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
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, from 1 lemon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Slice the bananas into ½-inch (1.3-cm) pieces and toss them with the brown sugar and butter in a 2-quart (2-liter) 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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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Comments
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What an awesome recipe! I replaced the whole milk with almond milk (barista blend) and it came out perfectly. My family absolutely loves it! Thank you ☺️
Did you add the cream also along with the Almond milk? I am dairy free.
I have made this twice in the past week, it is that amazingly delicious. It tastes like a super creamy banana foster ice cream. It’s extremely easy to make. It has became our favorite.
Made this just as the recipe says, except doubled it for my larger ice cream freezer. DELICIOUS! I have been making homemade ice cream for decades, but this is the creamiest I have ever made. Perfect ice cream!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
This is a really wonderful recipe as is. Any suggestions for add-ins on the next go around? Raisins, maybe chocolate chucks? Any other ideas?
Hi Sandy, I think rum-soaked raisins would be delicious.
Thanks Jen
Great minds think alike. That’s exactly what I did. I used a Rum that had large vanilla notes and soaked them. The only regret was I didn’t soak enough, only about a 1/4 cup. Next time I will go with maybe 1/2 cup. The husband thought it was the best yet. I appreciated you responding even if it is after the fact.
😊
Hi Jenn, I’m making this recipe tonight. I didn’t have milk so I used a combination of almond milk and 35% fat cream. I did add in a splash of brandy and I doubled the sugar quantity (I have an extremely sweet tooth) tomorrow after churning and freezing we will have it with sourdough waffles and a raspberry cherry coulis featuring the caramelised banana icecream. Judging from the flavour before I froze it – it tastes amazing! I know the freezer will mellow out the excess sugar but if not, I won’t complain 😉 thanks for a great recipe thus far
Hope you enjoy, Ashleigh! 🙂
Hi! This sounds great, but I was wondering if there was an alternative to use instead of rum or vodka, or could I just omit this? Thanks so much (:
Hi Olivia, I’m wondering if you’re confusing this with my strawberry yogurt as this one doesn’t contain any alcohol. If you’re referring to the strawberry yogurt, you can just omit the vodka. 🙂
OMG, this ice cream is soooo good! Thanks for adding another fantastic recipe to your/my collection. It was so creamy, no ice crystals, not too sweet, just right… This ice cream will be a frequent visitor in my freezer..:-)
HI! Can I use 2% milk in the recipe?
Thank you!!!
Hi Kim, If you only have 2% milk, you can use 1 cup of that plus 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Hope you enjoy!
Delicious, smooth and creamy with great banana taste. I made this two nights ago and froze in my Simac last night. I followed instructions exactly except my baking dish was a bit bigger than 2 qt so I removed the bananas/light brown sugar/butter from the oven at 35 minutes. I’ll eat it tonight!
This ice cream is terrific! I needed to make a few adjustments; used bananas that I’d frozen for bread making and because of the warmer weather and not wanting to use the oven, I simmered the banana mixture in a heavy pan on the stove. It worked perfect. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Hi Jenn,
I would like to make this but I don’t have ice cream 🍨 machine any suggestions?
Thanks
Rose G.
Hi Rose, Unfortunately, you really need an ice cream machine for this recipe. So sorry!