It’s National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day—A Surprisingly Gay Holiday

Happy National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day!

Surprisingly, this holiday was invented in New York in the middle of the winter. Created in the 1960s (clearly, because it’s a groovy idea), the day is further proof that you can eat ice cream at any time of the year, any time of the day, and on any occasion. So on the first Saturday in February, go ahead and get your treat on. Before noon. We won’t judge (National Today).

And for a subsection of society that stereotypically eschews carbohydrates, the gays love ice cream.

A cursory google search reveals Olympian diver Tom Daley loves the confectionary treat. Daley even has a post-workout fave: Banana Ice Cream Three Ways. Daley says, “My favourite post workout snack is this super quick and easy banana ice cream! You can make it a great vegan treat too if you use cow’s milk alternatives. Let me know what you think!”

Daley loves pops too.

There’s even boy love yaoi featuring boys licking cones.

Then of course there’s Cazwell’s ode to ice cream.

There’s his original 2010 summer anthem.

The jam was so popular he remixed it in 2020.

And there’s even an official queer brand: Big Gay Ice Cream. started with an ice cream truck and now operates 4 storefronts in the city and one in Philadelphia. Co-founded by Doug Quint and Bryan Petroff, BGIC specializes in soft serve ice cream cones, cups, and novelties with a menu of unique and unusual flavors and toppings.

The use of gay in the company name refers both to the sexual orientation of co-founders Doug Quint and Bryan Petroff, as well as its older, seldom-used definition, happy. According to Quint: “If I weren’t gay, I wouldn’t call it the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck. And if I weren’t happy, I wouldn’t have the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck. It would just be the big crabby ice cream truck.”

BGIC even has an official theme song, written and recorded by Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s.

Find the location nearest to you here.

But the specific celebratory recipe is The Breakfast Banana Split (recipe below).

Official Recipe:  The Breakfast Banana Split

Prep Time:  10 minutes
Servings:  1-2

Ingredients

• 1 Pint Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey Ice Cream
• 2 Tablespoons of Sliced Almonds
• 2 Frozen Toaster Waffles
• 1 Banana
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• Unsalted Butter
• Chocolate Syrup

Directions

1. Peel banana and chop it into thick, round slices.  Sprinkle each banana slice with a pinch of brown sugar.
2. Add butter to a medium size nonstick pan and heat over medium high heat.  Add banana slices and remaining brown sugar.
3. Cook bananas until golden brown underneath (about 4-5 minutes).  Gently flip bananas to brown other side (about 1 minute) and then immediately set aside caramelized bananas on plate.
4. Toast frozen waffles in toaster or toaster oven until golden brown.
5. Place the pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream on its side.  With a large chef’s knife or serrated knife, cut all the way through the pint of ice cream near the lid.  Make another cut about 2 inches below the first cut to form a thick, round slice of ice cream with packaging still attached.
6. Place the ice cream slice on one toaster waffle and unwrap the carton from ice cream.
7. Place caramelized bananas on top of ice cream (creating a layer of banana) and drizzle chocolate syrup on top.  Sprinkle sliced almonds on top of syrup.
8. Place second toaster waffle on top to form a breakfast sandwich.  You’re welcome.