Banana Pudding Ice Cream Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase.
Indulge a little this summer with this unique and sweet treat
photos: Krista for we heart this
A few months ago, my beloved hubby (who does not cook, bless his heart) brought home a bag of ingredients. Upon opening the grocery bags, I was like, “What’s up, dude?” And he’s like, “I’ve been craving banana pudding like crazy, so I’m going to make some.” Huh.
Fascinated, because Halley’s Comet and my husband cooking occur with similar frequency, I took a seat at one of the stools at our kitchen island and watched my husband whip together a concoction of vanilla pudding, bananas, Nilla wafers, and Cool-Whip.
He explained his mom used to make it for him all the time growing up (although she made the pudding from SCRATCH). I explained that I didn’t know cookies didn’t come from a tube until I was a Senior in high school (it’s truly a miracle I can boil water, y’all). Then he put it in the fridge and told me that we had to let it sit overnight so the wafers got soft.
The next day, I’m eating the very nutritious and healthy banana pudding for breakfast (hey, it’s got fruit in it) and thinking, “Gee, I bet this would be great in ice cream form.” Pretty much because I think most things would be great in ice cream form. In this case, I was right. So, for those of you with an ice cream maker, enjoy!
Banana Pudding Ice Cream
Ingredients:
• 1 quart half-and-half *
• 1 can of sweetened, condensed milk
(must be sweetened as there is no other added sugar in this recipe)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 or 3 bananas mashed with a fork until the consistency of baby food
• 1/2 box of Nilla wafers, broken up into pieces – leave some large chunks
• Cool-Whip or whipped cream for topping
* Note on the half and half: Use full-fat if you want it to be a little creamier, fat-free if you don’t care if it’s icy. I prefer using half-and-half over heavy cream because when I use only heavy cream I feel super bad about myself after I eat the ice cream, so it’s hard to enjoy it properly. My method yields a less creamy but still refreshing dessert.
Directions:
1. Set up your ice cream maker (you’ll need an ice cream maker, but no need to go crazy expensive – mine is a hideous plastic beast I got from Wal-mart 6 years ago for $19).
2. Dump the half-and-half and condensed milk into the tub and whisk until uniform and completely combined.
3. Add the vanilla and whisk some more. Seal the container, and set your ice cream maker up to run. Let it run for about 20 minutes and the ice cream mixture starts to firm.
4. Stop and add the bananas. Then run for another 20-30 minutes. Stop the machine once the mixture resembles thick soft serve.
5. Remove canister from machine and fold in the Nilla wafer chunks. Freeze overnight if you want soft wafers, serve immediately if you like them crisp.
When serving, I highly recommend topping it with a sliced banana and some whipped cream – holy moly is that good. I also recommend taunting your husband with, “Your mom never made THIS, now did she?” in a smug tone. It adds to the enjoyment of this ice cream, I assure you.
we heartsters – do you make your own ice cream at home? What are your favorite flavor combinations?
@krista – This looks good! We have almost every kitchen gadget known to main except an ice cream maker. I love how you give options for a rich version and a lower fat version.
Yum – I adore Nilla wafers. In fact, I had to stop buying them because I would scarf down a whole box in one go. This recipe gives me a reason to buy them again – and only leaves me half a box to devour at night in front of the tv – win-win situation! Now I just need to get an ice cream maker…
And when I get one, I would plan on trying to create a chocolate and black cherry ice cream – my fave ice cream combo of all! It’s black cherry season right now and whole cherries in the ice cream would be so good.
Thank God I do not own an ice cream maker, or I would whip up a batch of this and eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I LOVE banana puddin’ and loved just reading your recipe, @krista !
YUM @krista ! :) Thanks for being so creative!
One of my weakness’ is ice cream.. This looks sooo good right now! I make Frozen Yogurt with my ice cream maker often.. I’m thinking this week since it’s sooo hot here would be a good time to get it cranking!
Btw, I make something like your hubby but with graham crackers and chocolate pudding.. layers of each and it’s called a box cake. It goes in the fridge over night.. guess where I got that one? From my hubby too.. LOL!!!
Do I want the Nilla Wafers to be crisp or soft? I can’t make these kind of decisions!
Yum, I have an ice cream maker and can’t’ wait to try this!
It’s probably for the best that I do not own an ice cream maker…. but I’ve been making healthy peppermint protein shakes that taste a lot like my favorite peppermint ice cream!
@lipglossandspandex -What with the what now?! I want a peppermint protein shake! Do you add flavoring to a vanilla one or something? (and I apologize that this has nothing to go with Banana Pudding Ice Cream!)
Could you make it with almond milk, do you think?
I don’t have an ice cream make but this article is really timely because i just made banana pudding two days ago!! I’m going to save this recipe for when I ever get an ice cream maker!
@Stef –It’s the Candy Cane Milkshake (protein shake) on Dashing Dish. It’s AMAZING. It has cottage cheese, protein powder, peppermint extract, sweetener, sugar-free fat-free vanilla pudding mix, water, and ice. You can throw in a pinch of xanthan gum to thicken it. You really can’t taste the cottage cheese! It’s low calorie, and I like to throw in a few crushed starlight mints too :) When I’m craving peppermint ice cream, I can whip up one of these, and it totally satisfies me. There’s also a CAKE BATTER ONE!!! I can’t tolerate milk well, so I only eat a literal serving of ice cream once in awhile, but since cottage cheese is lower in lactose, I can have an entire big peppermint protein shake! I no longer feel so deprived :)
http://dashingdish.com/recipe/candy-cane-milkshake/
Thanks for sharing this “secret” @lipglossandspandex – sounds amazing! As a vegetarian I’m always looking for ways to sneak some more protein into my diet. And what better way than with a Candy Cane milkshake? Sounds super refreshing for a late night treat this summer.
mmm! I love love love banana pudding. I made some last summer and it was so quick and easy. Also here’s a tip for keeping bananas from going dark in the pudding: dip the slices in lemon juice beforehand :) I found that it worked pretty well!
I heard the same lemon tip for avocado @mandabear – makes sense it would work for bananas too.