Banana Split Parfait – The classic banana split goes vertical! Strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate ice creams are topped with homemade strawberry sauce, fresh crushed pineapple, and homemade hot fudge, respectively, and served in a tall glass with a full split banana.
We’re back with more frozen treats to celebrate National Ice Cream Month. Today’s recipe is a fun take on the traditional dessert, the banana split. But instead of serving it in a horizontal boat dish, we’re taking things vertical!
I love a great ice cream parfait with three layers of both ice cream and toppings. It was my go-to order every week when we would visit TCBY on Tuesdays as a child. Was it way too much ice cream for a 10 year-old? Probably. But It was still so magical to get to pick from so many options to create my own confection.
In this Banana Split Parfait, the classic flavors of a banana split are layered, with a split banana sitting vertically against the glass. To make it extra special, all the toppings are made from scratch:
- Minced/crushed pineapple made with fresh pineapple
- Homemade strawberry sauce
- Homemade hot fudge sauce
Without further ado, here is my Banana Split Parfait!
Tips & Tricks
- Let the sauces cool. Before using the homemade strawberry and hot fudge sauces in the banana split parfait, make sure they cool for at least 10 minutes to ensure the ice cream doesn’t melt too much.
- Fresh pineapple. Trust me – using fresh pineapple in this recipe is much better than using canned crushed pineapple.
- Neapolitan ice cream. In the recipe, it says a pint each of strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate ice cream is required. But you can easily use a half gallon of Neapolitan ice cream, which has those three flavors separately stored in one tub.
Banana Split Parfait
Ingredients
For the strawberry sauce:
- 2½ cups halved fresh strawberries
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt
For the hot fudge sauce:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons butter salted, sliced
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chopped
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the parfait:
- 1 cup cubed fresh pineapple
- 4 ripe bananas
- ¼ cup salted peanuts
- 1 pint chocolate ice cream
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream
- 1 pint strawberry ice cream
- ¼ cup whipped cream
- 4 maraschino cherries
Instructions
For the strawberry sauce:
- Add strawberries to medium sauce pan with sugar and lemon juice. Toss to combine. Place over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and then smash strawberries gently with a potato masher. Let cool before using.
For the hot fudge:
- Add cream, butter, corn syrup, and sugar into a medium saucepan. Whisk together and place over medium-high heat to boil. Once boiling, cook for 3 more minutes, whisking occasionally to keep it from boiling over.
- Remove from heat and add chocolate and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Let it cool for 10 minutes to let it thicken. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
To assemble the parfaits:
- Place the cubed pineapple on a cutting board and mince it up until it has the consistency of crushed pineapple. Set aside in a small board. Slice a banana length-wise so you have two long pieces of banana. Repeat with the other 3 bananas.
- Wipe clean the cutting board and add the peanuts. Chop them up and set aside in a small bowl.
- Take a pint glass or a parfait glass and line with two halves of banana. Add ½ cup of chocolate ice cream to the bottom and then top with a tablespoon or two of hot fudge. Add ½ cup of vanilla ice cream and then top with two tablespoons of crushed pineapple. Finally, add ½ cup strawberry ice cream and 2 tablespoons of strawberry sauce.
- Top parfaits with whipped cream, chopped peanuts, and a cherry. Serve immediately. Repeat with 3 other parfaits or refrigerate toppings for later.
Pin for later:
More recipes you’ll love:
Elvis Ice Cream Sundae
Pina Colada Sundae
S’mores Sundae
We’re thrilled that you enjoyed the vertical twist on this classic dessert, complete with our homemade strawberry sauce, crushed pineapple, and hot fudge. It’s the perfect sweet treat to enjoy while streaming your favorite tunes on Spotify. Speaking of which, why not download and give one try to spotify app and create a playlist to enhance your next visit? We can’t wait to serve you again!
Really it is soo delicious. Such a mouthwatering article. Liked the photos….
Very satisfying when you really want a good dessert. The flavors are just the best!
Hello favorite dessert of mine! Loved the presentation of this! We ate these up so fast tonight!
This was the perfect summertime treat for my kids today!! Rivaled my favorite ice cream shop sundae!
What a great idea, turning a banana split into a parfait. Super easy to make, delicious and less mess. I’m in !
This is so delicious. The homemade sauces take it to the next level.