bake

   strawberry-cheesecake-parfaits/  (Accessed: 10 December 2023).

   Jocelyn (2021) Banana split fluff salad recipe, Inside BruCrew Life. Available at: https://insidebrucrewlife.com/banana-split-fluff

   salad/  (Accessed: 10 December 2023).

   Skibinski, B. (2023) Oreo fluff, The Country Cook. Available at: https://www.thecountrycook.net/oreo-fluff/  (Accessed: 10

   December 2023).