Homemade Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips

I see those ripe bananas on your counter, and I raise you a scoop of Homemade Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips. Actually make that two scoops—no way are you going to want to stop at just one serving of this creamy, dreamy, real-deal summer bliss!

If you are seeking a recipe for the illustrious, one-ingredient frozen banana “ice cream” that overtook Pinterest, the Today show, and eventually caused me to burn out my mini blender…this is not it.

If, however, you are looking for a from-scratch, old-fashioned banana ice cream recipe, made the way your grandmother would have done it—with real cream, eggs, and a touch of sugar—THIS IS THE ONE.

Raise your spoons and save the food processor faux banana ice cream for another day. The end of summer is ominously on the horizon, and we best eat as much homemade banana ice cream as we can, before it slips away!

Although I am all about making healthy ingredient swaps and relying on store-bought products where it makes sense, homemade ice cream is a notable exception. When I read the ingredient list on most grocery store ice creams, including the “healthy” frozen yogurt ones, the long, difficult-to-pronounce list of ingredients gives me pause.

A basic homemade ice cream recipe has just four simple ingredients: cream (or milk); eggs; sugar; and whatever flavoring you care to add. In comparison, the first container of store-bought ice cream I checked at the grocery store contained well over 15.

Homemade ice cream is easy to make, even for a novice cook, and its flavor is so superior to the mass-produced stuff, you’ll be gleefully ruined for life. Embrace the beautiful simplicity that is one of the world’s greatest treats, and let’s make homemade banana ice cream!

As I mentioned, homemade ice cream is remarkable for its short, simple ingredient list. Choose each ingredient carefully, as their taste will shine. For this homemade banana ice cream, I used the ripe bananas I chronically have on my counter, good quality dark chocolate, and cage-free eggs.

This homemade banana ice cream is one in a monthly series of recipes I’m creating for Phil’s Fresh Eggs. Phil’s hens are humanely treated and fed an exclusively vegetarian diet that comes from crops raised on the original family farm. Simply put, because the chickens live in a better environment, they produce better eggs. The shells are sturdier, the yolks more vibrantly colored, and the flavor more pure.

The first step to making the homemade ice cream is to cook the eggs together on the stove with the milk until it thickens. This is called making the “custard.” You’ll know it’s ready when it coats the back of a spatula, like this:

Next, blend the custard together with the ripe bananas. They make the ice cream naturally sweet, gloriously creamy, and give it fresh banana flavor too.

From here, we freeze! Resist the urge to eat the entire blender of custard with a spoon, and pour it into your ice cream maker instead. Add the dark chocolate, then churn away.

This homemade banana ice cream is velvety smooth, with a lovely, natural banana flavor, and an extra touch of indulgence from the dark chocolate. It tastes marvelous all by itself, or with a touch of whipped cream.

I’ve also heard rumors that this homemade banana ice cream is even more outrageous with a drizzle of melted peanut butter over the top. Just don’t ask me my source—and please avert your eyes from the peanut butter-covered spoon lying next to my sink!

Tools I used to make this recipe:

• Ice cream maker attachment that fits on my KitchenAid stand mixer. My sister owns and loves this regular ice cream maker.
• Recommended for anyone serious about making homemade ice cream: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. Taught me everything I ever wanted to know about how to make homemade ice cream, and the recipes are FABULOUS.

I am sharing this post in partnership with Phil’s Fresh Eggs. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands and companies that make it possible for me to continue creating quality content for you. To learn more about Phil’s, you can visit its company website and Facebook page too.

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