Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Base
- 1 banana, peeled
- 150 g vanilla ice cream, frozen
Toppings
- 40 ml hot fudge sauce
- 30 g whipped cream
- 10 g roasted peanuts, chopped
- 1 maraschino cherry
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 754 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbohydrates
- 96 g
- Fat
- 40 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 70 g
- Sodium
- 209 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 23 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 89 mg
- Potassium
- 1070 mg
- Calcium
- 259 mg
- Iron
- 3.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 110 mg
- Phosphorus
- 320 mg
- Zinc
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 237 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 11 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.11 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.46 mg
- Niacin
- 1.0 mg
- Folate
- 32 mcg
- Water
- 203 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the peeled banana on a cutting board and carefully slice it in half lengthwise.
Position the two banana halves against the inner sides of a banana split dish. Use an ice cream scoop to place the vanilla ice cream in a row between the banana halves.
Warm the hot fudge sauce in a microwave-safe bowl in 10-second intervals until it reaches approximately 40C/105F, ensuring it is fluid but not scalding.
Drizzle the warmed hot fudge sauce evenly over the scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Top the ice cream generously with whipped cream, sprinkle with chopped roasted peanuts, and garnish with a maraschino cherry. Serve immediately before the ice cream melts.
Chef's Notes
- For the ultimate structural integrity and temperature contrast, chill your serving dish in the freezer for 15 minutes prior to assembly.
- When selecting bananas, look for fruit that is fully yellow with perhaps a hint of green at the stem. Overripe bananas will lack the firmness needed to hold up the ice cream.
- Warming hot fudge over a gentle double boiler rather than a microwave provides more even heat distribution and prevents the sugars from scorching or separating.
- If whipping your own cream, keep the sugar minimal. The ice cream and hot fudge provide ample sweetness, so a lightly sweetened cream offers a much-needed palate cleanser.
Storage
Troubleshooting
Banana breaks while slicing
Cause: The banana was overripe and mushy, or the knife was dull
Fix: Arrange the broken pieces neatly in the dish; they will be obscured by the ice cream and toppings
Prevention: Select a banana that is bright yellow with very few brown spots and use a sharp knife on a flat surface
Ice cream melts too rapidly upon assembly
Cause: The hot fudge was heated to a boiling temperature, or the serving dish was warm
Fix: Cannot be fixed once melted, serve immediately
Prevention: Warm the hot fudge gently just until pourable, and chill the serving dish beforehand
Cultural Context
The banana split is a quintessential element of American culinary nostalgia, with its invention fiercely debated between Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1904 and Wilmington, Ohio in 1907. Originally a soda fountain spectacular designed to attract college students, it quickly evolved into a nationwide symbol of indulgence and mid-century diner culture, traditionally served in its iconic elongated glass boat.
