The Estate Bakery
Layered Banana Split Brownies
The Strategy:
This decadent dessert features a rich, chewy chocolate brownie base topped with sweet banana slices, vanilla ice cream, warm homemade hot fudge sauce, fresh whipped cream, and cherries. Baking the brownies until just set keeps the center incredibly fudgy, while microwave-melting the chocolate chips and condensed milk creates a glossy, effortless fudge sauce. It is a spectacular, multi-layered showstopper that brings a fun, gourmet twist to a nostalgic childhood favorite.
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 ounces dark chocolate, about 1 ¼ cups (preferably 70% cacao)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup pastry flour
- vegetable oil spray, for coating
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup whipping cream
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 bananas, diced, about 2 cups
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream
- 12 fresh cherries, pitted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°.
- Coat an 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray.
- Line with parchment paper leaving several inches overlapping the top of the pan.
- Coat the paper with vegetable oil spray.
- Place the butter and dark chocolate into a large, microwave safe bowl. If you have a "melt" setting on your microwave—use it! If not, microwave on medium power for 30 second intervals.
- Remove the bowl and stir. Repeat this process until the butter and chocolate are melted.
- Stir until smooth.
- Stir in cane and brown sugars.
- Stir in the eggs, one at a time. Use a wooden spoon to vigorously stir the batter for at least one minute. This will give the brownies a shiny, crackling top and help with your daily strength training.
- Stir in the cocoa powdered, espresso powder, salt and vanilla.
- Stir in the flour until just combined.
- Spread the batter into the pan.
- Bake until the top is glossy and beginning to crack about 30 to 35 minutes. The brownies will be fudgy in the center.
- Cool the brownies in the pan for 5 minutes and then use the parchment paper to lift the brownies out of the pan.
- Cool on a rack. These brownies will be sticky and fudge-like. This is what we want!
- Place sweetened condensed milk into a microwave safe bowl.
- Add in the chocolate chips.
- Place the bowl into the microwave oven and cook on high for 30 seconds.
- Remove the bowl and stir. Continue this process until the chocolate is melted into a smooth sauce.
- Chill the bowl and whipping attachment of an electric mixer.
- Pour the whipping cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla into the bowl.
- Whip the cream on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Assemble the desserts in bowls, 3 to 4-ounce mini-mason jars, shot or juice glasses. Start with a layer of diced bananas.
- Top with crumbled brownie.
- Top the brownie with ice cream. Continue layering brownie, banana and ice cream. The final layering ends with brownie, banana, ice cream, fudge sauce, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. Alternatively, cut the brownie into 16 pieces.
- Top each piece with a scoop of ice cream, diced bananas, hot fudge sauce, whipped cream and one or two of those cherries!
Cook’s Tip
If you would like to make this dessert in advance, substitute banana pudding for ice cream. It’s really, really good.
The full recipe lives in the Vault
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The Heart of the Table
The vibrant colors of red cherries, fresh bananas, and creamy ice cream atop a dark chocolate brownie layer make this dish a stunning feast for the eyes. Placed in the center of the table, it instantly becomes the focal point, sparking excitement and shared memories of vintage ice cream parlors. It brings a joyful, celebratory energy to the dinner table.
- a hand-cut glass mixing pitcher with a diamond-cut pattern
- a sleek, solid brass Japanese double jigger with inner measurement lines
- a seamless, high-heat resistant silicone spatula in a soft slate grey
- unbleached, pre-cut parchment paper sheets for clean releases
- a set of minimalist, mouth-blown crystal coupe glasses with slender stems
- a professional Hawthorne strainer with a tight-coil spring
Neighborly Grace
- THE PRESENTATION: Cut the chilled brownies into neat squares and arrange them on a white ceramic platter, finished with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and a sprinkling of toasted pecans.
- THE POUR: A glass of chilled milk or a sweet, berry-infused dessert wine to complement the rich chocolate and fruit layers.
- THE VIBE: Twilight Deck: String lights and warm evening air create a magical, relaxed setting for sharing a fun and indulgent dessert.
