If you thought my last ice cream flavor was good, this recipe is bananas! This dairy-free ice cream is egg custard-based and loaded with oven-baked and pureed bananas. This recipe is richer and creamier than any of those wimpy 1-ingredient (or 2-ingredient) ice cream recipes out there. Sure, it requires a bit more work than throwing a banana in a blender and freezing it (and isn't quite as healthy...), but it is well worth it.

Step 1: Ingredients and Tools

Ingredients:

4 Large ripe bananas
4 Large egg yolks (room temperature)
2/3 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup (room temperature)
3 Tablespoons cold water
2 Teaspoons gelatin
1 Can (13.5oz) full fat coconut milk
2 Cans (5.4oz) coconut cream
1 Large vanilla bean
1 Tablespoon high-quality vanilla extract (optional - to taste)
1 Tablespoon vodka (optional)

Required kitchen tools:

Ice Cream Maker (mine is a 1.5 Quart Cuisinart ICE-21)
Food processor (or blender)
Sauce pan
Heat-proof mixing bowl
Candy thermometer
Fine mesh sieve
Rubber spatula
Whisk
Reusable insulated ice cream tub and/or disposable ice cream pints
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
And assorted kitchen stuff

Note that some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This does not change the price of any of the items for sale. However, I earn a small commission if you click on any of those links and buy anything. I reinvest this money into materials and tools for future projects. However, you are obviously free to source the items as you please.

Step 2: Bake the Bananas

Poke holes all over the bananas using a toothpick.

Bake them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Step 3: Puree the Bananas

Once the bananas have cooled down, peel them and puree the bananas in a food processor or blender until creamy. Drain any excess liquids that remain so not to add extra water to the ice cream. This can cause it to ice up later.

Step 4: Make Vanilla Ice Cream Batter

Make vanilla ice cream batter as outlined in steps 2 to 9 of my vanilla bean ice cream instructable.

At this point you can add a tablespoon of vodka should you desire. The addition of the alcohol helps prevent the ice cream from freezing entirely solid and also is used to keep it from getting too icy.

Step 5: Chill

Chill the vanilla ice cream batter and the pureed banana in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours.

Step 6: Combine Together

Thoroughly mix together the pureed banana and the vanilla ice cream batter.

Step 7: Freeze It

Make the ice cream as specified by your ice cream maker. This recipe yields quite a bit of ice cream, so if you have a small ice cream maker like mine, you might need to freeze it in two batches.

Step 8: Package and Serve

Package the ice cream in cartons or a reusable tub.

Eat it immediately if you want ice cream that is the consistency of soft serve, or freeze for a few more hours for a more traditional ice cream consistency.

Enjoy!