Paçoca Ice Cream with Fried Bananas and Chocolate Sauce
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
33 mins
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Cook Time
9 mins
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Total Time
42 mins
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Servings
1 -½ pints
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Course
Dessert
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Cuisine
Brazilian, gluten-free
Paçoca Ice Cream with Fried Bananas and Chocolate Sauce
Description
This dessert begins with a homemade paçoca ice cream, made by mixing ground paçoca (a peanut candy) with heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar, and salt. The mixture is churned in an ice cream maker to achieve a smooth, creamy texture. Paçoca, characteristic of Brazil, brings a distinctive peanut flavor.
The fried bananas add a warm, caramelized contrast by sautéing banana quarters in butter, cinnamon sugar, and lime juice, producing a spiced, tangy topping with a soft yet slightly firm texture. Finally, the chocolate sauce made from semisweet chocolate chips and heavy cream provides a rich, bittersweet complement to the overall sweetness.
This dessert can be served as a layered treat, offering a complex flavor experience combining creamy, warm, spicy, sweet, and nutty aspects unique to these ingredients. It suits those interested in Brazilian flavors or unique peanut-based desserts.
The recipe suggests alternatives if authentic Brazilian paçoca is not available, including Mexican peanut candy or freshly ground roasted peanuts mixed with sugar. For best results, the ice cream bowl should be pre-frozen before churning.
Ingredients
- For the Paçoca Ice Cream:
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
- 2 banana quartered, medium ripe yet firm
- ½ cup sugar divided
- 1-⅛ teaspoons ground cinnamon divided
- lime freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lime
- 2-½ cups paçoca or roasted and ground peanuts. See note below! use a fork or your hands to break up the paçoca, ground
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 sweetened condensed milk 14 oz, can
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
- 1 pinch salt
- For the Fried Bananas:
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 4 banana sliced into rounds, medium ripe yet firm
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- For the Chocolate Sauce:
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- To make the paçoca ice cream: Wrap the ice cream bowl/bucket in plastic wrap (in order to keep it clean) and freeze it for about 24 hours prior to making the ice cream.
- Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Reduce heat to medium and cook the quartered bananas (chunks) for about 1 minute, tossing the bananas by shaking the pan around occasionally. In a small bowl, mix together ¼ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour on top of the bananas and let cook for about 2 minutes, agitating the pan occasionally. Remove from heat and drizzle the lime juice on top of the bananas, swirling the pan in a circular motion to coat them. Transfer to a bowl, let cool, and freeze.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together ¼ cup sugar, ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon, ground paçoca, heavy cream, condensed milk, vanilla, and salt until obtaining a homogeneous mixture.
- If using an ice cream machine: Pour mixture into ice cream machine frozen bowl/bucket, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Let it churn for about 25-30 minutes or until firm. Transfer the ice cream to a container, fold in the frozen bananas chunks, cover (with a lid or plastic wrap), and store in the freezer for at least 24 hours. Serve by itself or with fried bananas on top drizzled with chocolate sauce.
- If NOT using an ice cream machine: Follow the instructions above for preparing the banana chunks and also the ice cream mixture. Transfer the ice cream mixture to an airtight container and cover with plastic wrap. After ice cream has been in the freezer for 60-90 minutes, remove from the freezer and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or plastic spatula. Freeze ice cream again and continue to stir every 30 minutes for 2-3 hours. Fold in the frozen bananas chunks, cover (with a lid or heavy duty aluminum foil), and store in the freezer for at least 24 hours. Serve by itself or with fried bananas on top drizzled with chocolate sauce.
- For the fried bananas, heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Reduce heat to medium and cook the banana rounds for about 1 minute, shaking the pan around occasionally. In a small bowl, mix together ¼ cup sugar with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Pour over the bananas and let cook for about 2-3 minutes, agitating the pan occasionally. Remove pan from the heat and let cool a little bit before serving on top of the ice cream with the chocolate sauce.
- For the chocolate sauce, place both chocolate chips and heavy cream in a medium microwaveable bowl and heat at medium power (50%) for 1 to 1-½ minutes. Stir well, heating at 15-30 seconds intervals if necessary, stirring until smooth. Drizzle on top of the fried bananas.
Notes
- If Brazilian paçoca candy is unavailable, substitute with Mexican peanut "Mazapan" or homemade roasted peanuts ground with sugar.
- Freeze the ice cream container for about 24 hours before churning to help achieve proper texture.
- Fried bananas should be cooked gently to maintain firmness while caramelizing the sugar and cinnamon coating.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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