Grilled Banana Split Recipe

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One of my favorite grilled desserts is this Grilled Banana Split. It’s simplicity at it’s finest. Bananas, ice cream and toppings. An easy no fuss dessert that is just fancy enough that you can get away with serving it to guests.

Each summer, I do something that some parents would find unconventional. I completely unschedule my family for the summer. I limit the number of activities they will be participating in, slow down the play dates, limit the familial obligations and build in plenty of down time. After a hectic school year, I want my kids to have plenty of time to decompress and relax.

Long before summer begins, I begin by unscheduling myself. Being self-employed, I am able to tailor my schedule to accommodate my children being home. I complete as much work as I can during the school year, so by the time summer arrives – I am ready. I limit my work to the essential and ditch all the non-essential tasks. Once the kids are off, I work during the very early morning hours. This allows me to get everything done long before anyone in the house is looking for me. I love being able to spend time with my kids and not feel the guilt of working while they are home.

Once my schedule is cleaned up, it’s time to start unscheduling my kids. Although it isn’t easy to say no, I find that it does get easier with practice. I say no thank you to the summer leagues, summer camps and endless summer programs. Starting in June, I talk to my kids and find out what they want to do most. We make a loose list of all the places and things they want to see and then we schedule it in – with a pencil!

You might be wondering what I do with them all day.

Well, I try my best to keep everything as simple as possible. We read, we swim at the beach, we swim at the pool, we take walks in the woods, we hit up all the local playgrounds, we draw, we go to the library, we eat ice cream, we play tag, we ride bikes, we ride scooters, we build forts….we do really simple, fun, kid stuff.

After all that fun, I try to beat the heat by wrapping our days up with a simple dinner and dessert on the grill. As the heat of the day wears off, we spend the evening in the backyard. While I grill up an easy dinner, they play on the swings, slip on the slip and slide, bounce on the trampoline and chase fireflies. By the time dinner is done and it’s time for dessert, they are done for the day. They are happy, tired and content, and so am I.

One of my favorite summer desserts is this Grilled Banana Split. It’s simplicity at it’s finest. Bananas, brown sugar, Blue Bunny® ice cream and toppings. An easy no fuss dessert that is just fancy enough that you can get away with serving it to guests. 😉

GRILLED BANANA SPLIT RECIPE

Makes 5 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 5 medium, firm bananas (smooshy bananas will not work!)
• Blue Bunny ice cream for serving (the kids picked out Blue Bunny® Bunny Tracks®, Blue Bunny® Butter Pecan and Blue Bunny® Vanilla Bean at Walmart – the new clear packaging allows kids to see the flavor swirls, which makes decision-making so much easier!)
• Smucker’s Magic Shell Chocolate Fudge Flavored Topping

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the grill. In a small bowl, combine the honey, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg set aside. Peel and cut bananas in half lengthwise. Set aside on a clean platter and let sit for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Place bananas cut side down on grill. Cover and grill over medium heat for 2 minutes or until grill marks appear.

Step 3: Using tongs, carefully turn over and brush with honey mixture. Cover and grill 2-3 minutes longer or until tender. (Do not overcook or they will turn into mush. Adults may not care, but picky kid eaters will!)

Step 4: Serve immediately with ice cream and magic shell.

Happy unscheduling,

Daniele

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