Finally joining the no-churn ice cream party! It’s pretty chill. 266: Cocoa Toffee Banana Swirl Ice Cream

I saw a weather map of major US cities this week and all of them had crazy heatwaves except for San Francisco. SF clocked in with a high of 65F. We’re the coolest kids out there – thanks Karl the Fog!

This recipe feels like a magic trick. It only needs one can of condensed milk, a bowl of cream whipped to stiff peaks, mix-ins that strike your fancy and 6 hours worth of patience.

Why make one flavor when you can make two? Swirled ice creams mean you get the best of both worlds!

Ice cream is also one of the best ways to use up candy and other odds and ends! This one took in a half bag of banana chips that thought they’d never get used, and a handful of toffee chips that wanted some love.

The banana flavor came from freeze-dried bananas that I blitzed in my spice grinder, and the aforementioned banana chips. It starred opposite a cocoa powder and vanilla beauty studded with the stray toffee bits. The chocolate chips made a game day decision to go into the banana ice cream.

I whipped the cream to stiff peaks before adding the sweetened condensed milk, but you can be a rebel and mix them first. I won’t tell!

They almost look like potato chips! Next time.

Yes, please.

The banana ice cream made me want to do a science experiment. It was almost gluey or stretchy when I scooped out a serving. That sounds weird but it didn’t affect the taste or mouthfeel – it just acted like warm marshmallows in a s’more. I can’t find anything definitive online for why, but the best guess I have is that it has to do with the levels of starch vs. sugar.

Unripe bananas are full of starch, and as they ripen, that starch breaks down into sugars (which make the banana more yummy in my opinion!) I’m guessing that the freeze-dried slices are made from unripe bananas, giving the ice cream a much higher amount of starch. And the starchier, the stretchier! Let me know if you have more info and can fact-check my stretchy banana conundrum. Gotta go add that to the list of things I never thought I’d say.

*French SpongeBob voice* 10 years later…

Just kidding – only 6 hours! Unless you open the freezer every hour to say hello to it. It’ll freeze faster if you let it nap in peace.

Can I use the banana split glass if the banana is mixed into the ice cream? Jury says yes.

Happy munching!

Recipe proportions from: http://thewoodandspoon.com/no-churn-half-baked-ice-cream/