Raw Banana Split

For some reason, there's something about recreating a classic recipe and making it healthier that's so satisfying for me.  This raw banana split is no exception - I've been working on it for a while now, and I'm quite proud of how it turned out.

Decadent, impressive, and totally delicious; I tried to get as close to the original as possible.  If you have the ingredients made beforehand, it's actually pretty easy to put together, as everything keeps in the fridge or freezer quite well.

You don't have to go all out like this, either - I regularly make less elaborate banana splits using just a banana, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate sauce.  Feel free to experiment, interchange ingredients, and tweak the recipe to fit your personal tastes - it's very flexible!

Strawberry sauce can be substituted with raspberry sauce, pineapple with mango, and caramel with agave nectar.  Try using banana soft serve, or your favorite sorbet in place of the ice cream. Sprinkles can be replaced with fresh citrus zest or shredded coconut, and you can use pretty much any berry in place of the cherry.  Whipped cream can be omitted all together.  

Ingredients:

1 banana
1/4 recipe strawberry ice cream
1/4 recipe chocolate ice cream
1/4 recipe vanilla ice cream
1/2 recipe whipped cream
2 tbsp chocolate sauce and/or nutella
2 tbsp caramel and/or pineapple sauce
2 tbsp strawberry sauce
1 tbsp chopped nuts (peanuts, walnuts)
1 tbsp sprinkles
1 cherry

Directions:
Peel the banana and cut in half lengthwise, placing in the bottom of a shallow serving bowl.  On top of the banana slices, place a scoop of each kind of ice cream.  Top the strawberry ice cream with strawberry sauce, the chocolate with chocolate sauce, and the vanilla with pineapple or caramel sauce.  On top of each scoop, add a dollop of whipped cream.  Sprinkle one of the whipped creams with nuts, and the other with sprinkles - placing the cherry on the one remaining.  Serve immediately; it melts fast!