Banana Ice Cream Simple Homemade Recipe Wellplated Com

What we have today is a real-deal, from-scratch, old-fashioned banana ice cream recipe with milk, cream, eggs, and should you desire, bonus add-in flavors like peanut butter and/or chocolate chips. I know that one-ingredient banana “nice cream” (the one that caused me to burn out my mini blender) is social media famous, and I do still enjoy it from time to time when I need a healthy dessert fix. But—and I think we should all be honest about this for a moment—it’s not real ice cream. Sure, frozen bananas taste like ice cream (a little), but it’s not the same as having a bowl of truly spectacular, real-deal ice cream. If you want luscious, creamy banana ice cream the way your grandmother would have done it—with real cream, eggs, and a touch of sugar—THIS IS THAT RECIPE. Real-deal ice cream is one of summer’s greatest joys. It’s actually surprisingly easy and fun to make ice cream from scratch! If at this point you are wondering, Why would I make ice cream when I can just buy it, let me share my top two reasons. Now, compare that list to this simple banana ice cream recipe. Milk. Cream. Banana. Eggs. Vanilla. That is pretty much it. In comparison, the first container of store-bought ice cream I checked at the grocery store contained well over 15 ingredients. The joy of watching custard you conjured from eggs and milk transform into a bowl of sweet, creamy summer bliss cannot be oversold.

How to Make Banana Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream is easy to make, even for a novice cook, and its flavor is so superior to the mass-produced stuff, you’ll be gleefully ruined for life. Just make sure to choose each ingredient carefully, as its taste will shine.

The Ingredients

Bananas. The riper, spottier, and uglier, the better. A deeply ripe banana will give you the best natural sweetness, creaminess, and banana flavor.

Eggs. I like to use cage-free eggs. The shells are sturdier, the yolks are more vibrantly colored, and the flavor is purer.Whole Milk + Heavy Cream. This is not the place to count banana ice cream calories. If you try to swap skim (or any other milk), the ice cream will be more icy than soft. Conversely, I don’t think you need entirely heavy cream, as this ice cream is already quite rich. The ratio of 1 cup milk to 2 cups heavy cream is the right one for us.Rum. Since homemade ice cream is made without additives, it freezes harder than mass-produced ice cream. Because alcohol doesn’t freeze, a splash of rum keeps the ice cream softer.

Sugar. Just 2/3 cup makes this ice cream taste like a treat, without stealing the spotlight from the banana’s natural fruity sweetness.

The Directions

Special Banana Ice Cream Flavors

As written, this recipe makes an outstanding banana ice cream. It is simple and sublime. If you’d like to gussy it up, here are a few ideas to get you started: If you prefer not to include alcohol, you can omit it and set the ice cream out 15 minutes prior to serving to give it additional time to soften.

Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips. Chocolate banana ice cream is my go-to! Toward the end of the ice cream maker’s cycle, slowly add 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks. I like to chop up a good-quality dark chocolate bar. We’re making ice cream from scratch. No skimping!Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream. Toward the end of the ice cream maker’s cycle, slowly add 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter.Chunky Monkey Banana Ice Cream. Combine both of the above! Toward the end of the ice cream maker’s cycle, slowly add 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter and 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips.Ultimate Reeses Banana Ice Cream. Another way to peanut butter! Toward the end of the ice cream maker’s cycle, slowly add 1/2 cup chopped peanut butter cup candies.Banana Walnut Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream. Toward the end of the ice cream maker’s cycle, slowly add 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts (or pecans) and 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate.

Storage Tips

To Store. Freeze ice cream in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Ice Cream Maker. I use the ice cream maker attachment that fits on my KitchenAid stand mixer. You can also use a regular ice cream maker.Blender. Helps ensure a smooth and creamy ice cream. Spatula. Heat-resistant, long-lasting, and versatile.

Stop wondering where to buy banana ice cream, and start treating yourself to this homemade, healthy banana ice cream instead!