Banana bread meets ice cream in this healthy ice cream recipe! Banana ice cream gets a simple upgrade to evoke the cozy flavor of homemade banana bread using simple ingredients. Sweetened with honey and with GAPS adaptations included, this is an easy ice cream recipe.
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If you have a hankering for banana bread but it too sweltering to use the oven…
If you have an overripe banana or two to use delectably…
If you love banana bread but not the grains or the gluten…
…banana bread ice cream is for you!
I do not love bananas. Not fresh. Not in ice cream. (Though banana split ice cream is pretty good!) But banana bread– that I like.
Recently, I had some sautéed bananas that we hadn’t finished. I needed to use them up, and decided on an ice cream experiment. It was actually good on the first try! Totally different from fresh banana ice cream. Somehow warm, rich, and toasty, yet frozen.
The main reason it tastes so different is that the bananas are cooked first (and cooled!), and they taste very different that way compared to a fresh banana. Even sweeter, deeper, and warmer. Nearly a different fruit altogether.
Besides the sautéing, we will add plenty of vanilla, cinnamon, a little nutmeg if you want, and some nuts. Cooking the spices a bit deepens their flavor as well.
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Frequently asked questions
I can’t eat nuts! Will this be any good without them?!
Yes! Nuts go well in banana bread and in the ice cream, but you can blithely skip them. Since, presumably, you are not used to nuts in your banana bread, it will taste totally normal. If you just don’t like nuts in ice cream, you can leave them out, too.
Is there any way to make this dairy free?
I have not made this particular ice cream dairy free, but for years I used coconut milk for any ice cream we wanted. It always worked! I think it would work well in this recipe; use full fat coconut milk to replace the 3 cups total of milk and cream. Substitute coconut oil or another fat for the butter as well.
Can I make this recipe GAPS compliant?
Not all my recipes are GAPS-adaptable, but this one is! Use milk kefir or yogurt and cultured cream made according to GAPS instructions. Check your vanilla; if it isn’t GAPS friendly, try vanilla bean seeds or vanilla powder.
How to Make Banana Bread Ice Cream
This is a simple recipe, but it requires some advance planning. You need to cook your bananas, but they need to cool thoroughly so they can freeze in the ice cream. I have done this the night before and then made the ice cream in the morning. The butter hardens, of course, but softens quickly at room temperature.
It also works fine to cook the bananas shortly before you make the ice cream and put them in the freezer (spread out) for 20-30 minutes to chill. Or, if you have time, just let them cool on the stove and then make the ice cream.
First, slice your bananas (very ripe ones are ideal). Melt a couple tablespoons of butter (or ghee or coconut oil) in a skillet and sauté the banana slices until they break up and start to get mushy and fragrant. If they caramelize, all the better. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and stir a minute before you turn off the heat. Cool to room temperature.
In a bowl or pitcher, combine the cooled bananas with a cup of cream, either fresh or cultured. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth. (Or use a blender. You don’t have to use a blender because, unlike fresh bananas, the cooked ones are very soft. Either way!)
Add the vanilla, salt, honey, 2 cups of milk or kefir, and egg yolks if you are using them. Blend until smooth. Be careful not to over blend and turn the cream into butter, especially if you use a blender!
Process in an ice cream maker. I have used this ice cream maker for over 10 years and I love it! You can also find them in thrift stores, but it isn’t because they are bad machines.
At the end, mix in the walnuts (if you use them) and scoop the ice cream into a covered container to freeze.
Best Banana Bread Ice Cream
Equipment
- ice cream maker
- hand mixer or blender
Ingredients
- 1-2 ripe bananas
- 2 T grass fed butter (or ghee or coconut oil)
- 2 C milk (or milk kefir)
- 1 C cream (or cultured cream)
- 1/4 C raw honey
- 1 T ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 T vanilla extract
- dash salt
- 6-12 raw egg yolks from pastured eggs, optional
- 1/2 C chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Slice in bananas and cook gently until the bananas break up and become mushy and fragrant. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt for a minute. Remove bananas from heat and cool to room temperature.
- In a bowl or pitcher, blend bananas with cream or cultured cream until very smooth. (You can use either a mixer or a blender for this.)
- Add honey, milk or kefir, vanilla, and egg yolks if using. Blend until smooth.
- Process in ice cream maker as the manufacturer directs.
- Stir in walnuts (if using) and freeze ice cream in a covered container until ready to serve.
- If you don't serve the ice cream within the first couple of hours, you may need to soften it at room temperature before scooping. (If you used the egg yolks, it will be softer.)
Make It Your Way!
- You can use more (or fewer) spices if you prefer. Cloves, ginger, or cardamom could also work well in this recipe.
- Substitute a different nut– like pecans– or skip the nuts!
- Make it nondairy by using coconut oil instead of butter and coconut milk in place of the milk and cream.
- For the GAPS diet, use milk kefir or yogurt and cultured cream made according to GAPS instructions.
- If you are really trying to keep your sugar low, you can skip the honey. The bananas are very sweet, especially if they are very ripe. You could also use other sugars if you are not on the GAPS diet– regular or brown sugar or maple syrup would work. A sugar substitute that you like in ice cream might work also.
Enjoy!
Want more ice cream? Check these recipes:
Rachel, this sounds amazing and something I definitely want to try this summer. I don’t eat the store ice cream anymore because I made the mistake to read the label on a container. That ruined my cravings for store ice cream forever!! Now I look for creative and delicious ice cream recipes to make at home. Yours just made the top of my list!
Thank you! I agree- those ingredients lists make you not want to eat store bought ice cream.