Confession: I have never had a banana split.
Yes, I’m a fully-fledged adult, a chocoholic and dessert fanatic, yet I’ve never eaten that classic ice cream dish. I came up with three potential explanations why… Â
Reason #1: I hated my foods mixing as a kid. Like I described here, I turned up my nose at anything Neapolitan: milkshakes, popsicles, and especially ice cream. So why would I try a dessert that purposely combined scoops of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry… All on top of a banana? (Adding a fourth flavor = even worse!)
Reason #2: My mom convinced us early on that produce was healthy, and we earned dessert by eating more fruits and vegetables. If she allowed us to try a banana split, our crazy childhood brains might believe that it was healthy too. (It contained fruit, so why not?) Then we’d start sneaking ice cream for breakfast along with our bananas, and we’d toss all of Mom’s dessert definitions straight out the window.
Reason #3: I take too long! I’m the slowest eater known to mankind—most people wipe their mouths and lick their lips before I’ve swallowed five bites of dinner—and I dote even longer on desserts. I spend more time chasing melted drips down the side of my kiddie-sized cones than I do licking the original scoop of ice cream! So there’s no way I could finish three scoops before they melted into a big mess on top of the quickly browning banana. You might as well hand me a straw instead of a spoon!
Because my last excuse is the most believable, I both downsized my banana split into something a little smaller AND made it impossible for the dessert to melt. Now that’s my idea of the perfect summer sweet treat!
These cupcakes taste like regular banana splits, but you don’t have to worry about them melting before you can finish!
- To prepare the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°. Line 12 muffin cups with cupcake papers, and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the egg whites and vanilla, mixing well. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and mashed banana, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, and bake at 350° for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To prepare the filling, mix together the yogurt, sugar, and cocoa in a small bowl.
- To prepare the frosting, cream the butter with ¼ cup of powdered sugar. Mix in the vanilla. Alternate between adding the remaining powdered sugar and milk, beginning and ending with the powdered sugar.
- To assemble the cupcakes, cut out the center of each cupcake with a sharp knife. Spoon in the chocolate filling. Spread the vanilla frosting on top. Gently press sprinkles onto the edges of the frosting, and place a cherry in the center.
What a cute idea!! I haven’t had many banana splits in my life, but the one or two I have had I remember being overwhelmed by the size! They are definitely a dessert to share… or risk a massive tummy ache! These are perfect for when you don’t want to track down a banana split buddy! Love that chocolate filling… mmm!
Thanks Andrea! I definitely think we should share one sometime. (And ask if they have a kiddie-sized version instead! Or maybe a non-dairy version for you?) I actually ate the leftover chocolate filling as part of my lunch… It’s just Greek yogurt, so it’s healthy. Right?? 😉
Those are the absolute cutest little cupcakes!! I love the pretty sprinkles with the cherry, LOVE!
Thanks Kristina! Sprinkles make everything cuter. 😉 I actually had so much fun with these that I just had to go out and buy more sprinkles to play with!
Amy, you knocked it out of the park again! Fabulous idea! Gorgeous! And, yes … such a better size than a gi-normous traditional banana split! Can’t wait to try it!
Shelley, you’re too sweet — you make me blush with your comments! I hope you and your family enjoy the cupcakes!
I still hate it when my foods mix. I need partitions for my plates! 🙂 LOVE these cupcakes, gorgeous!
Thank you Dorothy! My mom bought me a partition plate two winters ago, and I actually use it! (Especially on Thanksgiving… No cranberry salad near my sweet potatoes, please!)
Hi Amy,
I have a cupcakes blog called My Year of Cupcakes. I featured these adorable cupcakes on Day 14. Here’s the link if you’d like to take a look! http://myyearofcupcakes.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/day-14-banana-split-cupcakes/
Thanks for the recipe!!
Leslie, I’m so touched you made my cupcakes! A year of cupcakes sounds like a wonderful and creative concept for a blog. I’m sure your friends and family will absolutely love you by Day 365! 🙂
Amy, thank you for your recipe I can’t wait to tray !!!! You are very creative and professional.
You are so sweet Bianca; thank you! And it was my pleasure. I hope they turn out really well for you! 🙂
May i know what the nutrition is in these, im thinking of making these for health
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Keira! The full nutrition information is actually included directly beneath the recipe already. I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think if you decide to try these cupcakes!