Banana Pudding Ice Cream
Omg guys I finally perfected my banana pudding ice cream recipe and HAD to share! Been working on this one all summer and tbh it’s so much better than anything you can buy at the store. If ur obsessed with that classic southern dessert but want it in frozen form, this is gonna be ur new fav treat. The combo of real bananas, vanilla wafers and that homemade pudding swirl is just chef’s kiss.
Why This Banana Pudding Ice Cream Recipe Is Worth Your Time
Let me tell ya how this recipe came to be. Last summer my kids were fighting over dessert – one wanted banana pudding, the other wanted ice cream. I was like “why am I making two desserts in this heat??” So I just threw together this banana pudding ice cream experiment and wow… everyone shut up real quick lol.
What makes this recipe special:
- Uses REAL ripe bananas (not that fake banana flavoring)
- Has actual pudding swirled throughout
- Those vanilla wafers stay somehow both soft and crunchy??
- Works with or without an ice cream maker
- Tastes exactly like the banana pudding my grandma used to make
Last month my neighbor who sells homemade ice cream at the farmers market tried this and straight up asked for the recipe. That’s when I knew I had something good!
What You Need for Amazing Banana Pudding Ice Cream
For the Banana Ice Cream Base:
- 4-5 super ripe bananas (the spotted brown ones nobody wants to eat)
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup whole milk (2% works but whole is better)
- 3/4 cup sugar (can do 1/2 cup if ur bananas are super ripe)
- 5 egg yolks (save whites for breakfast tomorrow)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract (real stuff not imitation)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter (for roasting bananas – game changer!)
Pro tip: If you got bananas that aren’t quite ripe enough, put em in paper bag with an apple overnight. Works every time.
For the Pudding Mix-ins:
- 1 box (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding
- 1 1/2 cups cold milk
- 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafers, broken up (Nilla brand or whatever’s on sale)
- Optional but recommended: 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp brown sugar (for caramelizing some banana slices)
Can’t find vanilla wafers? No worries. Chessmen cookies or even those round shortbread ones work too. And if you’re trying to be all healthy, graham crackers aren’t terrible either lol.
How To Make This Incredible Banana Pudding Ice Cream
Step 1: Roast Those Bananas
- Heat oven to 350°F
- Slice 3 bananas lengthwise, place on baking sheet
- Sprinkle with 2 tbsp brown sugar, dot with butter
- Roast 15 mins till they get all caramelized and gooey
- Let cool then mash up (save a few slices for garnish if ur feeling fancy)
Roasting bananas might seem like extra work but trust me it concentrates the flavor like crazy. Started doing this after burning bananas on the grill once by accident and realized it tasted amazing.
Step 2: Make The Custard Base
- In saucepan, warm milk, 1 cup heavy cream, and sugar till it’s hot but not boiling
- Whisk egg yolks in separate bowl
- Slowly pour some hot milk into eggs while whisking like crazy
- Pour egg mixture back into pot with remaining milk
- Cook on medium-low, stirring constantly till mixture coats back of spoon (around 6 mins)
- Take off heat, add vanilla and salt
If u accidentally scramble the eggs a bit (we’ve all done it), just strain the mixture and pretend it never happened.
Step 3: Add Banana Flavor
- Mash the roasted bananas plus 1-2 fresh ones
- Stir banana mash into warm custard
- Add remaining cup of heavy cream
- Cool to room temp then refrigerate at least 6 hrs or overnight
My dad says chilling overnight makes it taste way better. He’s usually wrong about cooking stuff but he’s right about this.
Step 4: Make Pudding Swirl
- Whisk pudding mix and cold milk for 2 mins
- Refrigerate 30 mins to set
- Crush vanilla wafers, leaving some bigger pieces
- Fold white chocolate chips into pudding if using
Don’t overmix the pudding or it gets too stiff. And def save some wafer chunks for topping later.
Step 5: Freeze Everything Together
If using ice cream maker:
- Churn banana custard according to your machine’s instructions
- When it’s almost done, add 2/3 of wafer pieces
- Transfer to freezer container
- Swirl in pudding mixture using knife
- Sprinkle remaining wafers on top
- Cover and freeze 4+ hrs
If not using ice cream maker:
- Pour custard into shallow metal pan, freeze 2 hrs
- Break up partially frozen mixture, beat with mixer
- Fold in 2/3 wafer pieces
- Swirl in pudding
- Freeze again 5-6 hrs, beating every 2 hrs
- Add remaining wafers on final mix
The no-machine method takes more babysitting but honestly comes out almost as good.
Awesome Variations To Try
Can’t leave well enough alone? Me neither. Here are some twists that work great:
- Southern Comfort Banana Pudding Ice Cream – Add 3 tbsp bourbon to custard before freezing (adults only obvs)
- Chocolate Banana Pudding Ice Cream – Use chocolate pudding instead of vanilla and add mini chocolate chips
- Chunky Monkey Pudding Ice Cream – Mix in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and 1/3 cup chocolate chips (reminds me of my Cream Cheese Brownies but in ice cream form)
- Banana Pudding Cheesecake Ice Cream – Swirl in 4oz cream cheese mixed with 1/4 cup powdered sugar before freezing (if u like my Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake, you’ll love this)
- Salted Caramel Banana Pudding Ice Cream – Drizzle 1/3 cup caramel sauce throughout and add pinch of sea salt
Btw, the bourbon one is my husband’s fav but don’t tell the kids lol.
Banana Pudding Ice Cream
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking sheet
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Mixing bowls
- Ice cream maker (optional)
- Freezer-safe container
- Electric mixer (if no ice cream maker)
Ingredients
For the Banana Ice Cream Base:
- 4-5 ripe bananas
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Pudding Mix-ins:
- 1 box 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding
- 1 1/2 cups cold milk
- 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafers crushed
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips optional
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
Step 1: Roast the Bananas
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Slice 3 bananas lengthwise and place on a baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with brown sugar and dot with butter.
- Roast for 15 minutes until caramelized. Let cool and mash.
Step 2: Make the Custard Base
- In a saucepan, heat 1 cup cream, milk, and sugar until warm.
- Whisk egg yolks in a bowl, then slowly temper with the warm milk.
- Return to saucepan, cook on medium-low while stirring until thick.
- Remove from heat, add vanilla and salt.
Step 3: Add Banana Mash
- Mash roasted bananas with 1–2 fresh bananas.
- Stir mash into warm custard, add remaining 1 cup cream.
- Cool to room temp, then chill at least 6 hours or overnight.
Step 4: Make Pudding Mix
- Whisk instant pudding mix with cold milk for 2 mins.
- Chill for 30 minutes.
- Fold in white chocolate chips and crushed wafers.
Step 5: Freeze the Ice Cream
- With Ice Cream Maker:
- Churn custard per instructions.
- Add 2/3 of wafers near the end.
- Transfer to container, swirl in pudding, top with remaining wafers.
- Freeze for 4+ hours.
Without Ice Cream Maker:
- Freeze custard in a shallow pan for 2 hours.
- Break up and beat with mixer, fold in 2/3 wafers.
- Swirl in pudding, freeze again 5–6 hours, stirring every 2 hours.
- Top with remaining wafers.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ About Banana Pudding Ice Cream
Does Blue Bell make banana pudding ice cream?
Yeah, Blue Bell banana pudding ice cream exists and it’s pretty good for store-bought. They do seasonal releases of it and people go nuts when it hits shelves. That said, homemade has WAY more actual banana flavor and better texture.
What does banana pudding ice cream taste like?
Banana pudding ice cream tastes like sweet creamy bananas mixed with vanilla pudding and those classic vanilla wafer cookies. If you’ve had traditional banana pudding, it’s that but frozen and somehow even better. The cookies get that perfect soft-but-not-soggy texture.
Does Bruster’s have banana pudding ice cream?
Bruster’s does make banana pudding ice cream! It’s usually available in summer months but not year-round at most locations. Call your local shop to check if they have it before making the trip.
Does Trader Joe’s have banana pudding ice cream?
Nope, Trader Joe’s doesn’t currently have banana pudding ice cream in their regular lineup. They sometimes have banana flavors seasonally, but not specifically banana pudding style with the cookies and pudding mix-ins.
Does Cold Stone have banana pudding ice cream?
Cold Stone doesn’t offer banana pudding ice cream as a standard flavor. You can kinda make your own by asking for sweet cream ice cream with bananas and vanilla wafers mixed in, but it costs like $8 and isn’t nearly as good as homemade.
Can I use frozen bananas for this recipe?
Yep! Just thaw them first and drain off excess liquid. They might make the ice cream a bit icier but the flavor will still be good. I freeze super ripe bananas all the time just for making this.
How do I stop ice crystals from forming?
To prevent ice crystals, make sure your custard is super cold before churning, don’t skimp on the fat (heavy cream), and store in shallow containers with plastic wrap pressed directly on surface of ice cream.
More Desserts You Should Definitely Try
If you’re into this banana pudding ice cream, you should check out my Sweet Corn Ice Cream recipe too! Sounds weird but it’s crazy good.
For the ultimate dessert combo, try serving this ice cream on top of warm Marble Cake or alongside my French Cheesecake.
And if you’re feeling extra adventurous, my Tempura Cheesecake is absolutely wild but so worth trying. Oh and don’t sleep on my Samoa Cookies recipe either!
Why I’ll Never Buy Banana Pudding Ice Cream Again
So last week I was craving banana pudding ice cream bad and almost drove to the store to see if they had any. Then I remembered I had some brown bananas on the counter and decided to make this instead. By the time I would’ve driven to the store and back, I already had the custard cooling.
Whenever I serve this at cookouts, people always ask where I bought it. When I tell em I made it, they don’t believe me till I show pics of the process on my phone. Then they want banana pudding ice cream recipe immediately.
Look, I’m not saying this is the easiest dessert ever. But for something that tastes this good and impresses people this much, it’s totally worth the effort. And way better than driving around wondering who sells banana pudding ice cream near me.
So grab those spotty bananas and get to work! And if yours doesn’t turn out perfect first try, just call it “rustic” and nobody will know the difference!