Banana Split Recipe
Classic dessert with banana, vanilla, chocolate & strawberry ice-cream with whipped cream and glazed cherry (D, So2)
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Ingredients
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Banana Split Assembly
Optional Garnishes (all optional)
Method
Prep
Chill serving dish
Place a banana-split dish or long shallow bowl in the freezer for 5–10 minutes to keep ice cream from melting while assembling.
If heavy cream is not cold, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes beforehand. Keep ice cream in the back of the freezer until the moment of assembly so scoops hold shape.
Make Whipped Cream
Whip cream
Pour the cold heavy whipping cream into a medium mixing bowl. Add the granulated sugar and vanilla extract. Using a hand mixer or a whisk, whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2–3 minutes by mixer (longer by hand). Taste and adjust sweetness if desired. Transfer whipped cream to the refrigerator until ready to use.
Assemble Banana Split
Prepare the banana: Peel the banana and slice lengthwise into two halves. Place the two banana halves in the chilled dish, one on each side, with the cut sides facing inward so there is a channel for the ice cream.
Scoop the ice cream: Using a scoop warmed briefly in hot water and wiped dry, place three scoops of ice cream down the center between the banana halves in this order (classic): vanilla on one end, chocolate in the middle, strawberry on the other end. Space scoops evenly.
Add sauces: Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of chocolate sauce over the chocolate scoop and about 1 tablespoon of strawberry sauce over the strawberry scoop. If you like extra sauce, distribute the remaining sauce evenly across the corresponding scoops.
Add whipped cream: Using a spoon or piping bag with a large star tip, place three generous dollops of whipped cream — one atop each ice cream scoop — or pipe two larger rosettes over the end scoops and one in the middle.
Finish with cherries and toppings: Place one glazed cherry on top of each whipped-cream dollop. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the sundae (about 2 tsp). Add mini chocolate shavings or sprinkles if using. Optionally dust lightly with cocoa powder and tuck mint leaves alongside for color.
Serve
Serve immediately with long-handled spoons. If not serving right away, keep assembled splits on a tray in the freezer for no more than 10–15 minutes to avoid significant melting.