Banana Split Parfait

Like lunch and dinner and supper, Malaysians want flavor; they want spice in their breakfast.  A hot bowl of sizzling curry laksa (coconut curry noodle dish), nasi lemak (the iconic Malaysian coconut rice dish wrapped in a banana leaf), roti canai with teh tarik (Indian flatbread with very sweet pulled tea), dosai served with chutney (an Indian style crepe), Cantonese-style dim sum with steamed dumplings, chicken porridge, a variety of rice noodle dishes, and yes, even bread too – roti bakar with kopi-o (charcoal-roasted thick bread with coconut jam, served with half boiled eggs, and a strong local coffee).


Western style breakfast items like pancakes, scones, and cereals have also become a more common sight on the Malaysian breakfast table.


So what do Malaysians like to eat for breakfast?  Anything.

Ever since that year I worked at Dairy Queen – eating candy out of a five gallon bucket - I have gradually lived a healthier lifestyle.  Less sugar.  Less processed foods.  Less buckets.


But I still crave my favorite DQ treat - the Banana Split.

Banana Split Parfait (Low Sugar) Recipe
Makes 3 servings


Ingredients:
Whipped cream:
   One cup heavy whipping cream (36%-40% milk fat content) 
   1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp of vanilla extract)
   1/2 tsp corn flour
Chocolate Sauce:
   3 tsp cocoa powder
   4 tsp milk
   2 tsp powdered sugar
   Just a little bit of vanilla paste or vanilla extract
Layers: 
   One cup of sliced strawberries
   One cup of sliced bananas 
   1/2 cup of crushed walnuts 


Process:
1. Whip up sugarless vanilla cream and refrigerate until using (click here for instructions)
2. In a small bowl, add cocoa powder and milk. Mix well with a spoon, until smooth. Add in vanilla paste and powdered sugar, and mix again until smooth. 
3. Layer jar with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, walnuts, strawberries, bananas, and whatever other ingredients you would like to add. To re-create the Dairy Queen banana split, add pineapple too. 


Notes:
- Hershey’s Chocolate Sauce - aka Hershey’s Corn Syrup Sauce - is more sugar than chocolate, so I highly recommend making a healthier, homemade version.
- This parfait would be delicious with vanilla ice cream too, but I chose whipped cream in order to cut the unnecessary sugar out. And since whipped cream has a lot more air whipped into it than ice cream, you will naturally eat more fruit and nuts than the fatty cream.