Chunky Monkey Ice Cream Recipe

Closeup on a waffle cone of chunky monkey.

5 from 2 votes

Chunky Monkey Ice Cream Recipe

This Chunky Monkey Ice Cream Recipe combines a sweet cream base with bananas, toasted walnuts, and chocolate chunks. The result is a classic ice cream that's incredibly creamy, bursting with texture, and oozing with decadence.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword banana ice cream, chunky monkey ice cream recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Chill Time 2

Total Time 2 55

Servings servings

Calories 587kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

3 medium over-ripe bananas
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 ½ cup whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts - toasted
4 oz. dark chocolate bar - chopped

Instructions

Temper eggs. Combine the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the whole milk to a saucepan and heat over medium heat to a temperature of 165 degrees. (Do not boil.)
When the milk is hot, pour 1/2 cup at a time into the eggs/sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Then pour the egg mixture back into the pan and heat to 165 degrees.
4 large egg yolks, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ cup whole milk
Cook bananas. Combine the over-ripe bananas and brown sugar in a saucepan. Cook until the bananas break down, about 5-10 minutes. Puree the mixture in a small food processor or blender until creamy.
3 medium over-ripe bananas, 1/2 cup light brown sugar
Combine sweet cream base. In a large measuring cup, combine the tempered eggs, cooked bananas, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Stir well.
2 cup heavy cream, 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
Chill. Cover the liquid mixture with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least four hours before churning. The mixture should be VERY COLD!
Toast walnuts. Add the chopped walnuts to a nonstick pan over medium heat. Cook until nuts are fragrant and remove to cool.
1 cup walnuts
Chop dark chocolate. Use a sharp knife to chop the chocolate into small pieces.
4 oz. dark chocolate bar
Churn ice cream. Start your 2-quart ice cream maker (I use a KitchenAid Attachment with a stand mixer – linked below.) and pour the chilled ice cream mixture into the bowl (the attachment) while it’s running. Churn Chunky Monkey ice cream until it becomes thick and creamy.
You’ll see the ice cream start to thicken and rise toward the top of the bowl. The mixer may slow down slightly. (This should take 25-35 minutes or so.)
Add mix-ins. Pour the churned ice cream into a freezer-safe container. Add the mix-ins (toasted walnuts and chocolate chunks) and stir well.
Freeze. Place the airtight container in the freezer to set up further. Initially, the ice cream will be very soft so freezing it for a couple of hours helps firm it up.
Serve. Serve the ice cream with some extra nuts, chocolate, and/or banana slices.

Notes

Tempering eggs for ice cream is an important step in the ice cream-making process that helps to ensure a smooth, creamy texture and prevent the formation of scrambled egg bits in the final product.

It is important to note that consuming raw or undercooked eggs can pose a risk of foodborne illness, as they may contain harmful bacteria such as salmonella. This is why it is important to cook eggs to the recommended temperature of 160°F (71°C) to ensure that any potential bacteria is killed.

Nutrition