[2] The traditional banana split (photo © California Milk Advisory Board).

How should you celebrate August 25th, National Banana Split Day?

There’s the tried and true banana split, of course. Classically served in a long dish, called a boat (which gives the sundae its alternative name, banana boat), the recipe is familiar to most ice cream lovers:

A banana is cut in half lengthwise and set in the dish with scoops of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream. The strawberry ice cream is garnished with pineapple topping, chocolate syrup is poured on the vanilla ice cream and strawberry topping covers the chocolate ice cream. Crushed nuts, whipped cream, and maraschino cherries garnish the entire boat.

Today, there are many variations to the classic banana split. We’ve had other Banana Split Sushi, Banana Split Cheesecake, and the recipe below, Deconstructed Banana Split.
 
 
RECIPE: DECONSTRUCTED BANANA SPLIT

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. CUT the bananas in half width-wise, and then lengthwise. Sauté in butter with a dash of cinnamon until browned. Arrange on a plate, as shown in the photo.

2. ARRANGE the other ingredients: whipped cream, caramel corn, and fruit.

3. DRIZZLE with sauce or fruit purée of choice.

The soda fountains of yore were the equivalent of today’s Starbucks, where people met for refreshments and socializing. Soda jerks were the mixologists of their day*, inventing treats to excite customers. Malted milks, banana splits, and phosphates emerged at the soda fountains of neighborhood drugstores in the 1890s.

In those days, “jerk” was not a derogatory term; it referred to the quick, sharp pull as the attendant drew the carbonated water tap forward.

David Evans Strickler, a 23-year-old apprentice pharmacist at Tassel Pharmacy in Latrobe, Pennsylvania*, enjoyed taking on the soda jerk role and inventing sundaes at the store’s soda fountain. He invented the “banana-based triple scoop ice cream sundae in 1904.

The sundae originally cost 10 cents, twice the price of other sundaes, and caught on with students of nearby Saint Vincent College. In those pre-digital days, news of the nifty new sundae quickly spread by word-of-mouth, written correspondence, and newspaper coverage.

It must have done well for Strickler: He went on to buy the pharmacy, renaming it Strickler’s Pharmacy.

The city of Latrobe celebrated the 100th anniversary of the invention of the banana split in 2004. In the same year, the National Ice Cream Retailers Association certified Latrobe as the birthplace of the banana split. It hosts an annual Great American Banana Split Festival in August (it starts today).

The city has the original soda fountain where the banana split was created.

Others tried their hand at the recipe. One, published in 1907, called for a lengthwise split banana, two cones of ice cream at each end of the dish, and a mound of whipped cream in between with maraschino cherry on top. One end was covered with chopped mixed nuts and the other with chopped mixed fruits. [Source: Wikipedia]

Here’s the history of the ice cream sundae, and the long history of ice cream in general.
 
 
________________

*According to Wikipedia, Walgreens is credited with spreading the popularity of the banana split. A chain of drug stores established in the Chicago area in 1901 by Charles Rudolph Walgreen, Walgreens promoted the banana split as a signature dessert. But was it served when the store opened, or did someone at Walgreens read the recipe and adopt it. Did Walgreens bestow the name Banana Split to the “banana-based triple ice cream sundae”? So far, the record is mute.
 
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Updated August 2026

The summer’s selection of stone fruits are begging for a naked cake. June through September is prime stone fruit season in the U.S.

Below:

> What are stone fruits?

> Recipe: naked cake with stone fruits.

> Recipe: berry fruit purée (a sauce for the cake).

> The year’s 14 stone fruit holidays.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> What’s naked cake?

> The history of apricots.

> The history of cherries.

> The history of peaches.

> The history of mangoes.

> 20 ways to enjoy apricots.

> The year’s 80 fruit holidays.
 

[5] Stone fruits from left to right: apricots, cherries, lychees, mangoes, nectarines, olives, peaches, and plums.
 
 
1. WHAT ARE STONE FRUITS?

Stone fruits are members of the Prunus genus. Most stone fruits are native to warmer climates. That’s why in the U.S., much of the local supply comes in July and August. They include:

 
Among botanists, a stone fruit is also called a drupe: a category of fruit with a large, hard stone (pit) inside fleshy, edible fruit, and thin skin.

The stone (pit) is often thought of as the the seed, but the seed is actually inside the stone.

Not all drupes are stone fruits. Here are more members of the family:

 
Not all drupes have single large stones.

 
Not every fruit with a large stone is a drupe.

 
BONUS: You’ve just read through a lot of botany. You deserve this song from Ray Charles.

[2] Does a light swath of icing make this a semi-naked cake? This recipe, from Wife Mama Foodie, is a spice cake topped with fresh figs. Figs aren’t stone fruit, but they’re a luscious summer fruit.

[3] We actually prefer mixed berries to all strawberries. This naked cake is calling our name (photo Wife Mama Foodie | Facebook).

[4] If you don’t like to measure, use a box mix. But The Kitchn proves it’s not a time saver (photo © The Nibble).

Naked Cake is just the thing for summer. It requires no frosting on the sides, although some bakers like to use a thin swath of it.

Here’s more about naked cake, with plenty of photos of different presentations.

You can make any layer cake, but we prefer our homemade pound cake recipe (it’s more buttery). And guess what: box mixes don’t save time. The Kitchn did side-by-side tests; here are the results.

What you do save is a wee bit of clean-up, although we just stick the measuring spoons and cups in the dishwasher.

It’s different with whipped cream. Home-beaten cream is so luxurious, but does take 10 minutes. If you’re time-strapped, grab a couple of cans of Reddi-Wip.

Round cake layers are more elegant to present, but loaf cakes are easier to slice. To use a loaf cake, cut two slices and put the filling and fruit on the bottom; add the top layer and the sauce.
 
Ingredients

 
 
3. RECIPE: BERRY FRUIT PUREÉ (SAUCE)

This recipe is especially good with blackberries, boysenberries and raspberries. You can use fresh or frozen berries. Frozen is less expensive, and once you mix the purée with sugar and lemon juice, you can’t tell the difference.
 
Ingredients For About 1 Cup

 
Preparation

1. SORT and wash the berries (or thaw if frozen). Drain, cap and de-stem unsweetened berries.

2. COMBINE the berries, sugar, and lemon juice in a food processor fitted with the metal blade; process to a smooth purée, about 30 seconds. NOTE: Puréeing may be done in a blender or a food processor. If using a blender, make sure that any seeds are not ground so finely that they will pass through the sieve.

3. POUR the mixture into a fine sieve set over a bowl. Use a rubber spatula to stir and press the purée through the sieve. Discard the solids. Taste and add more sugar if necessary. (Editor’s note: Less is more when it comes to sugar.)

4. REFRIGERATE in a non-reactive container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
 
 
4. THE YEAR’S 14 STONE FRUIT HOLIDAYS
 
Apricots

 
Cherries

 
Mangoes

 
Olives

 
Peaches

________________

*While photo #1 uses chocolate sauce, we think summer is too heavy for the cream-based dessert sauces (chocolate, butterscotch, caramel). A berry purée is just right.

†When making purée from frozen fruit, let the berries thaw in a colander over a bowl. Once the berries have thawed, pat them dry before blending. By draining the berries first, you get a thicker purée.
 
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] BLT Wafflewich, a waffle sandwich (photo courtesy Elegant Affairs Caterers).

[2] Waffle cups aren’t just for sundaes. Use them to hold a crisp, healthy veggie salad (photo courtesy Joy Cone Company).

[3] You can take a gourmet approach to chicken and waffles with little touches like these (photo courtesy Honey Butter Fried Chicken | Chicago).

[4] Smoked salmon on top of scallion-dill Greek yogurt. If you’re flush, add some caviar, as they do at Tsar Nicoulai.

Waffles: American, Belgian, Brussels, Liege, Hong Kong, and more: Is there anyone who If you’d like to know the different types of waffles, take a look.
The ancestor of waffles dates back to the Neolithic age; the ancient Greeks invented the practice of cooking them between two hot metal plates.

But the waffle iron we know today, with the honeycomb pattern, was invented by some nameless hero metalsmith in the 13th century. Here’s the history of waffles.

National Waffle Day is August 24th, a good reason to enjoy a warm, fragrant, crusty waffle.

And a good reason to go beyond the original, simple waffle with maple syrup, to some of the more creative ideas below.

Below:

> Waffle recipe overview.

> Savory waffles and toppings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

> Sweet waffles for breakfast and lunch.

> Sweet waffles for dessert.

> Waffle cooking tips.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The different types of: a photo glossary.

> The history of waffles: a timeline.

> 10 more uses for your waffle iron.

> The year’s 8 waffle and French toast holidays.
 
 
OVERVIEW: WAFFLE RECIPE IDEAS

Some would say that any waffle is a good waffle, and we wouldn’t disagree. Others have never had anything beyond a plain waffle with maple or pecan syrup, butter and a side of bacon or sausage.

Let us provide some inspiration:

 

[9] Waffle sticks, the latest shape, can be used conventionally, made into rectangular “biscuits” for soups and salads, used as dippers for dips and fondus, or turned into chocolate “ladyfingers” with ice cream and after-dinner coffee. This inexpensive waffle stick maker is from Walmart.

These recipe ideas work for any meal:

Top savory waffles with:

 
 
SWEET WAFFLES FOR BREAKFAST & LUNCH

 
 
SWEET DESSERT WAFFLES & TOPPINGS

 
 
Sweet Waffle Toppings

[5] For lunch: a PB&J wafflewich. Here’s the recipe from Cait’s Plate.

[6] For dessert: S’mores waffles. Here’s the recipe from Posie Harwood for King Arthur Flour).

[7] Who needs a banana split dish? Roll the ingredients in a waffle. Here’s the recipe from Krusteaz).

[8] Blueberry cheesecake waffles. Here’s the recipe from Cafe Delites.

 
 
WAFFLE COOKING TIPS

Some tips from Krups, makers of small kitchen appliances including waffle makers, on how to make the best waffles.

1. Read the instruction manual before plugging in the waffle iron. Unless you use your waffle iron often, brush up. You need to know more beyond pushing the ON button.

2. Treat the batter gently. Don’t mix it too quickly or vigorously. Use a slow, even tempo to get the right consistency, or your waffles will be tough and chewy.

3. Don’t lift the lid while the waffles cook. As tempting as it may be to peek, it lets out steam needed to fully cook the waffle.

4. Don’t use cooking spray on your waffle iron. Instead, cover the surface lightly with vegetable oil, using a basting brush or a paper towel. You’ll get a better crust on the waffle; and perhaps more importantly, Your waffle iron will last much longer. Chemicals in the sprays can affect the surface over time, and cause even more sticking.
 
________________

*Sawmill gravy is a white gravy or béchamel sauce with added bits of mild sausage or chicken liver; the roux is made from meat drippings. It is also called country gravy. See the different types of gravy.
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.