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NATIONAL BANANA SPLIT DAY

National Banana Split Day recognizes the sweet ice cream treat served with a banana, whipped cream, and various toppings. Get yours on August 25th!

How to Make a Banana Split

Originally served in drug stores, soda fountains, and ice cream parlors, the banana split is traditionally served in a long dish called a boat. To make a banana split, cut the banana lengthwise and place it in the dish. Then add scoops of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream between the slices of banana. Each scoop gets a topping; add crushed pineapple to the strawberry, drizzle chocolate syrup over the vanilla, and add strawberry topping to the chocolate. Next, sprinkle with crushed nuts. Finally, garnish with whipped cream and maraschino cherries.

The Inventor

A 23-year-old apprentice pharmacist at Tassel’s Pharmacy in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, created the first banana split in 1904. David Evans Strickler enjoyed inventing sundaes at the store’s soda fountain. For only 10 cents, Strickler sold his first “banana-based triple ice cream sundae,” double the cost of all the other sundaes.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalBananaSplitDay

Whether you go out for a banana split or make one at home, be sure to get two! One for you and one to share. Host a banana split buffet with a variety of ice creams and toppings. Let judges taste each kind. Then crown the winner with bragging rights. If you need a recipe to get you started, try this Banana Split Cheesecake recipe.

However you celebrate, don’t forget the cherry on top! Use #NationalBananaSplitDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL BANANA SPLIT DAY HISTORY

We were unable to find the creator of National Banana Split Day. However, David Strickler’s hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, proudly celebrates his creation with a festival every August. In 2013, they placed an official marker at the site of the pharmacy where Strickler first made his famous banana split. Then, the United States Post Office honored the banana split and the town of Latrobe in 2016 with a 47-cent “forever stamp” depicting the banana split. It was one of five stamps in the “Soda Fountain Favorites” series. For a time, Latrobe residents could receive a cancellation mark memorializing their claim to fame.