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Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

Chunky Monkey ice cream is a no-churn banana chocolate walnut dessert with a creamy banana base, fudge chunks, and toasted walnuts. It’s mixed like a classic fold-and-freeze recipe for a thick, scoopable texture without an ice cream maker.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
freezing 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Base and mix-ins
  • 2 cup heavy cream Cold helps it whip faster.
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 very ripe bananas, pureed Use very ripe bananas for stronger banana flavor.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
  • 0.5 cup fudge chunks or dark chocolate chunks

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 9x5 loaf pan

Method
 

Whip the cream
  1. Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, with the mixture holding its shape when you lift the whisk.
Mix the banana base
  1. Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, banana puree, vanilla extract, and salt together until smooth and uniform in color.
Combine
  1. Gently fold the banana mixture into the whipped cream just until no white streaks remain, keeping the airiness.
Add mix-ins
  1. Fold in the toasted walnuts and fudge chunks so they’re evenly distributed throughout the thick batter.
Freeze
  1. Transfer the mixture to a 9x5 loaf pan and freeze for at least 6 hours (or overnight) until firm enough to scoop.

Notes

For clean folding, add the banana mixture in 2-3 portions and stop as soon as the color is consistent. Keep covered in the freezer for up to 2 weeks; freeze yes (best within 2 weeks). For a dairy-light swap, use full-fat coconut cream plus a sweetened condensed alternative designed for baking, but expect slightly softer texture after freezing.