This 4-Ingredient Anti-Inflammatory Dessert Recipe Tastes Just Like a Banana Split—Here's How to Make It
Getty Images / Tanja Ivanova
Be it a Dairy Queen Blizzard, a scoop or two of Ben & Jerry's or a soft-serve cone from the ice cream truck, we're firm believers in the fact that dessert (yes, even of the real deal, full-fat, full-sugar version) can absolutely be part of a healthy diet. Yes, even daily!
So come the heat of summer—or this year with the early start to scorching temps, the heat of spring—we're majorly in the mood for some scoop shop treats. While we'll gladly still swing by our local ice cream parlor for dessert every so often, sometimes we want something a bit lighter that we can make at home.
Not to mention, a post-treat sugar crash isn't exactly our favorite way to feel during the day. This is why we're big fans of dessert-inspired recipes that are well-balanced enough to eat for breakfast. Case in point: Giada De Laurentiis' fruity sorbet (sans vodka), these 7 banana-based "nice" creams and our latest obsession: Jen Jones' Air-Fryer Vegan Banana Split.
Originally posted by Jones on TikTok in January, this 4-ingredient "dessert" recipe has racked up nearly 170,000 likes and more than 3 million views. This is far from your standard banana split. Rather than halving the bananas and serving them raw, or fussing over flambeing a la bananas foster, Jones scores a rich, caramelized result by air-frying her banana for just a few minutes.
That banana, by the way, is certainly no slouch in the nutrition department. A single banana comes packaged with plenty of fiber, vitamins and minerals like potassium and magnesium that combat chronic inflammation, ward off muscle cramps and support gut health. Fascinatingly, banana nutrition shifts slightly as they ripen. More ripe bananas with brown peels are even higher in antioxidants than their green-yellow peers, according to a 2016 study published in the journal Food Chemistry, so feel free to use a spotted piece of fruit as the pièce de résistance of this healthy banana split. (Bananas also just so happen to be our pick for the #1 fruit to eat when you're on a budget.)
Related: 26 Healthy Recipes to Make with a Bunch of Ripe Bananas
On top, Jones layers nut butter which adds several vitamins and minerals, a punch of protein and healthy fats, inflammation-fighting powers and, oh yes, delicious flavor. Then she finishes the dish off with a few walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon. ICYMI, every single one of the ingredients so far offers some serious anti-inflammatory benefits.
From there, the only limit is your imagination. We're envisioning mixing-and-matching other toppings ice cream parlor-style for even more nutrition, such as:
Sliced berries
Cherries
Pineapple
Dark chocolate
Jones' Air-Fryer Vegan Banana Split is a cinch to recreate. Simply use a knife to halve a banana from stem to end, and use your hands to gently pull the fruit into a "V" shape to hold ingredients. Add nut butter, walnuts and cinnamon, then air fry at 400 degrees for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until caramelized to your desired level. Top with your favorite bonus ingredient(s), grab a spoon, and devour.
