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Nothing beats an old-fashioned banana split when it comes to making ice cream sundaes! This childhood favorite is also loved by many adults and for good reason; traditionally you get three types of ice cream, a banana, maraschino cherries and three different types of topping garnished with nuts!
With all of that deliciousness in one bowl, can you blame anybody for eating this for dinner on a hot summer night? (We did!) You can also have chocolate ice cream sandwich cookies or an easy ice cream pie, We won’t tell!
Classic Ice Cream Banana Split
There are many different claims as to who invented the banana split sundae. Still, it is most popularly thought that it was created in 1904 by David Evans Strickler, a 23-year-old pharmacist working at Tassel Pharmacy in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. This quintessential American ice cream treat took off instantly with the college crowd in the town – it’s said to have cost 10 cents when it first premiered! – and soon, it was a hit nationwide.
Traditionally, it was served in a banana boat bowl, and the one I own in these photos is an actual pressed glass vintage banana split bowl that my Grandma gifted me! I also have a couple of sundae dishes from her. They are quite hard to find now, but there are new glass ones on Amazon, or you can buy disposable ones.
Personally, I would hit up eBay and buy myself a set of amazing vintage banana boat dishes to use and treasure over the years! Unfortunately, I broke the other one in this set, and I’m going to find some more to match it myself.
Traditional Banana Split Ingredients
Banana splits nowadays can be almost any type of ice cream that you want for the three scoops, placed in a banana boat dish as shown in the photos below, with almost any sort of toppings followed by whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and peanuts. However, that’s not the traditional old-fashioned banana split ice cream sundae, so in order to build a real classic, here’s what you need:
- chocolate ice cream topped with chocolate syrup
- vanilla ice cream topped with crushed sweetened pineapple
- strawberry ice cream topped with strawberry compote or strawberry sauce
- whipped cream
- one banana
- maraschino cherries
- peanuts or walnuts
How to Make a Banana Split
it is really important to have your ingredients together and ready to go when making a banana split. I know this because I had to move like lightning to put this together and then take photos before it melted! To build your banana splits, have everything ready to go on your counter and :
- Peel and slice a banana half lengthwise. You don’t want to do this too far ahead of time, or they will brown.
- Place one piece of the banana on each side of the banana boat dish.
- Place a scoop of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream between the banana pieces as shown. Alternatively you can place the ice cream right on top of the banana slices, the choice is up to you.
- Place the crushed pineapple on top of the vanilla ice cream.
- Place the strawberry syrup or strawberry compote on top of the strawberry ice cream.
- Place chocolate syrup on top of the chocolate ice cream.
- Top each ice cream scoop with whipped cream.
- Place three maraschino cherries on top, one in each whipped cream pile.
- Sprinkle with peanuts or walnuts.
- Serve.
More Ice Cream Treats
You can try my bourbon root beer float for an adult treat ( just make it without the bourbon for a kids treat!), an ice cream peanut butter pie or make the perfect ice cream sandwich chocolate chip cookies! Those are the BEST!
I hope you enjoy it! What are your favorite flavors? I’m a traditional girl, so I like classic flavor combinations the best!
Love,
Karlynn
Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Banana Split
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Course
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 1
- Calories
- 751
- Equipment
- banana split bowl
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 1 banana
- 1 scoop chocolate ice cream
- 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
- 1 scoop strawberry ice cream
- 2 tablespoons strawberry syrup or compote
- 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
- 2 tablespoons crushed sweetened pineapple
- whipping cream
- maraschino cherries
- chopped roasted peanuts or walnuts
Instructions
- Peel then slice a banana in half lengthwise. You don’t want to do this too far ahead of time or they will brown.
- Place one piece of the banana on each side of the banana boat dish.
- Place a scoop of vanilla, chocolate and then strawberry ice cream between the banana pieces as shown. Alternatively you can place the ice cream right on top of the banana slices, the choice is up to you.
- Place the crushed pineapple on top of the vanilla ice cream.
- Place the strawberry syrup or strawberry compote on top of the strawberry ice cream.
- Place chocolate syrup on top of the chocolate ice cream.
- Top each ice cream scoop with whipped cream.
- Place three maraschino cherries on top, one in each whipped cream pile.
- Sprinkle with peanuts or walnuts.
- Serve.
Recipe Notes
- nutritional values will vary depending on brands of ice cream and amount used
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Jillian says
This was such a fun recipe to make with my daughters, BUT it was even better to eat our fun when all was said and done. Delicious!! If you have kids this is a must to do with your little’s after supper one night. Thanks Karlynn!