A couple of years ago, my sister in law Monica shared a quick and easy dessert idea with me. She sliced up a couple of bananas, sprinkled them with a little brown sugar and cinnamon and popped them under the broiler for just a minute so the sugar caramelized and turned into a syrup-ish kinda thing. While it’s still hot, you dump it over a bowl of vanilla ice cream and it’s the most yummy thing ever. I made it recently and when I got to the bottom of the bowl I had some melted vanilla ice cream that was all combined with the cinnamon-brown sugar goodness and some remnants of mushed caramelized banana. The flavors were so heavenly, and it was at that moment I knew I needed to turn it into an ice cream flavor of its own.
My experiment didn’t disappoint. I slow roasted bananas in brown sugar and cinnamon and then mixed it in a super easy {no cook!} base. The banana flavor is mild, but it’s the perfect amount of sweetness and the brown sugar and cinnamon round out the flavor palate. I know a lot of people have issues with cooked bananas- and if you’re one of those people, don’t fret. I puree the caramelized bananas into the ice cream, so all you get is the amazing flavor and extra creaminess!
Caramelized Banana Ice Cream
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4 ripe bananas, sliced into 1/2-1″ segments
1/4 C brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 T real butter, melted
2 C heavy cream
1 C whole milk (vit D milk)
1/2 C white sugar
1/4 t salt
2 t vanilla
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a 9 x 13″ baking dish with foil and place bananas in it. Sprinkle brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter over bananas and toss well with hands. Spread bananas out in a single layer.
Bake bananas (in your 400 degree preheated oven) for 15 minutes. Stir, and bake for 15 more. Remove from oven and cool on counter top. By this point you will have a scrumptious, thick syrup in there too.
While bananas are cooking combine cream, whole milk, white sugar, salt, and vanilla. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Set in fridge to chill.
When bananas are completely cooled, puree them in a food processor* until completely smooth. Using a whisk, stir them into the milk mixture until combined. Chill entire mixture.
Churn in an ice cream maker and transfer to an air tight container in the freezer to set up. Makes 1 1/2 quarts.
*If you don’t have a food processor, you can use your blender. If you choose to do so, leave the whole milk out of the original milk mixture and use the milk to puree with the bananas. Don’t put the cream mixture in the blender after, make sure to whisk them both together by hand.
Note: The roasted bananas in this recipe make the ice cream incredibly soft and smooth, but it may be softer than usual when coming straight out of your ice cream maker so it’s important to let the ice cream set in the freezer for a few hours before eating.
After I took the picture above, I started to wonder what I could add to it. Nuts? Coconut? Cookies? My husband told me not to mess with a good thing and I’m glad I took his advice. (Although one thing still on my list is to make it into ice cream sandwiches with these cookies) It’s perfect just the way it is. But I could think of just one thing that would make it irrisistable.
Wait for it…
Ya, that’s what I’m talking about.
Get the recipe for Kate’s buttermilk caramel syrup here.
And then go make yourself a bowl of this:
The only other thing that can make home made ice cream any better than it already is are homemade waffle cones. I make mini ones and they’re perfect for my mini monkeys.
Questions & Reviews
This was so yummy! I used almond milk in place of whole milk which made for a fluffier, lighter ice cream, but this delivered on flavor. Topped it with a little melted Nutella. Yum!
ok, so all i can say is this recipe really surprised me with the amazing taste..when i got done caramelizing the bananas and puree them, i thought…great this is going to taste like frozen baby food (smelt, and looked like something in a Gerber jar) =) however, i must say…you get two snaps in a circle!
delicious!…oh and i wanted to just add in a tip i have used with all ice cream recipes that call for heavy cream. i only put in half of the amount of heavy cream that is called and the other half i substitute with half and half…made it smooth w/o the film that is left in my mouth after eating home made ice cream with all heavy cream…(hope that made since)
Sara! Waffle cones please!!
oh pretty pretty please with buttermilk syrup on top will you give us the waffle cone recipe….um….and maybe before Sunday? I’m going to make your roasted banana ice cream for dessert and waffle cones would be divine. 🙂
Waffle cone recipe would be great.
I’m in the process of making this ice cream and as it chills before going into the churner I’m looking over the sauce recipe. I almost just had a “pre-churner” banana milkshake! This stuff is D-LISH!! Can’t imagine what the final product will be like on a 102+ degree day!
Okay, I LOVE your site, but have never had the guts to leave a comment. This ice cream is totally comment worthy! I am an ice cream lover and I have to say this is the BEST ice cream I have ever eaten. My chocolate loving husband couldn’t agree more! Oh my goodness!!!!
I too am new to your blog, and this ice-cream is on a very long list of need to makes. I would love the tutorial on the waffle cones as well, they are my hubby’s favorite!!
yes, please! I would love a waffle-cone tutorial!
I am so excited to try this ice-cream, and a big emphatic- YES!!! to the waffle-cone tutorial. Sounds dreamy. NOW please! Love the website. THanks girls!
Have you posted a waffle cone tutorial yet? I’d be all over that!
Found your site this week! Wow! The pictures really make it pop! Everything looks SO good! Can’t wait to cook up some of the recipes!
I would also love to see how you make those waffle cones. Any hope of that happening?
I’m a first time reader to your blog looking for a recipe for our 4th of July celebration. I plan on making a dairy free version with coconut milk!
Yes…the waffle cone maker without a special mechanism would be a great trick to learn. Please help us with this either through email or online tutorial. This banana ice cream is next on my list to make. I am ordering an ice cream maker today. Thank for all the other great stuff…like the pies in a jar. They were a hit!
This looks and sounds amazing! I can’t wait to try it! And a waffle cone tutorial? Please do! That’d be awesome! And just in time for summer!! 🙂
We just tried this recipe for our ice cream maker’s maiden voyage. It was heavenly! I can’t wait to try all of your others.
Waal,I love this. I love cooking though I hardly have time to. just yesterday, I was asking colleagues at work about ideas for desserts and there you are with such a yummy ice/cream. Help me where can I order a good ice cream maker. I do not have one.
Amalia-
Kate and I both have this ice cream maker and love it:
http://astore.amazon.com/oubebi-20/detail/B0006ONQOC
This one is also great, I had it for about 10 years before upgrading to the one mentioned above- it’s fantastic!
http://astore.amazon.com/oubebi-20/detail/B00006363E
Carlyn- 2nd place is awesome! Congrats!
mm I made this ice cream for a church ice cream competition and it won 2nd place ! (out of 14…but still!) The texture really is out of this world.. usually the texture of home made ice cream I make comes out icy and hard but this one felt just like the kind at the grocery store!
I need that waffle cone recipe. Please post the tutorial soon!!!
I just added this to my 'Recipes to try' folder! lol That folder is getting HUGE! For ever one I try I add at least 3 more! lol
I did a search for the waffle cone tutorial but did not find it?
I thought this recipe was amazing! my kids loved it and my husband did even more! thankyou so much! And please,please,please post the waffle cone tutorial! 🙂
Did I miss the waffle cone making? I would also really love one if it hasn't been done yet. I couldn't find where the recipe is. I am ready to make this ice cream! Sounds great!
Karen- my guess is that you processed the cream too much. I say that because I did it once too! I actually worried about people doing this, so I just re-worded the directions. Sometimes when you pulse the cream in the blender or food processor it causes the soupy problem. So try mixing it in by hand next time. I churn it for the normal amount of time for my ice cream maker- about 30 minutes. After you churned it did you put it in the freezer to set up? That's an important step too. This is an extremely soft ice cream at first so it really needs time in the freezer to set. Even my soupy batch was perfect the next day after freezing. Hopefully the next time it will all work for ya!
I too would love a waffle cone tutorial!
How long do you churn your ice cream? I made this last night and the machine ran for an hour but didn't get past soupy. Either I need a new machine or I need to plan to church it for about 3 hours. We wound up putting it in ziplocks and tossing it to hurry things up!
Still…it was delicious! Especially with the buttermilk syrup!