1. First, prepare the pudding by whisking the French Vanilla instant pudding mix with cold milk in a bowl. Continue whisking for about 2 minutes until the mixture has thickened to a creamy consistency.

2. Next, make the cream cheese layer by beating the softened cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Gently fold in half of the thawed whipped topping into this mixture for added lightness.

3. Now, it’s time to layer the ingredients! Start by placing a layer of vanilla wafers on the bottom of a large trifle dish or a 9×13 pan. Make sure to cover the base evenly.

4. Add a layer of sliced bananas and sliced strawberries over the vanilla wafers, allowing their natural juices to soak into the cookies just a bit.

5. Spread half of the prepared pudding over the fruit layer, ensuring an even distribution. Follow this with half of the cream cheese mixture, spreading it gently.

6. To create a delightful tower of flavor, repeat these layering steps with the remaining cookies, bananas, strawberries, pudding, and cream cheese mixture.

7. Once you’ve reached the top, spread the remaining whipped topping generously over the entire dessert. For the finishing touch, garnish with extra cookies, slices of banana, and strawberries for an attractive presentation.

8. Finally, refrigerate your Strawberry Banana Pudding Dream for at least 2 hours before serving. This chilling time allows the flavors to meld beautifully, resulting in an irresistible treat.