“Arrrgh!” I cry out as the bag drops the short distance to the ground. There’s a crack and plop as the bag and its contents hits the tiles in my kitchen and suddenly my dozen lovely eggs are now a shell speckled free-form omelette. I managed to salvage a few but forget crying over spilt milk, spilt eggs are worse. So there went my idea to make a creme anglaise based caramelised banana ice cream for my friend’s kids.
Then I remembered an ice cream that Nigella made using cream whipped to soft peaks. It turned out light and gorgeous and would do me in my egg deficient state. I also liked the idea of feeding kids real banana ice cream so they wouldn’t ask why the banana ice cream wasn’t yellow and why it didn’t taste like banana lollies. However I also realise children and cooking caramel aren’t a great idea. Caramel is hot and cooking it risks splutters so this oven version below is the best way to caramelise bananas without potentially scarring the little ones. A trip to the Emergency room is never a good way to spend a day.
I wasn’t quite sure how it would work out, although I had an inkling of its greatness when I sampled a bit of the caramel banana with the whipped cream and had to hold myself back from disappearing into the bedroom with the whole bowlful. I stopped and realised that thieving ice cream and greedily eating it showed that I was no role model and for a moment I didn’t really care but the doleful eyes of kids held me back.
The resulting ice cream is creamy, light and full of sweet banana. The kids liked the chunks of banana, which, once frozen actually taste rather ice cream like. And there wasn’t a skerrick of faux banana ice cream flavour there. Just fruit and caramel and ice cream. And given that we’re experiencing a somewhat Indian Summer in Australia this is a good way to kiss the warm weather goodbye. And lucky Northern Hemispherans can indulge in this for months on end.
So tell me Dear Reader, which is your favourite season?
Caramelised Banana Ice Cream
An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
For caramelised banana
- 4 ripe bananas, chopped up
- 100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
- 1 tbs unsweetened apple or orange juice
- 50g butter, melted
For ice cream
- 500ml cream (if you are using an ice cream maker, you can use 250ml cream and 250ml milk)
- 150/5 ozs icing sugar
1. Make caramelised bananas. Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Get your child to chop up a ripe banana with a butter knife and place in an ovenproof baking dish. Melt butter and cool a little and get them to mix the brown sugar, juice and butter together until combined and then pour over the chopped banana and bake for 20-25 minutes until banana is soft. Cool slightly and place in fridge until cold (if you’re in a hurry, spread out on a swiss roll tin or shallow dish and freeze)..
If using an ice cream maker
2a. Whip cream until soft and voluminous peaks are formed but not stiff. Add sifted icing sugar. Place cream, milk and cold caramelised bananas (reserving the liquid caramel sauce to pour over later) and churn for 25 minutes. You can break up the banana pieces with a spatula as they’re very soft if you prefer to have less banana chunks or you can leave it chunky. Once finished, place in freezer proof container and freeze until set. Take it out of the freezer 20 minutes or so before you want to eat it to ripen it.
If using the freezer method
2b. Whip cream until soft and voluminous peaks are formed but not stiff. Add sifted icing sugar. Place whipped cream mixture and cold caramelised bananas (reserving the liquid caramel sauce to pour over later) in freezer proof container and freeze for a few hours. You can break up the banana pieces with a spatula as they’re very soft if you prefer to have less banana chunks or you can leave it chunky. Once an hour, break up the ice cream with a fork to prevent ice crystals from forming. Take it out of the freezer 20 minutes or so before you want to eat it to ripen it.
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59 Comments | Add your own
this must be delicious! I just made some banoffie pie which uses almost the same ingredients which are caramel bananas and whipped cream also though a base of cookie crumbs. I ll try this for sure : )
Hello Lorraine,
Wise words. A day in ED is never particularly pleasant, especially if it’s the Saturday noon ’til 11pm shift. We all survived yesterday though – patients and staff
My favourite season is.. all of them? I like that we have all 4 in Australia. I think it’s the changing of clothes and foods that do it for me
Have a lovely long weekend.
SSG xxx
You got me with this one Lorraine! I LOVE ice cream!I’ve tried making ice cream without an ice cream maker but I think using bananas might keep the texture creamier and the result is much nicer. This looks so yummy!
This recipe really makes me wish I liked bananas. Alas, I still don’t. But I just tried them the other day to make sure. For adults though, I best a splash of dark rum while the bananas are caramelizing would be delicious.
Yum. You realise I may have to steal your KA icecream attachment to make it? Ta. xxx
OOH! This ice-cream sounds so so good! I am reminded of a book I used to have about Monet (the painter, impressionist) and he used to love to eat well and in the book they showed a banana ice-cream wrapped in a towel or something; anyway, it was spectacular, I never forgot that photo, even though the book is long gone.
This looks delicious. I just LOVE my ice-cream. YUM!!!
Ice Cream looks lovely, but the caramelized banana and cream – YUM ! and you wouldn’t have to wait for that to freeze.
Oh I LOVE bananas! And I’m guessing you could make a quick version with plain sliced banana and dulce de leche? I can’t wait to try this recipe out!
I’m telling myself I can eat this for breakfast. It has banana and apple juice in it, after all, right? Sounds like a perfectly fine morning meal to me. (NQN, please don’t burst my fantasy here.)
Great recipe. Whilst I am a fan of the imitation banana flavour I don’t try and fool myself into thinking it is banana, it is its own flavour. I am still a little paranoid about making caramel so I like this approach.
Autumn,or March to May in the southern hemisphere has the best weather in Sydney.
Crisp mornings, warm days , cosy nights.
Good time for a holiday.
OMG MUST HAVE IMMEDIATELY!
And my favourite season is Autumn. Because Autumn is Awesome.
This time of year is pretty good I think! Just coming out of a Qld summer and going into Autumn. Or maybe Spring of course when it’s starting to warm up for our Summer again!
I can’t take the heat too well anymore. Summer was definitely my favourite-est season when I was younger.
Mind you, I think when it comes to food though, I much prefer the heavier with more carbs style of cuisine we gravitate towards in the colder weather.
Battered Fish and Chips. Wouldn’t be the same without it!
What we call caramelized banana is Bananas Foster created at Commander’s Palace In New Orleans , LA USA. It is usually served over vanilla ice cream.
You know how much I loooove bananas. Banana ice cream is perfect for kids. This is a lot better than the artificial stuff from the super market. Love the recipe Lorraine. I’m definately going to try this.
Has anyone ever told you that your pics of food could be labeled erotic? Is it just me or am I a member of a larger fan group? Please, don’t stop. I’m not complaining!
Banana and caramel = match made in heaven. Thrown in with icecream is even better! This looks great.
When it comes to my favorite season, I agree with Sydney Shop Girl. I tend to choose to live in places with four seasons rather that just one. Does that make me a greedy person?
Anyway,looking at these pictures had led me to having ice cream for breakfast. This is so bad of me!
Interesting. I usually make a arrowroot or cornstarch base ice cream. You bet I am going to try this whipped cream icing base. I am so curious
Fantastic idea caramelising the banana in the oven.
How is this warm weather – I’m kind of over it already and itching for winter to come…to be honest I am not that much of a summer lover here when it gets so hot and goes for months on end. European summer I’d take any day where you can guarantee a a balmy warmth every day.
But here, I love a Melbourne winter!
Yum, yum, yum – can there be a better combination than bananas, caramel and cream? Wait, what about salty caramel??? Recipe ideas buzzing in my head. I think I love autumn best, it’s not too hot,too humid or too cold yet, the trees are colourful and there are beautiful apples. Most of that could be said for spring but alas that’s allergy season!
yum – have seen this done with just frozen bananas but not with cream like this – keep wondering what to do with my growing stash of sylvia rejected bananas! Must put this on my list
Ooh that looks delicious!
Autumn is my favourite season, there’s a slight chill in the air, soup comes back on the menu & the leaves on trees turn beautiful reds, browns & golds
So lovely, Lorraine! You’re so splendid to make kid-friendly dessert.
I love the caramelized bananas! YUM! 
Favorite season? Oh, wow, um, guess it depends where I am. In Washington I love fall with all the apple trees and gorgeous summer with cool ocean breezes, in Canada, I love early winter with the gorgeous snow fall, in Europe, spring, most definitely.
That looks great…thank you!!! My favourite Season would have to be Summer with Autumn next…especially if there’s an Indian Summer!!!
I have complete faith that this is delicious! I used to, on occassion, microwave bananas to gooey amazingness with Top’n'fill caramel. This must taste a squillion times better!!
i want to dip my fingers on that bowl of caramelized bananas… i want a scoop of this ice cream so badly!
This looks DIVINE! I’m salivating as I’m reading it.
I am definitely trying this out! Thanks for another great recipe
Mmmm yum yum, haha bananas are so versatile! I absolutely hate faux banana, the taste makes me want to puke.
Mmm my fave season, probably Autumn as it is right now! It’s perfect, not too hot and not too cold at the moment.
Too delicious to pass.. It has all the healthy components of a dessert *GRIN*
Need to keep this for summer. But then again, this could be ice cream for warm pudding!
I love frozen banana. This looks amazing. Great idea for caramelising the banana too – I know first hand that caramel burns
egg massacre! lorraine, this ice cream is awesome–woefully, i don’t think a banana-flavored frozen treat has ever passed between my lips. the caramel aspect makes this irresistible!
OOOH yum! This would be amazing dolloped over hot pancakes too. I’m wondering, do you think this would work as well with reduced fat cream or half milk even without an ice cream maker (to make it slightly less sinful)?
I love the cyclical nature of the seasons, so long as it’s not too extreme. I must say, i’ve never appreciated just how magical spring is (when there is an optimism in the air and an abundance of blue sky and pretty clothes) until living through long northern hemisphere winters! But I also love the changing colours and cosiness of early autumn.
Briony xx
http://agirlastyle.wordpress.com/
oh my!!! m droooling alreadyyy!! love banana ice cream!! yummm!!!
I love the look of this! Caramel and banana in ice cream – heaven.
Have yet to try making ice cream as I don’t own an ice cream maker, but might just have to start trying out the freezer method…
Do you prefer lady fingers or cavs?
I agree… caramelizing the banana is genius Lorraine… as soon as the weather warms I want to give this one a try… all your recipes work so well!!
YUM! (: banana and caramel. Two of my many favourite combinations!!! This is absolutely divine Lorraine! You’ve done it once again!
ps : i wish i had an ice cream maker! hehe
Excellent thinking on your (egg splashed) feet!
I’m a big summer fan…and a fan of homemade ice cream! I’ve never whipped the cream before churning but I have made eggless ice creams – they’re called Philadelphia style here in the states (no one knows why). Have you ever tried making banana sorbet? It’s amazing!
That looks awesome, congratulations on being such a grat role model ;P Luckily I have some sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce in my kitchen or I’d be eaten away with envy…
In answer to the question: Summer, for sure, dresses rule ok!
omg this looks wonderful. I love making ice cream and this recipe is definitely bookmarked. Thanks for sending it along.
Yum! Kind of like a bananas foster ice cream. Great idea. xoxo Mum
This sounds absolutely perfect for the upcoming summer months! What a wonderful reason to dust off my ice cream maker.
My favorite season is my far and away fall…but I have a soft spot for spring too. 
In one word YUMMY!
I like all the seasons because each one brings it’s own special bounty of delicious foods
Wow! What a fantastic recipe! Hopefully we’ll have more of this lovely weather so I can give this a go. My husband keeps asking me to make a nutty caramel ice cream by making your nutty caramel popcorn concoction (but minus the popcorn) and incorporating that into some good quality vanilla ice cream, but now that you’ve posted an ice cream recipe, I think I might try that instead! Thanks Lorraine, you’re the best!
Oh, and my fave season is Spring because it’s beautiful picnic weather
It reminds of the Ben & Jerrys Banana Choc Walnut ice cream, looks creamy and luscious! I wish i had an ince cream maker would have made it right away!
This looks wonderful I have sent it to my sister who’s planning on making it when we visit next weekend. I don’t have an ice cream attachment for my kitchen maid – yet. I can’t wait!
Simply delicious. I bought an ice cream maker attachment for my kitchenaid about a year ago and still haven’t used it yet, but this looks like a great recipe to break it in. My mouth is watering at your picture
how simple is this- yummy
Now have to visit Baskin Robbins… sorry cant write much, just have to get an ice cream.
Congrats you nailed.
That looks gorgeous, it’s definitely approaching ice cream season here in the UK!
I love caramel, and it’s wonderful that you’ve got an oven method for making it! Good save on the recipe after the egg disaster too.
After reading so many comments on how nice this sounded, I decided to actually make some and then pass comment. After the first churn I was very tempted NOT to put it in the freezer but eat it just as it was. Absolutely delicious.
Making this as I type this… Can’t wait to surprise hubby when he gets home. Actually want to save it for our Saturday movie night treat but don’t think it can wait.
I made this, the only thing I was unhappy with was the caramel, was way tooo buttery and the fact that my bananas were only just ripe. might make the ice cream minus bananas and put through a swirl of raspberry coulis next time or butterscotch sauce
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