Banana Ice Cream (In The Ice Cream Maker + A Video)
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This rich and luscious homemade ice cream base blended with roasted banana mash boasts robust banana flavor and creamy texture. Top with fresh whipped cream + banana slices, homemade salted caramel sauce, homemade magic shell, or your favorite ice cream topping.
THIS IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL ICE CREAM FROM BANANAS
Ice cream purists, this is the recipe for you. This roasted banana ice cream is not a “nice cream” alternative made to convince you that frozen bananas are somehow a substitute for the creamy, indulgent experience of true ice cream. No, this is the real deal— homemade, rich, and flavorful, yet surprisingly simple to make.
With no eggs in the base, you can whip up this ice cream base quickly without sacrificing that luscious texture or robust flavor. And the key ingredient? Roasted bananas, just like in my banana pudding cheesecake and my banana bread with unripe bananas. Roasting bananas unlocks their natural sweetness and adds a depth of flavor that raw bananas just can’t compete with.
If you’ve been here before, you already know I’m no stranger to crafting reliable, easy ice cream recipes. My peach ice cream is a summer favorite, and my pumpkin ice cream is the ultimate fall treat. Both start with the same versatile base that shapes the foundation of this roasted banana version, so you know you’re in for a treat.
But don’t just toss any roasted banana into the mix and call it a day. Pay close attention to my tips– bananas can vary in sweetness even after roasting, and striking the right balance is the key to making this ice cream sing. Don’t worry, I have all the pointers about this.
So whether you’re a die-hard banana lover or just curious about what roasting can do to boost this classic flavor, this ice cream is proof that the simplest ingredients can create something extraordinary and supremely delicious.
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED
Believe it or not, homemade ice cream is crazy simple. You only need 7 total ingredients to make this roasted banana version.
BANANAS: you’ll need 4 medium size bananas. I like to roast bananas that have zero brown specks and are entirely yellow. I have roasted bananas with a little bit of green on them with great success, too. Even if you’re using very ripe bananas, you’ll still want to roast them a bit to enhance the flavor, so be sure you’re paying attention to them when they’re in the oven and look for “done” cues.
BROWN & GRANULATED SUGAR: the brown sugar will help caramelize the bananas that are roasting in the oven, and you’ll use the white sugar for sweetening the ice cream base.
HEAVY CREAM: this will be the base of the ice cream, and heavy cream brings a solid amount of fat. You will not want to use half-and-half or any substitution here. Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream can be used interchangeably here.
WHOLE MILK: this is another one I don’t recommend substituting, and no, you won’t want to use more heavy cream here.
VANILLA EXTRACT: for flavor, of course.
SALT: don’t leave it out! This will help balance and offset the sweetness.
HOW TO MAKE BANANA ICE CREAM
Before you begin: make sure your ice cream maker is frozen and ready to go!
ROAST THE BANANAS
This process is really simple and will be the only time you need to turn on your oven when making ice cream. Slice, sugar, bake, mash. It’s really that easy! You’ll find detailed instructions about this process in the recipe below.
MAKE THE ICE CREAM BASE
This is a matter of blending together the remaining ingredients and half of the roasted mashed bananas. In the recipe, I’ll instruct you to taste the ice cream base to evaluate its sweetness level. Since bananas will vary in sweetness based on how ripe they are, you may have sweeter roasted bananas one time as compared with another.
You know your preference! I don’t recommend adding more than ¼ cup (50g) total of additional sugar.
I like to use a blender for this step to really get those bananas into every single nook and cranny of this banana ice cream!
CHURN THE ICE CREAM
Turn your dasher on, then slowly pour in your blended mixture. It will take everyone’s machine a different amount of time to be done.
HOW TO TELL WHEN ICE CREAM IN AN ICE CREAM MACHINE IS DONE
You can do a couple checks here, both visually and by checking the texture.
Look for:
• a smooth, thick consistency
• no visible liquid
• slight pulling from the sides of the maker
• clumping on the dasher
Feel for:
• use a spoon to grab a sample– does it feel like ice cream or is it still wet?
• you want the current consistency to be like soft-serve
The ice cream machine I use is linked in the recipe, and mine usually takes about 10 minutes to finish, regardless of the flavor. Pay attention to these cues and you’ll be golden!
STIR IN REMAINING BANANAS
Once you’re sure your banana ice cream is done churning, stir in the remaining mashed banana mixture. You’ll want it incorporated but still slightly visible. Think of it as swirls in the end product. I stir about 4 or 5 times total.
FREEZE
Transfer your ice cream to a freezer-safe container. I like to use a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan, but you can put it in any container that it fits in. Freeze for at least 2 hours, but it’s ideal to freeze homemade ice cream overnight for best consistency results.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BANANA ICE CREAM
While we enjoyed this ice cream as is, I’m a toppings girlie at heart when it comes to ice cream. I recommend making a batch of homemade magic shell if you like bananas + chocolate.
If you are a bananas + peanut butter fan, consider swirling this ice cream in the same manner I swirled my no churn peanut butter ripple ice cream.
Don’t forget about salted caramel sauce or bourbon caramel sauce if you’re feeling boozy!
And one last one, use the heavy cream to make fresh whipped cream and add banana slices for an over-the-top bowl of banana ice cream. BONUS, you can roast those ones, too, for an extra special topping!
The Best Banana Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
ROASTED BANANAS
- 4 medium size bananas approximately 6" long
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) firmly packed light brown sugar
ICE CREAM
- 2 cups (480mL) heavy cream
- 1 cup (240mL) whole milk
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar1
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Before beginning anything, make sure your ice cream maker is frozen and prepped!
ROASTED BANANAS
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (204ºC). Prepare a small baking sheet or baking dish. You can line it with parchment paper or a silicone mat to reduce mess if you like. Set aside.
- Situate each banana so that the curved part is on a surface or cutting board and the ends are facing up. Slice each banana in half long ways, then lay the sliced bananas on the pan, exposed banana side up.
- Sprinkle the bananas with the brown sugar and then turn each of them over so that the skins now face up and the exposed banana is on the prepared pan.
- Roast the bananas for 10 minutes or until the skins are completely black and leaking juices from the sides. You may only need 6-8 minutes for riper bananas.
- Remove the bananas from the oven, carefully remove the skins, and place the roasted bananas and all of the juices and caramelized sugar into a small bowl.
- Mash the bananas in the bowl using a fork and set them aside to cool while you make the rest of the ice cream.
ICE CREAM
- Place prepared ice cream maker attachment onto stand mixer fitted with the dasher.
- In a blender, combine the heavy cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add approximately half of the mashed roasted banana mixture, then blend until most of the larger banana chunks have dissipated.2 cups (480mL) heavy cream, 1 cup (240mL) whole milk, ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar1, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Taste the mixture: depending on how ripe your bananas were to begin with, your ice cream may vary in sweetness. See note #2 below for details.
- Turn on the mixer so dasher is rotating and slowly pour ice cream mixture into the canister. Process according to manufacturer’s directions (it should take about 20-30 minutes).
- When ice cream is finished churning, remove the ice cream maker from the mixer, add the remaining banana mixture, and stir to distribute evenly.
- Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 2 hours. See below3,4 for topping ideas.
Video
Notes
- Granulated sugar: you may need a bit more, but don’t add any more just yet. See step # for clarification.
- Taste the mixture: while in our testing we didn’t think this ice cream needed any additional sugar, your tastebuds may vary! Taste the mixture and decide for yourself. If you think it needs more sweetness, add 1-2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar, whisk together, and then taste the mixture again. I do not recommend adding more than ¼ cup (50g) total of additional sugar.
- Topping ideas: we enjoyed this ice cream as is, but I’m all about toppings when it comes to ice cream. I recommend making a batch of homemade magic shell if you like bananas + chocolate. If you are a bananas + peanut butter fan, consider swirling this ice cream in the same manner I swirled my no churn peanut butter ripple ice cream. Don’t forget about salted caramel sauce or bourbon caramel sauce if you’re feeling boozy!
- Homemade whipped cream: use the heavy cream to make fresh whipped cream and add banana slices for an over-the-top bowl of banana ice cream.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.