Name: Banana Pudding Ice Cream
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 270 min
Ingredients: 2 cups heavy cream; 1 cup whole milk; 6 large egg yolks; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 2 medium ripe bananas (thoroughly mashed or pureed); 1 cup roughly crushed vanilla wafers

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This creamy banana pudding ice cream is the perfect way to cool down on a hot day. Top it with more vanilla cookies or a drizzle of caramel!

A white bowl with two scoops of ice cream topped with crumbled nuts, garnished with banana slices, on a wooden table next to a spoon and a striped cloth.

I love any excuse for a bowl of ice cream, so it’s a good thing that I have my own ice cream machine! We do like to hit up the local shops, but being able to experiment with flavors at home is one of my favorite parts of summer.

This banana pudding ice cream is a twist on the classic banana pudding dessert everyone loves. With plenty of banana flavor and wafer cookies, it’s a great treat any day, and a nice change from the standard flavors!

While most of my ice cream recipes don’t call for eggs, this one does, and it’s totally worth the extra effort! The resulting ice cream is incredibly rich and creamy, making it even more reminiscent of the pudding.

Add some more Nilla wafers on top and a dollop of whipped cream and you’ve got one heavenly dessert!

Ingredients for banana pudding ice cream

Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.

Ingredients for a recipe on a wooden surface: bananas, cream, brown sugar, milk, sugar, vanilla, eggs, and crushed cookies, each labeled with text.

You’ll need:

Ripe bananas
Granulated sugar
Brown sugar (light or dark)
Heavy cream
Milk
Egg yolks
Vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
Vanilla wafer cookies, like Nilla wafers

The bananas get mashed (or puréed) for this recipe, so make sure they are soft enough. You don’t want any of the chunks too large or they can clog the ice cream machine.

You can also roast the bananas for extra flavor, but make sure they are completely cooled and drained of excess liquid before adding to the custard.

Separate your eggs one at a time using multiple bowls to ensure you don’t accidentally get whites into the mixture. I have three bowls: one for the yolks, one for the whites, and one to crack the egg over as you separate. Save the egg whites to make chocolate macaroons!

A metal ice cream scoop holding a round scoop of vanilla ice cream rests in a rectangular container filled with more ice cream on a wooden surface.

How to make this recipe

First, make sure your ice cream bowl is completely frozen. I like to keep mine in the freezer when I have room, but otherwise I pop it into the freezer the night before I plan to make ice cream. If it isn’t fully frozen, your ice cream won’t churn well.

To make the ice cream base, combine the cream and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a low simmer, stirring to prevent a skin from forming on the top. When it’s just bubbling around the edges, reduce the heat to low.

A saucepan filled with milk is being stirred with a blue spatula, placed on a gray and white striped towel on a wooden surface.

A metal whisk rests in a white bowl containing yellow batter on a gray striped cloth, set on a wooden surface.

While the cream and milk are heating, whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together in a large bowl. The yolks will become slightly more pale, though the exact color will vary based on your eggs.

Slowly pour or gradually ladle the warmed cream mixture into the yolks while whisking. Make sure you are whisking the whole time to prevent the yolks from curdling, and don’t dump all of the liquid in at once!

A saucepan filled with a light-colored liquid sits on a striped cloth, with a spatula resting inside the pan.

A mixing bowl lined with plastic wrap contains a smooth, light yellow mixture, resting on a striped cloth on a wooden surface.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan over low heat. Continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon.

Want to make sure the eggs are fully cooked? Use an instant-read thermometer to confirm a temperature of 165°F.

Remove the custard from the stove and stir in the vanilla. I usually pour it into a spouted bowl first, which makes it super easy to pour into the ice cream machine later. Make sure to press a piece of plastic wrap to the top to prevent a skin from forming as it cools.

Chill the custard for at least 2 hours, but ideally longer.

When you’re ready to churn the ice cream, place your frozen bowl in the ice cream machine. Remove the custard from the fridge and stir in the mashed bananas, then pour into the ice cream machine.

A mixing bowl with a spoon in a pale yellow liquid mixture containing small bits, sitting on a wooden surface next to a striped cloth.

Overhead view of an ice cream maker with a creamy mixture inside, sitting on a wooden surface next to a striped cloth.

Churn according to manufacturer instructions. Depending on your machine, churning time can be as little as 20 minutes or up to 1 hour.

In the last 5 minutes or so of churning, add the chopped vanilla wafer cookies.

Once churned, transfer to silicone ice cream containers or a loaf pan. If using a load pan, make sure to press a piece of plastic wrap to the surface of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming. Note that loaf pans work best if you plan to serve all of the ice cream at once; otherwise use a lidded container for storage.

A white bowl with two scoops of ice cream, banana slices, and cookie crumbs on top sits on a wooden surface next to a striped cloth and cookies.

More ice cream recipes

Want to load up the freezer this summer? Make any of these options!

Chocolatey: Make classic chocolate ice cream, mint chocolate chip ice cream, or chocolate frozen yogurt.

Fruity: Strawberry ice cream, black raspberry ice cream, and raspberry sorbet are always hits!

Go for portable with nostalgic homemade pudding pops.

A bowl of banana pudding topped with crushed cookies and banana slices, with a spoon resting inside.

If you love the flavors of banana pudding, you’ve got to make this banana pudding ice cream!

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It means so much when you enjoy my recipes, so let me know how it goes and leave a comment if you have any questions.