10 Mistakes To Avoid When Making A Banana Split

You really can't go wrong with any kind of ice cream, but there's something about a banana split that stirs something nostalgic in ice cream lovers everywhere. Maybe it was a treat you grew up with as a kid, or perhaps it's something you only saw on TV and never got to try until you were an adult. Either way, it's one of the most beloved summertime treats in the U.S. It's ice cream, yes, but it's also a way to work more fruit into your diet (or at least that's what we tell ourselves anyway). And although it seems relatively forward to make at home, there are some mistakes that it's all too easy to make when you're constructing a banana split of your own.

Whether you're just trying to prepare yourself a sweet treat at the end of a long summer's day or you're throwing a party and want to go all-out with your banana split presentation, avoiding these common mistakes can ensure that your banana split turns out delicious every single time. So get out that bunch of bananas and your ice cream scoop, and let's get to work. Delicious results await.

It's no secret that the banana itself is an extremely important part of a banana split. In fact, it's arguably the most essential component in a banana split, considering that you're basically just eating a bowl of ice cream without it. Therefore, it only makes sense that you should pay especially close attention to the quality of your bananas. Choosing one at the appropriate level of ripeness is essential to making the most delicious dessert possible.

First of all, you'll want to make sure that you're not using an underripe banana. These bananas have too much acidity to them, and they're lacking the sweetness that makes them taste amazing in a dessert. That doesn't mean that slightly green bananas are bad — it just means that they're not appropriate for a banana split. Similarly, you'll want to avoid overripe bananas, in which the peel is covered in a lot of brown spots. Not only are these bananas too sweet for pairing with ice cream, but they can also be quite soft, which might make them fall apart once you get them out of the peel. Choosing a banana that has a nice, yellowed hue to it is your best bet for a perfectly ripe banana for your split.

You know those frozen yogurt places that used to be all the rage, the ones with the slew of different toppings you could choose from? If you're like us, you piled on a little bit of everything, from cookie crumbles to sliced strawberries to mini marshmallows and everything in between. Ironically, though, all those ingredients would just muck up the flavor of the frozen yogurt, resulting in a random assortment of flavors that didn't really go together at all. That's exactly the kind of situation you're going to want to avoid when it comes to your banana split toppings.

Although it can be tempting to really pile the toppings on, making for a crunchy, creamy, and saucy topping for your split, you should try to be somewhat selective with your toppings. That doesn't mean you can't use a lot of them — it just means that you'll want to select toppings that pair well together. Chocolate chips and whipped cream with some maraschino cherries? Sounds great! Blueberry sauce, kiwis, and caramel drizzle? You may be overdoing it. By being strategic with your toppings, you can create a more coherent dessert to enjoy.

It's no secret that a banana split is an especially sweet dessert, but that doesn't mean it has to be unbalanced. Think about it: Desserts that are too sweet can be quite cloying, and after a few bites, they start to get old. That's why it's a good idea to incorporate some salty elements into your banana split mix. That way, you have a better flavor balance between sweet and salty flavors, making your split that much more delicious.

Salted caramel is a favorite topping for many, since it offers both the sweetness and saltiness you'd want in a good dessert. Others prefer something that's a bit more crunchy, like salted peanuts or crushed pretzels. And if you want to keep things really simple, you can just give your banana split a sprinkle of sea salt to balance out those flavors nicely. Once you start preparing your banana splits with a salty element in the mix, you'll never go back to the too-sweet version again.

Let's face it: Texturally speaking, a banana split isn't a particularly interesting dish. Bananas and ice cream are both quite soft and creamy. And while we love that texture, too much of it can start to taste boring and one-note after a few bites. That's why it's so important to include other textures into the mix. First and foremost, we like to prioritize an element of crunchiness in our banana splits. This can work wonders in making your dessert more delectable, since that texture switch-up will make every mouthful a bit different. Chopped nuts can work well here, as can granola, crushed cookies, or even candies that have a little bit of a crunch to them.

But you don't have to stop at crunch. Adding a silky or fluffy ingredient to the dish can also make for a more dynamic dessert. Choose a sauce of your liking for that extra degree of silkiness, or opt for whipped cream or marshmallow fluff for that fluffy texture that contrasts nicely with the creaminess of the rest of the dish.

It's always a bummer when it's especially hot out and your ice cream melts too quickly, leaving you with a warm puddle of sweetness that's significantly less appetizing than the frozen stuff. But how can you prevent that from happening, especially when you're serving your ice cream split outside? That's easy: Just make sure you chill the bowl you plan on using before serving the banana split. Yes, this is an extra step in your split-making process, and you'll have to think ahead to ensure your bowl is adequately chilled in time. But taking just a bit of extra time to complete this step can make all the difference in the presentation of the dessert.

Keep your bowl in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to an hour before taking it out immediately before serving. That way, you're not going to have to worry about the ice cream melting right away, and it'll make the banana deliciously chilly in the process. Sounds refreshing, right?

Look, we know that most people have a favorite ice cream flavor. For you, that may be something typical, like chocolate, or something a bit more esoteric, like matcha. But just because you have one absolute favorite doesn't mean it should be the only ice cream flavor you include in your banana split. Classic banana split recipes call for chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream, and it's a flavor combo that really works. You have the richness of the chocolate, the slight tartness of the strawberry, and the simple sweetness of the vanilla all working in tandem, which is why so many opt for a scoop of each.

However, you don't have to be married to these three flavors. Feel free to experiment with other ice cream flavors, like butter pecan or Moose Tracks, to change things up a bit. Just make sure that you're using at least two (but preferably three) flavors in the split to ensure that the dessert isn't too one-note.

If you're not a big fan of vanilla ice cream, then you may assume that every brand is basically the same. However, that couldn't be further from the truth. In reality, vanilla ice creams vary drastically by quality, and the difference between a not-so-great and a delicious one can be quite big. You'll want one that contains actual vanilla, not vanilla extract, and that features full-fat milk (instead of the nonfat stuff, which leads to a less creamy consistency).

In many ways, vanilla ice cream is the backbone to a good banana split, because it provides the neutral base for the rest of the dessert's more varied flavors. And since vanilla ice cream just isn't as intensely flavored as chocolate or strawberry, this is where ice cream quality matters most. That being said, you should still prioritize quality when it comes to the other flavors you're using, but if you can only splurge on one flavor, we vote for vanilla every single time.

You can put a banana split in pretty much any vessel or bowl, but a good banana split bowl is quite shallow and wide. Since these types of bowls aren't that deep, the ice cream and banana halves inside can slip and slide around quite easily, making it hard to get a spoonful and making a mess in the process. You probably don't want your different ice cream flavors to get all mixed up before you even take a few bites, after all. That's why you may want to think about creating a base layer for your banana split.

A base layer can be created with any sort of dry, textured ingredient. For example, we like using crushed cookies, like chocolate chip cookies or Oreos, to create a kind of bed for the split. Not only does this add extra flavor and texture, but it also prevents your ice cream from slipping and sliding all over your plate.

When it comes to a dish as iconic as a banana split, a lot of people think that they have to stick with all of the classic ingredients they already know and love. And while we do love a classic ice cream split, you can experiment with different flavors and toppings to create a slightly different dessert that's a departure from the original dish. For example, try using different ice cream flavors when you want to switch things up a bit, or add on interesting, unconventional toppings like espresso or matcha powder. These can upgrade this classic dessert and turn it into something completely new.

Of course, there are some aspects of the dish you don't want to mess with. For example, the banana is kind of essential — leaving it out will give you a different dish entirely. But beyond the basic structure of a classic banana split, you can play around with a variety of different formats to make a dessert that's customized to your taste buds.

A banana split is basically just bananas and ice cream enjoyed together in the same bowl, right? Wrong. You may think that you can cut your banana any which way to incorporate it into your banana split, but this is one area in which you actually should abide by tradition. A real banana split features a banana that's cut lengthwise, not cut into slices or otherwise halved. This allows you to place the ice cream directly in the middle of the two halves, having the banana create a sort of barrier for the ice cream, holding it in one place.

Let's be clear: If you want to chop up a banana and put it on top of your ice cream, go for it. We're certainly not going to stop you. But that's not a banana split, and it won't have quite the same textural interest and deliciousness as the real thing.