Banana Split

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Fresh banana, a selection of ice cream and some fresh cream – a simple, yet exquisitely heavenly combination of flavours and textures come together to make this classic dessert. Optional extras include chocolate or caramel sauce, maraschino cherries or sprinkles.

OK – hands up – I know this does not need a recipe and arguably, not even a post. However, initially I set up this blog primarily for my daughters, Charlotte and Emma. I wanted to create a record of the food they have grown up with, love to eat and want to re-create for themselves, now that they are adults. As a family we have enjoyed Banana Splits many, many times over the years, almost without exception, whilst on holiday in Switzerland – a blog without them would not be complete. 

We have been coming to Switzerland for over 15 years and 11 years ago moved into our own chalet. The girls were aged 11 and 12 and had jobs from the get go – keeping their rooms tidy (massive fail), helping with cleaning (massive fail), and making their favourite dessert, Banana Split, huge success! In fairness, as they got older, they would lay and clear the table and then, when older again, they got landed with the washing up. However, the job they never complained about was making this dessert! If we had some squirty cream in the fridge, so much the better!

11 years later, Andrew and I are here on our own – the girls decided to stay in London as it opens up after Covid, yet we still felt compelled to eat a Banana Split. What can I say? Incredibly quick and easy to make and ridiculously delicious!

I had assumed that this dessert was a British thing, but after a quick google, it turns out it is most definitely American. The birthplace is claimed by Latrobe in Pennsylvania with records of the dessert going back to 1904. The classic version includes fresh banana, vanilla, strawberry and chocolate ice creams, whipped cream and maraschino cherries. Ours is slightly different but not too dissimilar. Just for fun, I shall document how we put ours together.

How to make Banana Split à la Charlotte and Emma Davies!

Collect all your ingredients together:

Chocolate sauce:

• dark chocolate, minimum of 70% cocoa solids
• double/heavy or whipping cream

Rest of the Banana Split:

• ice creams of your choice – 3 balls in all
• fresh banana
• double/heavy or whipping cream or a good squirt of squirty cream
• sea salt, optional
• sprinkles – an absolute necessity!

Now make it – it literally takes 5 minutes!

1. Make the chocolate sauce: put the chocolate and cream into a small saucepan and heat over a low heat until the chocolate starts to melt. Take off the heat and leave for a few minutes. Stir well. If the chocolate has not completely melted, put back onto a low heat, stirring continuously. Take off the heat as soon as it is very nearly melted.
2. Now bring it all together: scoop 3 x balls of ice cream per person, directly into a serving dish. Traditionally this is vanilla, strawberry and chocolate. Today, we used 1 x vanilla and 2 x pistachio – please use your favourite selection.
3. Peel the banana and slice in half lengthwise. Place in the serving dish either side of the ice cream.
4. Quickly whip the cream until it reaches soft peaks and dollop over the ice cream. Alternatively, squirt on some squirty cream.
5. Drizzle over the chocolate sauce and, if serving to adults, you may wish to add a slight sprinkling of sea salt – just delicious!
6. Finally, scatter over a good shaking of sprinkles – imperative in our book!
7. Eat immediately and feel very pleased with yourself!!

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Made this recipe?

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