Homemade Ice Cream - Banana Bavarian Ice Cream

Aah, summer! Picnics and hikes, late afternoon thunderstorms and the sound of the ice cream maker.

Homemade ice cream IS summer to me. If I could only make one flavor of homemade ice cream, it would be Banana Bavarian Ice Cream.

What’s the Bavarian bit? Most people think of a Bavarian Cream, which refers to a custard dessert with a strong vanilla flavor. Think – chocolate glazed donut with a Bavarian Cream filling. Sometimes banana or banana rum is added for sweetness.

Do not be fooled. This ice cream is a tropical bonanza in frozen form. Borrow the mellow flavor of a ripe banana and the creaminess of an original Bavarian Cream and then add crushed pineapple, orange juice and fresh lemon juice — And you’ll find a sweet and citrus-y combination to cool you down on those hot, sticky days of summer.

When making a small batch for my family, I use the 1.5 Qt recipe and my counter-top Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.

If you’re feeding a crowd, try the 4- or 6-Qt recipes for use in a traditional ice cream maker. Hope you love it!

Homemade Ice Cream – Banana Bavarian Ice Cream Recipe

In a large spouted bowl, mix pineapple, banana, orange juice and lemon juice. Gradually stir in sugar. Blend in cream and milk. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour to allow sugar to dissolve and flavors to blend. You can refrigerate up to 5 hours ahead of freezing time for more intense flavor blending. Pour ice cream mixture into an ice cream maker. Follow manufacturer instructions.

After 20 minutes, the 1.5 Qt recipe is soft set in my machine. Add 10 minutes and the recipe is hard set and ready to eat.

Scoop ice cream into a freezer-safe container and place in freezer for up to 3 hours for a large batch of hard-set ice cream. If serving hard-set ice cream, remove ice cream up to 30 minutes before serving for easier scooping.