I was looking at different recipe’s for cake/cupcakes for my niece’s upcoming birthday party when I stumbled upon this recipe on PaulaDeen.com. Considering my sister is throwing Ella an outdoor splash party…and we have been in the middle of a heat wave…I thought a frozen ice cream style cake (in lieu of a traditional cake) would be absolutely perfect for the occasion.
And a recipe from Paula Deen? You KNOW it’s going to be good. And it doesn’t even contain a stick of butter! 
Naturally I had to make a trial run… just to make sure all of the praise-filled reviews lived up to my expectations. (And lets just say anything involving hot fudge probably would exceed my expectations! haha Hence, it HAD to be made.)
The Ingredients:
Ice Cream Sandwiches (12 pack if cutting in half or 24 pack if using them whole)
A Bunch of Bananas
A Jar of Hot Fudge
A Jar of Butterscotch Topping
A Pack of Nut Topping OR Toffee bits
A Jar Maraschino Cherries
Cool Whip
Step 1:
The recipe calls for a 9×13 dish to be used… but I used a 9×9. Jon and I certainly don’t need to be eating an entire 9×13 dish of banana split by ourselves. haha And, like I said, this was just a trial run.
Paula recommends using heaving aluminum foil on the bottom of the dish so you can pull it out easily to cut into squares. I didn’t have heavy foil so I used regular foil. Probably not the most ideal but I doubled up.
Step 2:
Unwrap your ice cream sandwiches. Now here is where I deviated from the recipe. My dish wasn’t going to be deep enough to use two layers of full ice cream sandwiches, so I cut them down the middle. In hindsight, I may have just used a deeper dish.
After you cut them in half, put the remaining half sandwiches back in the freezer. (I learned my lesson the hard way…you’ll see.)
Step 3:
Layer the bottom of your dish with the sandwiches (or halves). Cut them to fit the dish.
Step 4:
Slice your bananas and layer them on top of the ice cream sandwiches. I cut mine “banana split” style… but next time I will slice them in horizontal, thin slices.
Step 5:
Layer the Goodies!!
1. Pour the Jar of Hot Fudge evenly over the bananas
2. Add the Cherries (drained well) and Nut Topping (or toffee bits)
3. Pour the Jar of Butterscotch topping evenly over the cherries
4. Top with the remaining halves (or whole if you are making it that way) of sandwiches.
You can see why I say put your unused sandwiches back in the freezer.
Step 6:
Layer the top with a spread of Cool Whip.
Step 7:
Cover and allow to freeze for AT LEAST 4 hours.
Once frozen, cut up into squares and enjoy!
You can drizzle the top with chocolate or top with nuts… however you would like your presentation. This is pretty much an “anything goes” recipe… add whatever you like on your banana split: Strawberries, Pineapple Topping, Sprinkles… Go hog wild.
*Tips on what to expect:
♥ The bananas are going to freeze and taste just like a… you guessed it… a frozen banana. When (not if) I make it again, I will layer a thinly sliced banana inside and then sprinkle the top with some fresh banana pieces as well.
♥ The hot fudge and butterscotch do not freeze. I was curious what would happen to them while they were freezing. Instead, they are still gooey and heavenly, which is perfect with the ice cream.
♥ Cutting the sandwich in half eliminates half of the ice cream. Originally I thought that two whole layers of ice cream sandwiches might be too much. I may have been wrong. haha I will definitely experiment using whole sandwiches next time. I mean, who doesn’t like an ice cream sandwich? The more the merrier. Amen?
♥ The nut topping was a subtle treat, but I will try the toffee bits next time. I’m not usually a fan of hard, crunchy toppings in my ice cream (like m&ms)… I always feel like I am going to crack a tooth. haha But it might add just that extra little bit of zing to this otherwise heavenly treat!
This is just the perfect summertime dessert. It is super easy to make and your family will love it. Such a treat on a hot day! I must warn you in advance, it is unbelievably addicting. But don’t blame me; it’s all Paul Deen’s fault.
Enjoy!
PS… I made you are recipe card! Save it to your computer or print it out! 
Paula Deen’s recipe link: Frozen Banana Split.
Post linked to Friday Favorites at Simply Sweet Home.
