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Banana Pudding Ice Cream

Banana pudding ice cream made with creamy banana-infused vanilla custard, crushed Nilla wafers, and banana slices for a frozen banana pudding feel in every bite. Chilled, churned, then folded with wafer crumbs and frozen banana so each scoop stays creamy with visible banana and cookie specks.
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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
  

Banana pudding ice cream base
  • 3 very ripe bananas Use very ripe bananas for a deep banana flavor and smooth puree.
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Mix-ins
  • 1.5 cup Nilla wafers, roughly crushed Crush into coarse crumbs so they stay distinct in the ice cream.
  • 0.5 cup banana slices (frozen) Fold in frozen slices at the end to prevent them from getting mushy.

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Blend and set up
  1. Blend the very ripe bananas until completely smooth, then set aside.
  2. In a Dutch oven, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until the mixture looks pale and thickened.
Make the custard
  1. Heat the heavy cream and whole milk in the Dutch oven over medium-low heat until steaming.
  2. Slowly whisk the steaming cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture to avoid scrambling.
  3. Cook the custard over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 175F.
  4. Strain the custard to remove any bits, then stir in the vanilla extract, salt, and banana puree.
Chill and churn
  1. Cool the custard completely, then refrigerate for 4 hours.
  2. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker until it thickens to soft-serve consistency.
  3. Fold in the crushed Nilla wafers and the banana slices (frozen) during the last 2 minutes of churning.
Freeze and serve
  1. Freeze until scoopable for a firm, spoonable texture.

Notes

Pro tip: when heating to 175F, keep the heat at medium-low and stir constantly—this prevents curdling and keeps the banana custard silky. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days (tightly covered); freezing is best for up to 2 months. For a lighter option, swap 1 cup of the heavy cream with half-and-half, then expect a softer texture.