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Banana Pudding Ice Cream

Banana pudding ice cream is a creamy banana-infused vanilla frozen dessert with crushed Nilla wafers and banana slices. Made with a custard base cooked to 175°F, then churned and folded with wafers and frozen bananas for a frozen banana pudding texture in every bite.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling + freezing 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana-infused custard
  • 3 very ripe bananas Blend until completely smooth for a fully banana-infused base.
  • 2 cup heavy cream Heat with the milk until steaming, not boiling.
  • 1 cup whole milk Warm together with the cream.
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar Whisk with egg yolks to help thicken the custard.
  • 4 egg yolks Beat with sugar before tempering.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract Stir in after reaching temperature to preserve flavor.
  • 0.25 tsp salt Balances sweetness and enhances the banana flavor.
Banana pudding mix-ins
  • 1.5 cup Nilla wafers Roughly crushed; fold in during the last minutes of churning.
  • 0.5 cup banana slices (frozen) Fold in during the last 2 minutes of churning so they stay distinct.

Equipment

  • 1 ice cream maker
  • 1 medium saucepan

Method
 

Blend and set up
  1. Blend the very ripe bananas until completely smooth and set aside.
  2. Place an ice bath or a clear workspace nearby for cooling later.
Cook the custard
  1. Heat the heavy cream and whole milk in a medium saucepan until steaming.
  2. While whisking, slowly whisk the steaming cream mixture into the beaten egg yolks and sugar.
  3. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard reaches 175F.
  4. Strain the custard, then stir in vanilla extract, salt, and the banana puree.
  5. Cool the custard completely before refrigerating.
Chill, churn, and add mix-ins
  1. Refrigerate the custard for 4 hours.
  2. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker until thickened.
  3. Fold in the crushed Nilla wafers and the frozen banana slices during the last 2 minutes of churning.
Freeze to scoopable
  1. Freeze the ice cream until scoopable.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the custard moving while cooking so it thickens evenly and hits 175°F without scrambling. Store covered in the freezer up to 2 weeks; for best texture, let it sit 5–10 minutes at room temperature before scooping. Freezing is yes—no re-churning needed after it sets. For a lighter option, use half-and-half for some of the heavy cream, but the texture will be softer.