Banana Cream Pie Ice Cream Sandwich
Banana Cream Pie Ice Cream Sandwich- Homemade no churn banana cream pie ice cream is stuffed between store bought snickerdoodle cookies for the ultimate treat.
June 27, 2024 by Nicole Collins
Today, we’re making Banana Cream Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches!
You know what’s funny. When I told my mom that I made these, her first question was “why?” And you know what, that’s valid. Admittedly, I’m not a huge ice cream person. I prefer my treats room temp and with chocolate or peanut butter. So, I really don’t know how or why this idea popped into my head. I only know that once it was there, I couldn’t shake it. And, it’s a good thing too because this ice cream has made it’s way up there as one of my most delicious recipes of all time. I may actually just be an ice cream convert after this one.
So, let’s get to it!
There’s a homemade component and a store bought component to these ice cream sammies, so let’s start with the homemade no churn banana cream pie ice cream. No churn ice cream is basically this magical concoction of sweetened condensed milk, whipped heavy cream, and whatever flavorings you heart desires. It’s so easy to whip up while still being perfectly smooth and creamy.
We’ll start by adding our sweetened condensed milk, some vanilla bean paste, and a little pinch of salt for balance to a large bowl. We’ll whisk everything together, and set it aside for a sec. Now, you can use vanilla extract in place of the paste. But, I really just love seeing the little speckles of vanilla bean in the ice cream.
Next, we’re going to take a pint of heavy cream and some instant vanilla pudding mix, then whisk them together in a stand mixer until stiff peaks form. It only takes a minute or two to do this. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can do this with a hand mixer. It’ll just take a little longer. Make sure both your whisks and your bowl has spent at least 15 mins in the freezer to help the process along faster if you go this route.
Once the cream is whipped, we’ll take a good scoop of it and stir it into the condensed milk mixture. This helps lighten up the condensed milk a little bit so it’s easier to fold in the rest of the whipped cream. Then, we’ll gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until it’s all just combined. It may have a couple little lumps in it, but that’s ok. Those will work themselves out. Next, we’ll add in a couple ripe bananas that have been diced, gently fold those in too until fully combined, transfer the mix to a 9x5 loaf dish, and pop it in the freezer for exactly 4 hours.
4 hours is the magic number for the ice cream, because we need it firm enough that it will hold its shape but soft enough that we can squish it nicely into our ice cream sandwiches without breaking our soft cookies. Speaking of cookies, now we get to the store bought part of these sammies.
Since we made our ice cream from scratch, it’s perfectly acceptable to let the store help us with the cookies. I really like using cookies from Walmart’s bakery because they’re the perfect size, the perfect texture, and the perfect price. If you prefer to make your own cookies, go for it. Ultimately, we’re looking for a soft, chewy cookie and not a thin or crispy cookie. As far as cookie flavor here, you have options. I like a snickerdoodle cookie for this, but a peanut butter cookie is an excellent option too. Takes these to a whole new level.
At that 4 hour mark for the ice cream, we’ll arrange half of our cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet, top each cookie with a scoop of ice cream, and close up the sammies with the other half of the cookies. We’ll give the sammies a gentle press to help the ice cream fill out the shape of the cookie. And, back to the freezer they go for another 1-2 hours so the ice cream can finish setting.
This ice cream is SO EPIC on its own, we honestly don’t even need the cookies. It’s sweet and creamy. The vanilla pudding and banana flavors are so beautifully present without being crazy overwhelming. It’s a real freaking treat…literally. But, adding in that cookie with the unexpected cinnamon or peanut butter elevates these to something that resembles a cool, walking, banana pudding experience. I outdid myself with this one if I may say so myself!
And bonus, leftovers can be easily stored in the freezer by wrapping each ice cream sammie in some plastic wrap and popping them in a freezer safe baggie. Easy breezy! They’re ready to enjoy again as soon as you pull them out of the freezer.
Ok, everyone! Is this going to be the dessert of the summer, or what?
I hope you guys enjoy! And, let’s eat!
Banana Cream Pie Ice Cream Sandwich
Serves: 15 Print
Ingredients:
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Salt, to taste
2 cups heavy cream
¼ cup instant vanilla pudding mix
2 ripe bananas, diced
30 soft store bought snickerdoodles or peanut butter cookies (I like Walmart bakery cookies)
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk condensed milk, vanilla bean paste, and a pinch of salt until fully combined and smooth. Set aside.
Pour heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add pudding mix. Whip cream on medium high speed until stiff peaks form (about 1 ½- 2 minutes). Alternately, you can whip the cream in a chilled glass bowl with a hand mixer for about 6-7 minutes.
Mix about a cup of whipped cream into the condensed milk mix. Stir to combine and lighten up the mix. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until it is fully incorporated. (It’s ok if it’s a little lumpy. It’ll smooth itself out.) Add the diced banana, and gently fold in until fully combined.
Transfer ice cream mix to a 9x5 freezer safe loaf pan. Cover, and freeze for 4 hours.
Arrange 15 cookies, bottom side up, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Top each cookie with one scoop (1/2 cup) of ice cream. Top ice cream with the remaining cookies, and gently press down to flatten out the ice cream so it covers the whole cookie. Place back in the freezer for 1-2 hours before enjoying.
Recipe notes:
*Leftovers can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer baggie in the freezer.
*It’s important not to let the ice cream chill more than 4 hours before making the sandwiches. We need the ice cream to be firm enough that it keeps it shape but still soft enough that it can be squished to fill out the cookie. Then, the completed sandwich does need more chill time so that ice cream can finish firming up.
*I like to use store bought Walmart bakery cookies for this. You can make cookies if you want, we just want to make sure they’re soft and chewy cookies, not crispy cookies.
*You can substitute vanilla extract for the vanilla bean paste in equal measurements, if necessary.
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