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Homemade Banana Pudding Ice Cream |
Introduction
Banana pudding is one of the quintessential desserts of the classic Southern varieties. What makes the dessert so wonderful are the various textures found in every bite: the jelly-like, yielding texture of the vanilla-flavored custard, the airy whisked peaks of whipped cream, and the soft chew of the vanilla wafers that have absorbed the banana’s sweet juices. I loved this classic Southern dessert so much that I wanted to translate it to a churned churned ice cream. I realized quickly, however, that it would be no easy task.To avoid adding too much water from the bananas to create an icy ice cream, the bananas are roasted to caramelize the sugars in them and to concentrate the bananas to reduce the free water. A rich French custard base made with eggs and containing much lecithin from the eggs is used to make the ice cream. These characteristics allow the mixture to be churned in a home ice cream maker and mimic the custard part of the banana dessert. Ribbons of a vanilla bean pastry cream are mixed into the ice cream to add flavor and color. In addition, toasted vanilla wafers are mixed into the ice cream to add large chunks that maintain their cookie-like chew even when the ice cream is below freezing. The end result is a fantastic banana dessert to enjoy throughout the year, and especially in late summer and fall.
Ingredient Deep-Dive & Smart Substitutions
Bananas
What to look for: Brown bananas with many brown spots. As bananas get older they get sweeter because the bananas’ amylase enzymes convert starches in the bananas into sugars like glucose and fructose. As these sugars are added to the bananas, the bananas’ freezing point gets lower.
Function: Flavor and body.
Tested Substitution: Roasting unripe yellow bananas for an extra 10 minutes at 350°F (177°C) can give them the necessary increased sugar content. However this will not go through the exact same process of starch-to-sugar conversion as the banana ripens naturally.
Heavy Cream & Whole Milk
Pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized or UHT if possible) heavy cream with at least 36% milkfat, and whole milk with 3.25% milkfat. Organic is best for these two items.
This component establishes the fat-to-water ratio in ice cream. Milkfat feels rich and greasy on the surface of the tongue, preventing the formation of ice crystals that would give the ice cream an unpleasant crunch, instead producing a smooth and velvety texture.
Tested Substitution: To test a dairy-free substitute, substitute both the cream and the milk with the same volume of full-fat canned coconut cream and unsweetened cashew milk.
Egg Yolks
This pasture raised egg has big, fresh looking yolks. The larger, fresher yolks have stronger vitelline membranes which contain more active lecithin.
Function: Lecithin is a natural emulsifier found in eggs. Its function in churning is to hold water molecules in suspension with the fat globules so that they don’t separate from one another.
Tested Substitution: Eggs without yolks with the addition of 0.25% by weight xanthan gum to the milk (about 1/4 teaspoon in this batch) to stabilize the emulsion. Note that the depth of the resulting custard will not be the same.
Vanilla Wafers
What to look for: High-quality, butter-forward vanilla wafers.
Function: The salty-sweet buttery flavor of the wafers against the frozen churned base of the dessert and to absorb free moisture from the wafer so it does not dissolve into a mushy texture.
This would work well with gluten-free vanilla wafers, as well as shortbread or graham crackers cut into 0.5” (1.2 cm) pieces.
Ingredient Measurements
| Ingredient | US Customary | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Roasted Banana Purée (from ~3 bananas) | 1 cup | 300 g |
| Heavy Cream | 2 cups | 480 ml |
| Whole Milk | 1 cup | 240 ml |
| Granulated Sugar (divided) | 3/4 cup | 150 g |
| Egg Yolks (large) | 5 yolks | ~100 g |
| Fine Sea Salt | 1/2 tsp | 3 g |
| Pure Vanilla Bean Paste | 1.5 tsp | 7.5 ml |
| Vanilla Wafers (roughly crushed) | 1.5 cups | 120 g |
Essential Equipment
We are using a compressor ice cream maker or a well-frozen canister style ice cream maker. Churning the mixture of ingredients to a correct consistency is very important in making ice cream. This is achieved by incorporating air (overrun) into the mixture whilst keeping the size of the ice crystals to a minimum.
Instant-Read Thermometer: This tool is required to ensure the temperature of the custard is correct to prevent over-coagulation of the egg proteins.
Fine-Mesh Sieve: to sift the custard base to remove the chalazae (the white or yellow part at the fleshy end of the egg) and any other particles of cooked egg that could leave little rough lumps in the finished ice cream.
Heavy-Bottomed Saucepan: This pan is best for mixing the custard base. It does not allow for hot spots to develop and will not scorch the mixture of hot dairy and custard.
Step-by-Step Method
1. Caramelize the Bananas
To make the banana purée, preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Place the bananas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and rub them gently with your fingers to release the oils from the skin. Place the bananas in the oven to roast for 15-20 minutes or until the skins are completely blackened and are oozing glistening juices. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Once cooled slightly, scrape the warm banana flesh from the skins and place in a bowl. Mash the bananas with a fork until you get a smooth purée. Measure out 1 cup of the banana purée and set aside.
2. Scald the Dairy and Infuse
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the heavy cream, whole milk and 1/4 cup (50g) of the granulated sugar. Place over medium-low heat and bring just to a simmer (175°F/79°C) – do not let it boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the warm banana puree and the vanilla bean paste. Cover the mixture and allow to steep for 20 minutes to allow the dairy to infuse with the banana flavor.
3. Build the Custard Base (Tempering)
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup (100g) of sugar, the egg yolks, and a pinch of salt. Whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and forms thick, sticky ribbons that fall off the whisk.
The Tempering Process
Ladle the warm dairy-banana mixture into the egg yolks in the medium bowl in portions of about 1 cup at a time whisking constantly to temper the eggs to prevent scrambling. You will pour the tempered mixture into the remaining dairy in the saucepan.
4. Cook to Nappe
Return the saucepan to medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a heatproof silicone spatula, scraping the bottom and edges of the pan. Continue to heat until the mixture has started to thicken to a soft custard. Use a thermometer to check temperature. The custard should be around 170°F to 175°F (77°C to 79°C).
The Nappe Benchmark: The custard will coat the back of a spoon. To test this draw your finger through the sauce on the back of the spoon. If it holds a clear straight line and the edges do not fill in when you remove your finger the custard has reached the Nappe.
5. Strain and Cure
For immediate use: Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and position over an ice-water bath. Periodically stir the custard until it has cooled to room temperature. To prevent a skin from forming on the surface of the cooled custard, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and transfer the bowl to the refrigerator. Allow to chill for a minimum of 6 hours and for optimal flavor and texture, allow to chill for 12 hours or overnight. During this time, the fat globules will solidify and the proteins will fully hydrate.
6. Churn and Assemble
Churn your matured, cold base in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Meanwhile, make your toasted, crushed up vanilla wafers. Add the cooled wafers to your ice cream in the last 2 minutes of its churn. It should now be the consistency of firm soft-serve ice cream.
Add the cooled vanilla wafers into the ice cream during the last 2 minutes of the churn. Once the ice cream has reached the consistency of a firm soft-serve, transfer to a chilled storage container. Add extra wafer crumbs to create layers in the ice cream and harden for a minimum of 4 hours in the freezer.
The Science Behind the Recipe
First of all: ultra-smooth ice-cream always has to contain very small ice crystals. Water always crystallizes in big, harsh, splits or corners, in order to as many water-molecules as possible to bond with. In order to counteract this natural process of the water, we use three basic-scientific principles.
Freezing Point Depression: By incorporating the natural sugars from the roasted bananas, sucrose and the liquid sugars produced from the starchy materials, into the water phase of the dairy, the mixture’s freezing point is lowered. The water then forms smaller ice crystals within the mixture, allowing for a softer scoop directly from the freezer.
Emulsification via Lecithin: The egg yolks in ice cream contain lecithin, a phospholipid that forms a sort of bridge between the polar water in the ice cream and the nonpolar fat. This creates a stable emulsion that prevents the fat in the ice cream to be released as greasy films on the palate when it is being melted.
Starch Gelatinization: Bananas contain residual starches in them. When roasted and mixed with the hot dairy the starch granules gelatinize swelling up and filling with water. This has the physical effect of blocking water molecules from clumping together to form large and crunchy ice crystals.
Pro Tips for Success
Make The Wafers Toasted: By making toasted vanilla wafers your base of folding with caramelized butter fats they will stay nice and crisp chewy after you have frozen them.
Use a Pinch of Milk Powder: If the bananas used in your ice cream are of a particularly wet variety then the addition of 2 tablespoons (15g) of nonfat dry milk powder to the dairy mixture is recommended. This will act as to draw out the excess water in the bananas and thus increase the MSNF content of the ice cream without adding any fat and thus upsetting the balance of fats in the product.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Symptom | Cause | Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| Icy, Gritty Texture | Undertipped base, warm churning bowl, or raw banana purée. | Ensure the churning canister is frozen for at least 24 hours at 0°F (-18°C). Always roast the bananas to evaporate water content. |
| Scrambled Egg Specks | The custard base was overheated past 185°F (85°C). | Keep a digital thermometer in the pan. If curdling begins, remove from heat immediately and blend with an immersion blender before straining. |
| Ice Cream Melts Too Fast | Too much sugar or alcohol used, lowering the freezing point excessively. | Keep total sugar content to around 15–20% by weight of the total base weight. |
Culinary Safety & Hygiene
Pasteurization: Ensure that your custard base is heated to at least 160°F (71°C) during the cooking of the base in order to pasteurize the egg yolks to eliminate the risk of foodborne illness.
Rapid Cooling: Cool your finished custard as quickly as possible by placing it in an ice-water bath and ensuring the temperature is pulled down below the danger zone (40°F to 140°F / 4°C to 60°C) as quickly as possible and never to allow it to sit on a counter to cool.
The Perfect Pairing
Drink: An affogato of a high quality glass of very old dark rum or a shot of espresso. The sweet banana aroma and flavor of the very mature fruit of this dessert are cut by the bitter flavor of the roasted coffee.
Sauce: Warm salted bourbon-caramel sauce. It brings out the oak and the caramelized flavor in the roasted fruit.
Storage & Reheating Excellence
Storage: Keep your ice cream in a shallow insulated container. Press a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap down onto the surface of the ice cream before covering the top of the container to prevent sublimation (ice crystal growth) from forming on the surface of the ice cream.
Shelf Life: 2 weeks, this ice cream does not contain any preservatives and after this time the texture will begin to deteriorate as the ice crystals in the product begin to grow.
Serving: Allow the shallow container to temper on the counter for 5 to 7 minutes before scooping to allow fats in ice cream to soften.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
I need to make this ice cream without an ice cream maker.
The recipe can be made without an ice cream maker by using the “no-churn” style of freeze-and-stir in a shallow pan and mixing every 30 minutes or so, for three hours, by which time it will be the consistancy of scoopable ice cream. Add the wafer pieces during the final mix.
Why does the banana flavor taste so much better when roasted?
Roasting bananas triggers both the Maillard reaction and caramelization, which change the starches in the banana to simple sugars. When cooked in this way the bananas release a massive amount of volatile flavorings which give them a warm cooked flavor that is deep and complex – almost having a rum-like quality that raw bananas lack.
Can I use store-bought pudding mix in this recipe?
Store-bought vanilla pudding can be added to the churned ice cream base but it will create a very icy and strange texture due to starches in the pudding mix and stabilizers. The same can be said for mousse. If you want really great ice cream then make the yolk-based French custard to add to the cooled base. The French custard has a much cleaner melt and is far superior to the ice cream made with the pudding mix.
Nutrition Facts
How did your batch turn out? Are you sticking to classic vanilla wafers or getting crazy with things like caramelized puff pastry shards? Let me know your favorite mix-ins or if you are having any trouble with anything and I’ll add it to the comments below. I read through every comment, so ask away.
