How to Make a Banana Split

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 14, 2022 References Tested

A banana split is a delicious treat great for all occasions. While there are many different variations, the traditional one uses bananas, three different flavors of ice cream, and lots of different toppings. If you want to try something different, you could make a healthier banana split with frozen yogurt instead. You can also try a banana split parfait or even a banana split milkshake!

Ingredients

Traditional Banana Split ^{[1]
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1 banana, peeled and split lengthwise
1 scoop each vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) strawberry ice cream topping/syrup
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) pineapple ice cream topping/syrup
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) chocolate syrup
Whipped cream, for garnish
1 tablespoon (7.5 grams) chopped peanuts
1 to 3 maraschino cherries with stems

Serves 1

Healthy Banana Split^{[2]
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1 banana, peeled and split lengthwise
½ cup (125 grams) strawberry yogurt
¼ cup (30 grams) blackberries
¼ cup (30 grams) raspberries
½ cup (61 grams) granola
Mini chocolate chips, for garnish

Serves 1

Banana Split Parfait^{[3]
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2 ounces (60 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
3 bananas, peeled and sliced
¼ cup (30 grams) finely-chopped walnuts
1 cup (225 grams) diced pineapple
4 scoops strawberry ice cream
4 cherries, pitted

Serves 4

Banana Split Milkshake^{[4]
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2 cups (288 grams) vanilla ice cream
1 banana, peeled and sliced
½ cup (120 milliliters) milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Hot fudge, maraschino cherry and whipped cream, for garnish
Sprinkles, for garnish (optional)

Serves 1 to 2

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Making a Traditional Banana Split

1
Place the banana into a long, narrow dish. If you have not already, peel the banana, then slice it in half lengthwise. Place the banana into a long, narrow dish, with the curved ends pointing up.
- You can buy dishes made specifically for banana splits.
2
Place three scoops of ice cream down the middle, between the banana halves. One scoop each of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice cream is the most traditional. Another popular choice is all vanilla ice cream.

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3
Drizzle the sauces and toppings on top of the ice cream. If you want to get really traditional, pour the chocolate sauce on top of the chocolate ice cream, the strawberry sauce on top of strawberry, and the pineapple on top of the vanilla. Alternatively, you can pour chocolate sauce over each scoop of ice cream.
- If you don't have any strawberry ice cream topping or syrup, you can use 2 tablespoons (25 grams) of diced strawberries instead.^{[5]
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- If you don't have any pineapple ice cream topping or syrup, you can use 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of pineapple chunks instead.^{[6]
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  Research source} If you don't like pineapple, try 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of caramel syrup instead.
4
Add a dollop of whipped cream. You can add a swirl of whipping cream over each ice cream scoop, of you can place it down the length of the banana split. The store-bought kind that comes in a can with a nozzle will be the easiest to use. You can also make your own, and pipe it on using a piping bag and a large, star-shaped tip.
5
Sprinkle some chopped peanuts on top. If you don't have peanuts or if you simply don't like them, you can use chopped walnuts instead. Another tasty and more colorful option would be to use sprinkles instead.
6
Top it off with some maraschino cherries. Place a single cherry in the middle of your banana split. If you really like maraschino cherries, place one on top of each whipped cream dollop.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Making a Healthy Banana Split

1
Freeze the yogurt ahead of time. Measure out the yogurt into a freezer-safe container, then freeze it until it becomes solid. It needs to be soft enough to scoop, but not so hard that it's rock-solid.
- If you don't like strawberry yogurt, try vanilla yogurt instead.
- You don't have to freeze the yogurt. If you choose to leave it soft, click here to continue.^{[7]
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2
Scoop the yogurt, then freeze it until solid. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out two scoops of the frozen yogurt. Place each scoop into a separate muffin liner. Place the muffin liners into the freezer, and leave them there until you are ready to serve the yogurt.
3
Place the banana into a serving dish. Peel the banana first, then slice it in half lengthwise. Place the two banana halves into a long, slender serving dish, with the pointed ends facing up.
4
Set the yogurt between the two banana slices. If you froze the yogurt, remove it from the muffin liners first, then set it between the banana slices. If you are using regular yogurt, use a spoon to scoop it into the dish, placing it between the banana halves.
5
Top it off with berries and granola. Blackberries and raspberries would taste delicious for this, but you can also try some blueberries as well. Add some granola as well; this will mimic the chopped nuts usually found in banana splits.
- If you are using vanilla yogurt, consider adding some diced strawberries. This will make it taste more like a traditional banana split.
6
Add a sprinkle of chocolate chips, if desired. Dark chocolate or semi-sweet would taste the best, but you can also try milk chocolate or even white chocolate. For an even healthier banana split, omit the chocolate chips altogether.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Making a Banana Split Parfait

1
Melt the chocolate. Place the semisweet chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat them in the microwave at 30-second intervals until they melt. Stir the chocolate chips with a spoon or fork between each interval. Set the melted chocolate aside.
- Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate chips in a double-boiler.
- Alternatively, you can buy a bottle of chocolate sauce, and skip the melting.
2
Toss the sliced bananas with the chopped walnuts. Peel three bananas, then cut them into ¼-inch (0.64-centimeter) thick slices. Toss the sliced bananas with most of the chopped walnuts. Set aside about 4 teaspoons of the walnuts for garnishing the parfaits.
3
Layer the pineapple, bananas, and ice cream in the parfait glasses. Set out four parfait glasses. Divide the diced pineapple evenly between the glasses, then layer the walnut-coated bananas on top. Place a scoop of ice cream into each glass.
- If you don't like strawberry ice cream, try vanilla or chocolate instead. Both are used in traditional banana splits.
- For a healthier option, use vanilla yogurt instead of ice cream.^{[8]
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4
Garnish the parfaits with melted chocolate, chopped walnuts, and cherries. Use a small spoon to scoop up the melted chocolate, and drizzle it over each parfait. Sprinkle the reserved walnuts over each parfait, then top it off with a cherry.
- For a more traditional banana split, use maraschino cherries instead.
- For a more traditional banana split, add a dollop of whipped cream first.^{[9]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Making a Banana Split Milkshake

1
Place the ice cream, banana, milk, and vanilla into a blender. If you don't like vanilla ice cream, you can try chocolate or strawberry instead. You can also add some strawberry or chocolate syrup to add more flavor to vanilla ice cream.^{[10]
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- For more flavor, add some sliced strawberries.^{[11]
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2
Pulse the blender until everything is smooth. From time to time, you may want to pause the blender, and scrape any chunks towards the bottom with a rubber spatula.
3
Pour the milkshake into a tall serving glass. You can also pour it into two smaller glasses and make two portions.
4
Garnish the milkshake with whipped cream. The type of whipped cream that comes in a can with a nozzle will be the easiest to use. You can also make your own and pipe it on using a piping bag and star-shaped tip.
5
Top it off with chocolate sauce and a maraschino cherry. You can use regular chocolate sauce or hot fudge. For an even fancier milkshake, add a dash of colorful sprinkles. For a more traditional dessert. try chopped peanuts or walnuts.
- Add a long, slender spoon or a colorful straw for serving!

Community Q&A

Question

What can I use instead of whipped cream?

Qamar

Top Answerer

You can omit it out completely or use other toppings instead, such as sweet syrups, jam, jelly, etc.
Question

Do I have to put the ice cream on the bottom?

Community Answer

You can make your banana split however you like. There's no banana split police.
Question

What can I use if don't have ice-cream syrup?

Community Answer

Mix brown sugar with melted butter and a little bit of milk; drizzle on top of the ice cream.