Banana Ice Cream
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Learn how to make homemade banana ice cream that’s rich, creamy, and packed with the caramelized sweetness of roasted bananas—all without the fuss of a traditional custard base!
The first time I tried real banana ice cream, made from actual bananas, was at Berthillon, the renowned ice cream shop on Île St-Louis in Paris. This banana ice cream recipe, adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop, is the closest I’ve come to recreating that taste memory—in fact, it’s even better!
What I love about homemade banana ice cream is that it’s naturally lower in fat than most ice cream flavors. The puréed bananas give it a thick, creamy texture without the need for eggs or heavy cream—it’s lighter but still totally indulgent. So if you’ve got a few extra-ripe bananas on the counter, and you’ve already done the banana bread thing, this recipe is a delicious change of pace.
“The perfect summer dessert—so much creaminess without all the fat. We sometimes sprinkle chocolate chips on top for fun. (My kids call it nice cream!) 😆”
What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Banana Ice Cream
- OVERRIPE BANANAS – The base of the ice cream mixture; use brown, spotty bananas for the most intense, sweet banana flavor.
- BUTTER & LIGHT BROWN SUGAR – Melt together to create a rich caramel sauce that enhances the roasted bananas and gives the ice cream deeper flavor.
- WHOLE MILK – Makes the ice cream creamy and smooth. If needed, sub with 1 cup low-fat or skim milk plus ½ cup heavy cream.
- GRANULATED SUGAR, VANILLA EXTRACT & LEMON JUICE – Granulated sugar sweetens the base, vanilla adds warmth, and lemon juice brightens everything up.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Slice and coat the bananas. Slice the bananas into ½-inch pieces and toss them with the brown sugar and butter in a 2-quart baking dish. Stir until the sugar melts into a caramel-like coating.
Step 2: Bake. Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring once, until the bananas are soft and deeply golden.
Step 3: Blend while warm. Immediately transfer the hot caramelized bananas to a blender or food processor—don’t wait too long or the caramelized sugar will harden.
Step 4: Add the remaining ingredients. Add the milk, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt, then process until the mixture is completely smooth.
Step 5: Chill, then churn. Refrigerate the mixture until cold (starting with a cold base helps it freeze faster and ensures a smooth, creamy texture), then churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Step 6: Freeze until scoopable. The ice cream will be soft straight from the machine; for a firmer texture, transfer it to a container and freeze for a few hours. Let sit at room temp for a few minutes to soften before scooping. The ice cream keeps well in the freezer for up to 1 week.
Want to take it up a notch? Try stirring in one (or more) of these extras toward the end of the ice cream maker’s cycle for a fun twist:
- A handful of semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
- A spoonful or two of creamy peanut butter or Nutella
- A ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- A handful toasted chopped nuts (my faves are pecans or walnuts)
Other Frozen Treats You May Like
Banana Ice Cream
This homemade banana ice cream is naturally low in fat but big on flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 medium-sized overripe bananas, peeled
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Slice the bananas into ½-inch pieces and toss them with the brown sugar and butter in a 2-quart baking dish until the sugar dissolves into a wet caramel-colored coating. Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring once during baking, until the bananas are soft and golden brown.
- Immediately transfer the bananas and caramel syrup into a blender or food processor (if you wait too long, the caramel will begin to harden). Add the milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and salt, and purée until smooth. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.
- Give the mixture a quick whisk, then freeze in ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer soft ice cream to plastic container and chill for a few hours until firm. Scoop and serve.
- Note: My only issue with this recipe is that it makes a rather small quantity of ice cream. If you double it, it makes 6 cups of ice cream base, which is too much for most standard ice cream machines. I have two bowls for my ice cream maker so I typically double the recipe and freeze it in two batches. If you only have one bowl and want to double the recipe, you can save half the base in the refrigerator overnight, then re-freeze your bowl for the second batch.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 169
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Sugar: 26 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 79 mg
- Cholesterol: 11 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Sorry, this is the first time I was disappointed with one of your recipes. This was not ice “cream” – it was ice milk. It lacked the smooth, creamy texture of ice cream. It had terrific flavor (caramelizing the bananas is a great idea), but the final product was icy and reminded me of store bought ice cream that has been left in the freezer too long and becomes freezer burned. Not a recipe I will try again.
So sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you, Anne. I have always found it to be very smooth and creamy. Did you use an ice cream machine? This recipe definitely requires it.
I will preface this by saying that I haven’t made the recipe yet, but my ice cream maker holds about 4 cups. So, I’m planning to use 4 bananas, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 2 cups of milk. Most of the other ingredients can stay the same, although why measure out 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract when you can use a whole teaspoon! That should increase the ingredients to about 4 cups. And I’m planning to make one batch oat milk because of my husband’s milk intolerance. But, I’ll make the real milk version for me. I think it will make wonderful ice cream!
This was exquisite! I am following WW (formerly Weight Watchers) and was looking for a dessert to serve for a Jamaican dinner party. The only adaptation I made was to switch the milk to 1% vs. whole, strictly for calorie and fat (i.e.: WW points) purposes. This will be a part of the standard rotation for the ice cream maker this season!
We LOVE your frozen yogurt recipes, and I wonder if this recipe might work using yogurt in place of the milk.
Hi Judy, so glad you like the recipes! I’ve never tried this with yogurt, so I’m not sure, but another reader commented that she replaced the milk with yogurt and was happy with the results. Please report back if you try it!
It was fun to make however I really wasn’t a fan of the taste. I don’t know what it was because I followed the recipe well. Don’t think I will be making again 🙁
My sister likes it though
Can we make it without an ice cream machine
Hi Rehana, Unfortunately, this recipe won’t work without an ice cream machine. Sorry!
Dear Jen, Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. I was looking for a way to use up an excess of bananas and I’m so glad I decided to make this delicious ice cream. The recipe was so simple to follow with spectacular results. This is now my husband’s favorite ice cream!
P.S. As I don’t currently have an ice cream maker I froze the mixture in a shallow Tupperware and then beat it every couple of hours to prevent large ice crystals from forming. Although not as smooth as using an ice cream maker the end result was still great.
Great recipe, simple and light. I executed it with some modifications to reduce the calories, replaced the milk with yogurt, reduced the sugar a little, and skipped the butter. It turned out great, thank you 😀
First off, I am not a fan of Bananas Foster. This ice cream reminded me of it too much. It is a tasty ice cream however its make good smoothies and other desserts using fruits and nuts so the banana played to background flavor. It was really good as a background flavor adding richness and subtleties to the dishes.
This recipe is awesome. I am a very picky person with my desserts… this is one of the best recipes. If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer with the ice cream maker attachment, the double batch will fit no problem. Towards the end when it’s almost finished in the ice cream maker, I’ve added crushed walnuts one time and it was pretty dang good. This ice cream is also good by itself without the nuts
My husband and our friends Loved this. Third time today making it.
Great banana flavor, thanks for another keeper. At this point if someone didn’t rate your recipe with 5 stars, I assume they made it wrong, even if they are a “professional chef.” Everything on your site is amazing!
Very good & very easy. Love that the milk mixture doesn’t need cooking; I get so tired stirring on the stove top with other ice cream recipes. Roast the bananas & you’re nearly done. Stirred in some roasted salted almonds after the machine & before the hard freezing; next time might add a fudge ripple for a sundae-in-a-scoop.