Mark your calendars for a day we all can celebrate and don’t want to miss! It’s National Banana Split Day!

That’s right! National Banana Split Day is celebrated and enjoyed on August 25!

Looking at this cold delight’s history, we learn that the first Banana Split was created in the town of Latrobe, Pennsylvania on August 25, 1904. The inventor was a 23-year-old pharmacy apprentice named David Strickler. David worked in the soda fountain section of the pharmacy and enjoyed experimenting with different combinations of ice cream and toppings. He created the now-infamous dessert and sold it for a whopping 10 cents! Ironically, in 1904 this was a good deal of money and in fact was twice the price of other ice cream sundaes and treats! This banana influenced goodness caught on with students from a local college and its popularity spread!

Presently, Banana Splits are a standard item on the menu of just about anywhere ice cream is sold. This dish became so popular, that there was even a children’s television show called “The Banana Split Adventure Hour”, which aired from 1968 – 1970.

How do you make a Banana Split?

Easy! To celebrate this day, choose a traditional recipe or swap in your current favorites.

A Traditional Banana Split:

  • Peel 1 banana and split it lengthwise. Place on an oval dessert dish.
  • Place 1 scoop chocolate, 1 scoop vanilla, and 1 scoop strawberry ice cream on top of the banana halves.
  • Top one scoop with 2 Tablespoons sliced fresh strawberries, the next scoop with 2 Tablespoons pineapple chunks, and the last scoop with 2 Tablespoons chocolate or hot fudge syrup.
  • Garnish with whipped cream and three maraschino cherries.
  • Grab a napkin and a long spoon and dig in!

 

And what about the origins of National Banana Split Day itself? We know about the details around the creation of banana splits, and their popularity spread across the dessert world. However, a creator of the origin of this day has not been found. Nevertheless, it’s a great day to enjoy with family and friends!

Check out dessert themed learning from Rainbow Resource Center!