Roasted Banana Ice Cream
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I have been wanting to make roasted banana ice cream for what feels like forever. I finally got around to it this week and am totally smitten. If you love bananas, you will positively fall in love with this ice cream. It basically tastes like a frozen piece of banana bread. And it doesn’t take much more work to make, amazingly. The flavor of the bananas really shines through – clean and fresh. I am thinking that, just like with banana bread, some walnuts might be a great addition to this ice cream. I may whip up some candied walnuts to mix in next time. Banana makes for an easy base to play around with – fudge ripple, peanut butter swirl, candied nuts… all sorts of delicious possibilities!
This is by far the easiest ice cream I have yet to make. It is not custard-based, so there is no whisking and cooking egg yolks with milk and cream on the stove. You simply slice up a few bananas, toss them with sugar and butter and then pop them in the oven to roast. While they are roasting, you will want to bottle the smell and make a candle or air freshener out of it. Guaranteed. Your kitchen will smell like a fresh batch of bananas foster. Which smells delicious.
Once the bananas are out of the oven, you throw them into the blender with some milk and a few other ingredients, purée it together, and 30 seconds later your ice cream base is ready for its trip to the refrigerator to chill. Super easy!
This ice cream also makes a fabulous base for your very own banana split sundae. Top the ice cream with hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry. If you have crushed pineapple (which I didn’t have), throw that on top of the hot fudge. Or some melted peanut butter. Banana, peanut butter and hot fudge? Oh yes. I’m off to make that happen!
One year ago: Classic Lemonade
Two years ago: Chocolate Chip Cookie-Topped Brownies
Three years ago: Herbed-Baked Eggs[/donotprint]
Roasted Banana Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 3 medium-sized ripe bananas, peeled
- â…“ cup (73.33 g) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter, salted or unsalted, cut into small pieces
- 1½ cups (366 ml) whole milk
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) coarse salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- 2. Slice the bananas into ½-inch pieces and toss them with the brown sugar and butter in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring once during baking, until the bananas are browned and cooked through.
- 3. Scrape the bananas and the thick syrup in the baking dish into a blender or food processor. Add the milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and salt, and purée until smooth.
- 4. Chill the mixture for at least 8 hour (or overnight) in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. If the chilled mixture is too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it to thin it out.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe is exactly the same as in The Perfect Scoop by Lebovitz in 2007.
Read the reviews and wanted to try anyway as I love bananas. A little disappointed in the texture of the ice cream. I make homemade ice cream alot and this is my least favorite recipe. It thickened up even before I put the mixture into the ice cream maker. All I can say it is a weird texture and did not like it so we doctored it up by adding caramelized bananas with chocolate sauce and whip cream.
Quick question…did you use your ice cream maker after chilling mixture created from roasted bananas/milk etc or just put right into freezer? Â
Hi Andrea, I used my ice cream maker!
Do you think I’d be able to substitute almond milk for the whole milk? My husband is allergic to dairy but would love this!
Hi Jessica, I think almond milk would work just fine!
The roasted bananas were amazing.! First of all, the bananas I used were the ones that I grew in my backyard here in Florida. They changed from a very starchy not too sweet banana to something similar to sweet baked apple pie with a hint of caramel. I will definitely be using the first step in many recipes moving forward.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you for giving David Lebowitz the credit he is due
for this recipe. So many sites just post and don’t give credit. This is a delightful recipe, much fewer calories I think. For other readers, f you don’t already have it, I highly recommend David’s book The Perfect Scoop. Have tried several of his recipes…so far the clear winner is his chocolate raspberry. My daughter lent me her ice cream bowl for kitchen aid stand mixer and I’ve turned into a crazy woman but my family are all enjoying the ice creams I make.
Like a comment mentioned above, 40 minutes at 400 degrees was way too long in my oven. Just before the 20 minute mark, my sugar started to burn at the corners. I salvaged what I could, which is chilling now (!), but next time I would cut the roast time down quite a bit.
Yum! I recently saw a Masterchef Australia episode with an icecream similar in style to this and have been scouring online to find a replica. This looks even better! I have a surplus of bananas right now and I know what I’ll be making when I get home :)
Hi, I was searching via google for a banana ice cream recipe, and I happened upon your blog. This recipe looks amazing. I’m not sure if you’ll see this comment, as I notice that the original post is a few years old at this point. But I have a question if you do happen to this: do you strain the ice cream base, either before or after freezing? I’m usually a fan of smooth, creamy ice cream — would this may not be the right one for me?
Thanks in advance,
Rachael
Hi Rachael, I only strain custard bases in case there are any bits of cooked eggs that may have hit the bottom of the pan. I did not strain this. If you want a super-smooth ice cream with no texture at all, you’ll probably want to strain it.
Hey Michelle,
I want to make this without an ice-cream maker and I was just wondering, do I break up the icicles after letting it freeze for 8 hours? Thanks!
I would probably do it every couple of hours to keep it creamy.
The flavor is so intense and delicious! A little spice such as cinnamon, clove or allspice could really give this an extra kick (:
So yummy! I made it with a can of full fat coconut milk because I am .lactose intolerant, and tasting it makes me want to eat it now! Why must it chill!!!
I love banana ice cream. This recipe is good with coconut milk too and toasted coconut. Thanks for a good recipe
Tested and approved ! Hummm, this taste of banana and caramel… It’s just perfect !
Hi Michelle!
I just tested your Roasted Banana Ice Cream and it is really awesome! When I saw that Ice-Cream-Maker yesterday in the supermarket, I could not resist and buyed it. I wanted to test all the great ice cream recipes you posted here and I started with this one.
It is a really tasty ice cream and I know that I will nevermore buy any ice cream in the supermarket! A least until I tried all your recipes… ;)
Greatings from Germany!
Carolin
Melted peanut butter with ice cream! YUM! I really got to try this recipe out. My fiance is not such a fan of bananas though hmm but hehe got to try this one out still! :D
The mix is in the fridge chilling, and the ice cream canister is in the freezer freezing. My bananas only took about 25 minutes to cook, they were soft and the caramel from the butter and sugar was getting close to being over cooked as well. Instead of the vanilla & lemon juice I used 1 Tablespoon of dark rum. Lets see how it turns out! I”m excited!
I just made this tonight, and my husband deemed it “amazing!” :-) I also added some chocolate chunks and roasted walnuts, a la “chunky monkey”.
OMG- imagine it with the peanut butter patties from the mix-in section of The Perfect Scoop- that would be bananas (pun totally intended)!
Michelle,
Another winner! I was licking the blender clean and was almost tempted to lick the blades! lol Got it churned in the Cuisinart machine, frozen overnight and served to raves yesterday. I’m wonder what a Tbsp. or two of rum might do? I am also going to try this with roasted peaches and perhaps a splash of brandy. My ice cream maker has been on a shelf in the laundry room for two years, but not anymore. Thanks for your inspiring cooking.
YUM! This looks incredible! I love anything banana so I know this is a winner in my books!
This sounds so incredible!! I love roasting bananas and this ice cream is like a match made in heaven.
Who knew? A little nutella swirl would be good too ….
Roasting the banana first sounds like a great idea. It almost sounds as though you could make a bananas foster ice cream with this base. I am looking forward to trying this soon since we always seem to have a lot of banana around waiting to be used.
Roasted bananas? First time I’ve ever heard about this, sounds yummy :)
omg thanks I so want to try this.
Nice ice cream! I wonder if adding a slight bit of dark rum would be in order?
I made this ice cream too and loved it!
I love that it’s so easy. That egg-custard stuff is sometimes just too much work! This would be a big hit in our house!
Never would have thought of this as an ice cream – but wow! This looks great!
I love banana ice cream!! What a great idea to roast the banana flavor, I want this with some caramel or fudge all over it. =)
I always make a banana fro yo…but I’ve never thought to roast the bananas… wow! Thank you soooo much for sharing that tip.
I love this! Mmm roasted banana…
I made banana pudding ice cream the other day and you first roast the bananas…it was life-changing ice cream, I swear! I’m going to try this next as I imagine it’s equally wonderful!
Ooohh! I happen to have a love affair with bananas foster since our honeymoon. This looks like one I will have to try!
We are having guests at our summer cottage this weekend and I’m going to serve this ice cream. I think I will add a tablespoon or two of rum, just to play up the bananas foster theme. And maybe serve it with a hot caramel sauce. Thank you for the inspiration.
OMG! This looks incredibly delicious! It would be perfect with my banana-caramel bread pudding! I usually do a cinnamon ice cream but this would be such a fun alternative! Thanks, Chris
I bookmarked this before I even finished reading the post. You had me at roasted banana but in ice cream form? Even better.
I really need to get myself an ice cream maker ASAP! Looks delicious!
Not only does this sound delicious, but I love how easy it is to put together. Great recipe to kick off the summer, Michelle.
I’ve made this before, but it’s been years. Thanks for the reminder! I need to churn it up again!
Fabulous, that is all I have to say about this!! Mmmmm!
Wow- wow.. wow.. this looks awesome!
I love bananas and I’m sure I’d love this ice cream! Wonderful photos yet again.
Yum! I love banana ice cream. Thanks for the great recipe. And, the best part? Since no one else in my family likes banana anything, I get to eat it all. :)
Mmmmm…this sounds so delicious and looks simple and quick!
That’s it. I need an ice cream maker.
I’m dreaming of roasted bananas with butter and sugar.
Definite must try!
Yummmmmmmmmm! :)
Yum! I’m all for adding peanut butter and hot fudge to this too!
Looks better then my favorite Hagen Dazs!
This does look amazing! And adding a peanut butter ripple throughout would be out of this world! I want every single ice cream you have made.
I LOVE roasting my bananas- how brilliant to make ice cream with them!!!!
Not finish…stop. I’m not sure I would be able to stop [eating].
On second thought…maybe I don’t want to save my pennies for an ice cream maker. Once I start, I’m not sure I would be able to finish.
very tempting, I am avoiding ice cream but I can’t resist when I see one lol ;p When I was younger but not too old I don’t care if I eat 1 pint in one sitting now I just get a half scoop because I am watching my diet and I am no longer young as before.
Looks amazing! I LOVE banana ice cream :)
This looks so delicious! Your recipes and photos always look so yummy. I can’t wait to try out this recipe for our Memorial Day bbq party. Apologies in advance if you have already answered this question: Can your ice cream be made without an ice cream maker?
Hi Vicki, Yes! Here is the tutorial from last year on making ice cream without an ice cream maker: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/06/21/how-to-make-homemade-ice-cream-without-an-ice-cream-maker/