Make Ahead

Banana-Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Salted Bourbon-Caramel Sauce

by:
August 21, 2012
4.3
3 Ratings
  • Serves 2 or more
Author Notes

Jenny’s recent smoothie post inspired me to make a banana-peanut butter-cardamom version, which turned out seriously yummy. And that flavor combo inspired this ice cream recipe, which I adapted from The Kitchn’s One Ingredient Ice Cream. Caramel sauce recipe is adapted from The Kitchn’s Salted Coffee Caramel Sauce. I especially love the stress-free process of not having to deal with melting sugar, like in a traditional caramel sauce. —mrslarkin

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the Banana-Peanut Butter Ice Cream
  • 3 large ripe but firm-ish bananas, sliced into rounds (yield around 3 cups sliced bananas)
  • 3 heaping tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 ounce bourbon
  • Salted peanuts (optional)
  • More sliced fresh bananas (optional)
  • Flaky sea salt (optional)
  • For the salted bourbon-caramel sauce
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, or light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons bourbon, or vanilla extract
Directions
  1. For the Banana-Peanut Butter Ice Cream
  2. Place the banana rounds on a freezer-safe dish or tray (lined with parchment if you have some) and freeze until solid, about a couple of hours.
  3. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade, drop in the banana slices. Puree the bananas until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently. It will take a few minutes, but eventually, you’ll have a smooth mixture. Add the peanut butter, cardamom and bourbon, and pulse until incorporated and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl now and again. Transfer mixture to a freezer-safe container and stash in the freezer until solid.
  4. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving to soften the ice cream.
  1. For the salted bourbon-caramel sauce
  2. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
  3. Whisk in the sugar, cream and salt. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, whisking occasionally. Continue whisking for about 5 minutes, until sugar dissolves.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of butter. (You can totally throw this tablespoon of butter in at the beginning, but I like the way the butter melts and emulsifies in the hot sauce.) Stir in the bourbon. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
  5. Scoop ice cream into bowls. If desired, scatter a few salted peanuts and slices of fresh banana on top. Spoon the caramel sauce over the whole shebang. A few flakes of sea salt are nice, too.
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7 Reviews

MGrace December 26, 2012
Made this caramel sauce as a filling for crepes, used piloncillo (which is a brown raw cane sugar) and it turned out fantastic. Love that it was so easy and fast. Thanks!
 
lorigoldsby September 2, 2012
Wow!
 
mrslarkin September 3, 2012
:)
 
Summer O. August 23, 2012
Yu-um.
 
mrslarkin August 23, 2012
thanks Summer of Eggplant! Seriously yum.
 
fiveandspice August 23, 2012
This looks so good! (read that in an excited shouting voice.) And salted bourbon-caramel sauce on top???? Heavenly.
 
mrslarkin August 23, 2012
Thanks fiveandspice!