Breakfast Banana Splits
August 1, 2019 by Nicole Collins
I went through a lot to get today’s recipe together for you guys!
Ok, so I’m being a touch dramatic. (Shocker!)
The problem I encountered with today’s recipe was self-inflicted and has absolutely nothing to do with the food itself. So really, I’m whining about nothing.
(Shocker, again!)
Ok, let me explain…sometimes, I get this vision in my head long before I’ve ever made a recipe of how I want the photo shoot to go. I can see exactly how the pictures should look in my head. And it almost becomes obsessive for me, because things need to be the same way in real life that they are in my head.
For this recipe, I only saw these pictures in glass banana split boats. Do I have banana split boats? No. Am I mad about having to add more kitchen toys to my collection? Not a chance. So, it sounds like no big deal, right? Go to Amazon, order what you need, have a nice life…right?
Wrong!
Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find banana split boats that aren’t ridiculously expensive? I guess I didn’t realize they’re more of an old school serving vessel, and they’re not as common as I thought.
So, I got the bright idea to check some thrift shops in the area, and I actually found some (that I didn’t really like). But, they were only a dollar a piece, so why the heck not? Well, the universe intervened so that I didn’t make a half hearted purchase, because the registers were down when I tried to check out with the (ugly) dishes. Oh well…
Ultimately, the Google machine directed me to a seller on Etsy that had EXACTLY what I was looking for (and it was a set of 4 for only $11!); so thankfully, we are still able to move forward with today’s recipe, as planned. Because, obviously we were gonna have a big problem if I didn’t have those dishes…
Don’t judge me!
The end result was worth all the extra stress of finding dishes; because today’s beautiful, healthy, and delicious breakfast treat will take all of the worries of the day away.
Today, we’re making Breakfast Banana Splits!
These banana splits are basically like a fancy parfait in a horizontal dish. They’re super simple to throw together, so we’re going to make sure that we use some dynamite flavor choices to make these treats more than just your average breakfast.
And, treat is definitely the right description for these!
We start by sweetening up some plain greek yogurt with a little honey and vanilla bean paste. Vanilla bean paste is my current obsession right now, because I absolutely love having the specks of black vanilla bean visible in my treat without having to pay the bank breaking cost of 1 little vanilla bean pod. Plus, the paste adds a nice touch of natural sweetness without loading our healthy yogurt up with refined sugars.
Next, we're going to make a homemade coconut granola. Rolled oats and chopped pecans get tossed in a mix of coconut oil and honey, then toasted in the oven til crisp. At the very end of roasting, we'll add some unsweetend coconut flakes to toast with the granola to really bring home that coconuty flavor.
Also amping up the coconut flavor in our granola is the unrefined coconut oil. You can usually find coconut oil in refined and unrefined varieties. Unrefined has a stronger coconut flavor which makes it perfect for our tropical banana split!
All we have left to do is assemble, and we get two different flavors of banana split! Our Tropical Banana Split takes that yummy coconut granola; some fresh tropical fruits like kiwi, peaches, and strawberries; and a scoop of our vanilla bean yogurt and piles it all of top of our split bananas. Then, we have a PB&J Banana Split which lets us drizzle melted peanut butter over fresh berries, our vanilla yogurt, and our split bananas. Both are so simple, yet so delicious in completely different ways!
And better yet, these banana splits are totally customizable. You can switch up your fruit, switch up your combos, or even add some extra special ingredients like mini chocolate chips or edible flowers. And, since half the fun of these banana splits is the artistry involved in building your creation, these are perfect for a build your own banana split bar for a brunch party. The possibilities are endless.
Alright everyone, I know I've definitely eaten with my eyes first today. And, it felt like a long road to get here! But, now it's time to let our mouths get in on the action.
So enjoy! And, let's eat!
Breakfast Banana Splits
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
For the Tropical Banana Split:
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tbsp unrefined coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp honey
pinch of salt
¼ cup unsweetened coconut
2 bananas, split lengthwise
½ peach, thinly sliced
1 kiwi, diced or sliced
2 strawberries, diced or sliced
For the PB&J Banana Split:
2 bananas, split lengthwise
1 cup mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
2 tbsp peanut butter, melted
For the Vanilla Bean Yogurt:
1 cup plain greek yogurt
¼ cup honey
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Directions:
Make the Coconut Granola: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, combine oats, pecans, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla. Toss well to fully combine and make sure oats and nuts are coated with the wet ingredients. Spread in an even layer on prepared baking sheet. Season with a pinch of salt. Bake for 15 mins. Remove from oven, toss the granola, and return to the oven for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle coconut flakes onto granola, and toss the mix again. Bake for 5 more minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, make the Vanilla Bean Yogurt: In a mixing bowl, combine greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla bean paste. Stir well to combine. Set aside in the fridge until ready to assemble.
Assemble the Tropical Banana Splits: Place split bananas in serving dishes. Top each banana with a ¼ of the yogurt mix, ¼ cup granola, and fruit divided evenly between the dishes. Serve immediately!
Assemble the PB&J Banana Splits: Place split bananas in serving dishes. Top each banana with a ¼ of the yogurt mix, 1tbsp of melted peanut butter, and berries divided evenly between the dishes. Serve immediately!
Recipe notes:
*Unrefined coconut oil has a stronger coconut flavor than refined, so that's why I like it in this granola. It really helps the coconut flavor shine!
*Peanut butter burns quickly, so be careful while melting it. Since it's such a small amount, it should only take 15-20 seconds to melt.
*If you're not serving these all at once, store all of the components separately in the fridge (except for the granola...that can go in an airtight container in the pantry), and assemble when you're ready to eat.
*You'll have granola left over to use however you like. It'll keep in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.
*This recipe would be super fun to serve at a brunch party as a DIY banana split station. You could keep all of the fruit and topping options in little bowls, and let your guests build their perfect treat. Some mini chocolate chips would be a great addition, too!
*This is the vanilla bean paste that I use.
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