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Garlic & Zest

Gourmet Cooking at Home!

Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
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This post has been updated for photos and content since its original publication in 2017.

 

 Want to know how to make banana ice cream from scratch? I’m not talking about that 2-ingredient blender “nice cream”.  I mean real-deal, traditional, old-fashioned, indulgent ice cream. You’ll love this one. My peanut butter banana ice cream has intense banana flavor with the most fabulous, candy-like peanut butter swirl and crunchy peanuts.  Put your old brown bananas to good use with this easy recipe.  If you’re craving gourmet ice cream, skip the $6 pint of Ben and Jerry’s and instead make a QUART of your own banana and peanut butter ice cream at home using your choice of ice cream maker. 

 

how to make banana ice cream with a cornstarch slurry.

This is the ultimate peanut butter banana ice cream. With 3 whole bananas, the fruit flavor is prominent, the texture is luscious and smooth with chunky stripes of peanut butter and crunchy peanuts. I based this ice cream recipe on one I found in the Jeni’s Splendid cookbook (<<< shameless affiliate link) and augmented it with my own peanut butter swirl that meanders through the luscious gourmet ice cream. You’re going to want this, so let’s get started.

Ingredients for peanut butter banana ice cream 

  • Whole Milk
  • Cornstarch
  • Cream Cheese
  • Sea Salt
  • Heavy Cream
  • Corn Syrup
  • Sugar
  • Vanilla Bean
  • Brown Bananas
  • Peanuts
  • Peanut Butter Magic Shell <<< Recipe Link

Jeni has devised a method that creates a tongue-coating, creamy blend with no icy bits or granules. She uses a little cream cheese in the base as well as 2 tablespoons of corn syrup, which is thick and viscous, but doesn’t freeze, keeping the ice cream, creamy and lush.

 

adding slurry to cream, and cream mixture to whipped cream cheese.

Unlike many ice creams that start with a traditional egg custard , this method doesn’t use any eggs and instead uses a cornstarch slurry to thicken the ice cream base.

How to make banana ice cream

  1. Mix cornstarch with a little milk to create a slurry and set aside.
  2. Heat the remaining milk, cream, corn syrup, and seeds from the vanilla bean in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to the pan to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
  3. With a hand mixer beat the cream cheese and sea salt together until light and fluffy.
  4. Pour the cream mixture into the cream cheese in a steady stream with the hand mixer running until mixture is creamy and well blended.

brown bananas being mashed for peanut butter banana ice cream.

You can customize your gourmet banana ice cream according to your tastes, depending on whether you prefer smooth or chunky bits of banana. Here’s how:

Adding bananas to the ice cream base

  • For a smooth banana texture, place the bananas in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth.
  • For a chunkier texture, mash the bananas with a fork.
  • Add the bananas to the ice cream mixture and stir to combine.

 

adding mashed bananas to the custard and chilling.

Chilling the custard

After you make the base, it needs to chill before adding it to the ice cream maker.

Why?

If you add room temperature (or worse — warm) custard to a blender, the custard won’t freeze. It will just be a perpetual slushy — and when you do try to freeze it, it won’t be creamy and scoop-able, but more like a block of ice.

How to chill banana ice cream custard

Place a piece of plastic wrap over the base and lightly press it into the surface of the custard to prevent it from forming a “skin”. You’ll want to chill the ice cream base for at least 2 hours, but I’ve found that most times, I just let it rest overnight and churn it in the ice cream maker the next day.  

Prepare your ice cream maker

If you’re using a frozen canister ice cream maker, like mine, you’ll want to make sure the canister goes into the freezer for at least 12-24 hours to ensure its cold enough.

 

Adding banana ice cream recipe to the frozen ice cream maker canister.

Churning gourmet banana ice cream

Follow the instructions for your ice cream maker. I use this Cuisinart canister version and just pour the banana base into the icy cylinder, Place the paddle in the canister and secure the lid. Turn the machine on and in about 20 minutes you have a perfect soft, serve consistency. 

 

adding peanuts to the churning ice cream.

Add the peanuts

It wouldn’t be peanut butter banana ice cream without peanuts, right? This is when you’ll add them, at the very end of churning. The roasted peanuts will get speckled throughout the blend and add great crunch.

I personally recommend Emerald Brand Virginia Roasted Peanuts. To me, they are the BEST. They’re really large, uber-crunchy and have real peanut flavor that’s unmarred by other seasonings — it’s literally just peanuts and salt. (Note, they’re not a sponsor, I just thoroughly enjoy this brand).

 

 

layering banana ice cream with peanut butter swirl.

For the peanut butter swirl

We’re not done yet. Remember that peanut butter swirl I’ve been opining about? This is where we use it. Not mixed into the ice cream maker — that wouldn’t give us those chunky nuggets and ribbons we want. Instead, they come together when you’re packing the frozen confection.  Use whatever container you have and alternate a scoop of banana ice cream with a drizzle of peanut butter magic shell. Continue to alternate ice cream and magic shell until the container has been filled and immediately transfer it to the freezer to set. 

 

 

Scooping peanut butter swirl banana ice cream from the container.

Deep freeze for the peanut butter banana ice cream

The ice cream will be ready in a few hours to scoop, however, if it’s been in the freezer for a long time, I’d recommend removing it about 8-10 minutes before you want to serve it (just to make it easier on your wrist).

This peanut butter banana ice cream is SO INCREDIBLE. It’s velvety smooth with an irresistible deep banana flavor. The vein of peanut butter magic shell is sweet and crackly, like you’d expect. The chopped Virginia peanuts add the final layer of satisfying crunch. This is a seriously good, gourmet ice cream.

 

a scoop of gourmet ice cream from the container.

Yes, you can make classic, old-fashioned banana and peanut butter ice cream at home — and trust me, you’re going to LOVE IT.

You might also like these gourmet ice cream recipes:

  • Peppermint Stick Ice Cream
  • Cherry Nougat Crunch Ice Cream
  • Pistachio Chip Green Tea Ice Cream
  • Blueberry Swirl Key Lime Ice Cream 
  • Honeyed Peach Ice Cream with Almond Streusel

a bowl of old fashioned peanut butter banana ice cream.

Print Pin
4.71 from 17 votes

Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

Seriously.  You want this.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 45 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 608kcal
Author Jeni Britton Bauer | Jeni's Splendid

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons cream cheese softened
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons corn syrup
  • 1 vanilla bean split, seeds scraped out
  • 3 over ripe bananas the blacker the skin, the better!
  • 3/4 cup Peanut Butter Magic Shell

Instructions

  • Freeze your ice cream maker's canister if required by manufacturer's instructions.
  • In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons of milk with cornstarch to make a slurry.  Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and salt. Use a hand mixer to beat until smooth and combined.  Set aside.
  • Combine the remaining milk, cream,  sugar, corn syrup and vanilla seeds into a large saucepan.  Bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat; boil for 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in the cornstarch mixture.  Return to the pan to the heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly until mixture thickens, about 1-2 minutes.  
  • With hand mixer on medium speed, add the cream mixture in a steady stream until combined.  
  • Mash bananas (by hand for a chunkier mix - or in a blender for a smoother texture) and add banana puree to the cream mixture.  Stir well to combine.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least two hours or overnight.
  • Transfer the custard to the ice cream canister and churn the ice cream according to manufacturer's instructions.
  • While ice cream is churning, heat the Peanut Butter Magic Shell until liquified, but not hot...  Usually one to two 20-second bursts in the microwave, stirring in between will do it.
  • When ice cream is done, alternate spooning ice cream with peanut butter magic shell into a container, so that there are chunks and swirls of peanut butter throughout the ice cream.  Freeze ice cream for at least 4 hours or until firm.  Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 608kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 575mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 995IU | Vitamin C: 5.4mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 0.8mg

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Ice Cream/Frozen Treats// Vegan/Vegetarian30 Comments

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Comments

  1. Denay DeGuzman says

    May 29, 2020 at 7:32 PM

    This is the delicious recipe I was looking for! I have all the ingredients here at home. I’m making a double batch right now!

    Reply
  2. Cathleen says

    May 29, 2020 at 7:13 PM

    Oh my goodness. This looks so good!! I love this flavour combo, so I know I need to make this soon!!

    Reply
  3. Mahy says

    May 29, 2020 at 6:40 PM

    I really need this ice cream right now. It looks absolutely amazing, and the flavors are dfinitely one of my favorite!

    Reply
  4. Sandhya's Kitchen says

    May 29, 2020 at 6:39 PM

    Oh my!! Peanut Butter Ice cream is one of my favourites.

    Reply
  5. Amy says

    May 29, 2020 at 5:58 PM

    Oh wow what a great flavour combination!

    Reply
  6. Chris says

    May 29, 2020 at 2:56 PM

    Sure wish my husband liked bananas!! I may make this in spite of that! I love the combination. A spoonful of peanut butter smeared on a banana is a go-to treat for me!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      May 29, 2020 at 3:16 PM

      More for you!

      Reply
  7. Sasha Jamison says

    November 9, 2018 at 6:51 AM

    I have some over ripened bananas in my fruit bowl side eyeing me. Was going to use them for banana bread but I’m going to make instead. Looks delicious

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      November 9, 2018 at 9:57 AM

      Enjoy it! One of our favorites!

      Reply
  8. Katrina says

    August 7, 2017 at 11:37 AM

    Oh my! As if the hard shell couldn’t get any better you swirl it into the ice cream. Brilliant!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      August 7, 2017 at 3:44 PM

      And tasty!

      Reply
  9. Valentina says

    July 26, 2017 at 12:12 AM

    Oh yum. My son loves peanut butter and banana sandwiches, so I’m sure he’d LOVE this!

    Reply
  10. Karly says

    July 25, 2017 at 10:51 AM

    Peanut butter and ice cream- the two best ways to my heart. Cannot wait to try this!

    Reply
  11. Bethany @ athletic avocado says

    July 25, 2017 at 9:47 AM

    I LOVE when ice cream has the hard pieces of peanut butter swirled right in, OMG so good! This ice cream looks to die for!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 25, 2017 at 12:33 PM

      I love that too – and this peanut butter swirl is solid until it touches your tongue — then it melts into a creamy, delicious peanutty lusciousness.

      Reply
  12. cakespy says

    July 25, 2017 at 7:42 AM

    Clearly, nothing will be right in the world until I am eating this. It looks incredibly crave-worthy! PB and banana is in my opinion one of the finest in the world combos.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 25, 2017 at 8:32 AM

      Clearly…

      Reply
  13. Dannii says

    July 25, 2017 at 6:06 AM

    Banana and peanut butter is just the ultimate combination. I wish I could open my freezer and see a tub of this in there right now.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 25, 2017 at 7:18 AM

      Well, it’s not hard to make, so….

      Reply
  14. Brian Jones says

    July 25, 2017 at 1:14 AM

    That looks fantastic, bananas are my no go food a really dislike them but I love banana ice cream, go figure… It is a texture thing I hate the texture of bananas but don’t mind the flavour at all pairing it up with peanuts is genius.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 25, 2017 at 7:17 AM

      You are not the first person I’ve heard that from. In fact, one of my daughter’s friends has a whole list of “textures” that turn her off from certain foods. LOL!

      Reply
  15. Prasanna Hede says

    July 24, 2017 at 11:48 PM

    The icecream looks so good! Just love how you put together all steps and nicely explained everything.You have a nice collection of icecreams too!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 25, 2017 at 7:16 AM

      Thank you! Glad you like it — this ice cream is getting made again — and soon.

      Reply
  16. Ginny McMeans says

    July 24, 2017 at 11:46 AM

    Love this time of year when we get to make these great tasting cold treats! Peanut Butter and banana sounds fantastic!

    Reply
  17. Kelly @ trial and eater says

    July 24, 2017 at 11:42 AM

    I could so use a big batch of this right now! I would be so sad if I had a peanut allergy. This looks absolutely delicious, pinned for later!

    Reply
  18. Ashley - Forking Up says

    July 24, 2017 at 11:35 AM

    Peanutbutter and bananas is suuuuch a delicious combo! My ice cream maker has been tragically underused this summer–time to change that!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 24, 2017 at 12:11 PM

      Definitely time to break out that poor, ignored gadget!

      Reply
  19. Jill says

    July 24, 2017 at 11:29 AM

    Jeni’s ice cream is the best! I live in Ohio so I’ve only eaten the ice cream that’s already made – but I keep saying I need to try her recipe at home too. Loving this flavor combo!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 24, 2017 at 12:10 PM

      Thanks, Jill! If you love Jeni’s ice cream, get the book!

      Reply
  20. Brandi Crawford says

    July 24, 2017 at 11:17 AM

    This looks so yummy! I love all of your process photos outlining the process.

    Reply

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Meet Lisa

Lisa

Calling all cooks! You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to get a delicious, healthy meal on the table! At Garlic & Zest, I’ll show you how to make hundreds of seasonal, fresh recipes and indulgent comfort foods with easy step-by-step instructions and photos to help you master the dish.

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