If you fancy an extra special dish for a family meal or dinner party, banana dessert recipes make a tasty and easy treat. Bananas are so versatile, they can be added to both sweet and savory dishes, but they really come into their own in desserts. Bananas can be incorporated in cakes and breads for some extra moist flavor. They can also be eaten on their own with custard or cream for a simple and quick dessert that the whole family with adore. Try experimenting with bananas and see what fun recipes you can come up with!

Creamy Banana Pie – serves 6

This delicious recipe is smart enough for a dinner party, yet simple enough for a family lunch. You can prepare the base and filling in advance, then add the banana topping at the last minute, just in time for the dish to be served to your guests.

Ingredients

200g ginger biscuits, finely crushed

65g butter or margarine, melted

2.5ml grated nutmeg or ground cinnamon

175g ripe banana, mashed

350g cream cheese, room temperature

50ml thick natural yoghurt or soured cream

45ml dark rum or 5ml vanilla essence

For the topping:

250ml whipping cream

3-4 bananas

1.Preheat oven Gas mark 5/190c/375F. For the crust, combine the crushed biscuits, butter or margarine and spice. Mix thoroughly.

2.Press the biscuit mixture into a 23cm pie dish, building up the sides to a neat edge. Bake for 5 minutes and then leave to cool.

3.Beat the mashed bananas with the cream cheese. Fold in the yoghurt or soured cream and rum or vanilla. Spread the filling in the biscuit case. Chill for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

4.For the topping, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Spread on the pile filling. Slice the bananas and arrange on top in a decorative pattern. Serve immediately or the bananas will discolor.

Banana Splits

Banana splits were invented in 1904 by an apprentice pharmacist in Pennsylvania who apparently enjoyed creating sundaes at the store’s soda fountain. Early drug stores in Chicago served banana splits at in-store fountains as an innovative way to attract customers.

Today this popular banana dessert recipe dish remains as popular as ever. Kids love this recipe and it’s so simple, you can give them free rein in the kitchen and let them make it themselves. It’s also a fun dish to serve at kids’ parties as it looks great, yet is incredibly simple to make.

Ingredients

2 large bananas

Ice cream of your choice, preferable 2 flavors

Chocolate or strawberry sauce

Chocolate rice

Whipped cream

1 fresh strawberry cut in half

Seeds and nuts of your choice

1.Place two scoops of ice cream side-by-side one large on a long oblong glass serving plate.

2.Place a banana each side of the ice cream scoops.

3. Sprinkle with chocolate rice, seeds, and nuts.

4.Squeeze some sauce over the dessert.

5.Arrange the cut strawberry and it’s ready to eat!

Banana splits work with all kinds of different toppings. You can add any toppings you like and try using different flavors of ice cream. Try using frozen yoghurt for a low fat healthy variation on this popular dessert. Experiment with different ingredients and see how much fun you can have creating the perfect banana dessert recipe.