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Banana Pudding Ice Cream

Banana pudding ice cream with creamy banana-infused vanilla ice cream, crushed Nilla wafers, and banana slices for a frozen banana dessert vibe. You’ll cook a custard to 175°F, chill, churn, then fold in the wafers and frozen banana at the end for great texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 minutes
Total Time 34 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bananas and custard base
  • 3 very ripe bananas Blend until completely smooth.
  • 2 cup heavy cream Heated with milk until steaming.
  • 1 cup whole milk Heated with cream until steaming.
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar Whisk with egg yolks.
  • 4 egg yolks Beat with sugar before tempering.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract Stir in after custard reaches temperature.
  • 0.25 tsp salt Add after cooking, before chilling.
Banana pudding mix-ins
  • 1.5 cup Nilla wafers Roughly crush; fold in at the end of churning.
  • 0.5 cup banana slices Use frozen slices; fold in during the last 2 minutes of churning.

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Blend banana puree
  1. Blend very ripe bananas until completely smooth, then set aside for later fold-in.
Cook the custard to temperature
  1. Heat heavy cream and whole milk in a Dutch oven until steaming, not boiling, then keep over medium-low heat.
  2. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with granulated sugar until smooth, then slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture.
  3. Cook the custard over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 175°F.
  4. Strain the custard, then stir in vanilla extract and salt along with the banana puree until fully combined.
  5. Cool the custard completely before refrigerating.
Chill, churn, and finish
  1. Refrigerate the custard for 4 hours, then churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  2. Fold in crushed Nilla wafers and frozen banana slices during the last 2 minutes of churning.
  3. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until scoopable.

Notes

Pro tip: Tempering slowly and stirring constantly prevents scrambled egg yolks—once the custard hits 175°F, strain right away for a silky texture. Store covered in the refrigerator only if using within 24 hours; keep ice cream in the freezer up to 2 months. Freezing is yes. For a dairy-light option, use half-and-half and a lactose-free milk/cream blend, but the texture may be softer.