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Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

Chunky Monkey ice cream is a no-churn banana chocolate walnut ice cream with fudge chunks and roasted walnut pieces folded through for a chunky, creamy bite. This Ben and Jerry’s copycat uses whipped heavy cream plus banana puree for a thick, scoopable freezer ice cream without an ice cream maker.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
freezing 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 530
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ice cream base and mix-ins
  • 2 cup heavy cream Chill if possible for faster whipping.
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 very ripe bananas Puree until smooth.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup walnuts Toasted and roughly chopped.
  • 0.5 cup fudge chunks or dark chocolate chunks

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 9x5 loaf pan

Method
 

Whip and mix
  1. Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed and looking for thick peaks that hold their shape.
  2. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, banana puree, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and evenly combined, with no banana streaks visible.
  3. Gently fold the banana mixture into the whipped cream, using slow strokes and lifting from the bottom until the base looks creamy and uniform.
  4. Fold in the toasted walnuts and fudge chunks just until they are evenly distributed, keeping the mix chunky rather than overworked.
Freeze
  1. Transfer the mixture to a 9x5 loaf pan, spread it level, cover, and freeze at least 6 hours or overnight until firm and scoopable.

Notes

Pro tip: Use very ripe bananas (yellow with lots of brown spots) to maximize banana flavor without extra sweetness. Store covered in the freezer up to 2 weeks; thaw 5–10 minutes before scooping. Freezer-only—do not refreeze if kept at room temperature too long. For a dairy-free swap, use a canned coconut milk alternative and a dairy-free sweetened condensed substitute, keeping the no-churn method the same (texture may be slightly softer).