Homemade Banana Nutella Swirl Gelato

5 from 1 vote
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#SundaySupper is traveling the globe for the best of Street Food this week, and I made you my favorite street food. Tacos? Nope! Sandwiches? Nah! ICE CREAM! Banana Nutella Swirl Gelato, to be specific.

Scoops of banana Nutella swirl gelato in a white bowl with a spoon.

The Hubby and I went on vacation twice to Italy. Once to Florence and Rome, and the second time we traipsed around Tuscany. And it was the same thing pretty much everyday. Wake up, get a little (and I mean little…  you’ll see why) breakfast at the hotel, go do some sightseeing. The we’d get “lunch” – GELATO!!! We’d either sit in a piazza or stroll the cobblestone streets and people watch as we savored every flavorful, creamy bite. Then more sightseeing, maybe a little evening nosh at a bar. The night would end with the typical Italian late dinner where we would stuff ourselves with antipasti, pasta, secondi, and vino. Always vino. Then occasionally maybe some dessert…  or more gelato. Finally we would roll ourselves back to our hotel and fall into a food coma.

I don’t think we ever hit the same gelateria twice. We had to try them all. First I would ask how many different flavors I could get in the size cup that I planned to order, and, since I have no ability to make decisions, I’d get the maximum that they would squeeze into that cup. I would always get different flavors – whatever caught my eye that day, but usually it included chocolate or nuts or the chocolaty, nutty goodness that is Nutella. He would try a different flavor here or there, but he always got coffee. He felt he needed a constant so that he could compare one gelateria against another. Always the scientist!

I am getting so nostalgic writing this. The last couple of trips I made to Italy were for work, and I had very little time or opportunity to get gelato. Sure I had a cup or two, but it wasn’t the same without The Hubby with me, comparing notes, trading bites, and just soaking up La Dolce Vita.

Scoops of banana Nutella swirl gelato in a white bowl with a spoon.

Enough reminiscing. So, Banana Nutella Swirl Gelato. This is one of those recipes I totally did not expect to work. I read the one I based it on, and didn’t think it would work. I poured it in the ice cream mating and for the first 10 minutes, I didn’t think it would work. Then I put it in a container and put it in the freezer, and didn’t think it would work – I thought it might taste terrible and be solid as a rock. And, well, it’s bananas, so it’s not pretty. The mixture turns brown almost immediately.

But I was pleasantly surprised. Shocked, let’s say. it’s dee-lish. Let me tell you, I ate over two-thirds of it. I shared the last bit with The Hubby. Begrudgingly. But I suppose I needed another opinion, though I would have been happy to convince you to make it simply with my own. Because, well, yum!

Honestly, I would not call this a classic gelato. With it being mostly fruit, I’d put it somewhere as a gelato-sorbetto hybrid – slightly less creamy and little more, well, icy, I suppose, but still surprisingly soft and scoopable. By using super-ripe bananas and not many other ingredients, the true banana flavor shines through, and doesn’t require a ton of added sugar. Don’t be afraid of the rum. You don’t taste it, there is hardly any there, and I am guessing, based this article from David Lebowitz, is probably key to keeping it from becoming a frozen brick. The swirls and chunks of Nutella pair perfectly with the banana, like little nuggets of happiness floating in a frosty banana cloud.

Plus, this is EASY! Yes, you need an ice cream maker, but no separating eggs, no cooking, no custards. Just puree, mix, churn, swirl, freeze. Done and done!

Also, side note, being a Polish girl, I was hoping to do a Polish street food. But man to the Poles like their wheat-y carbs, and my allergy was not down with that. So in my research, I found that in Poland, lody, or ICE CREAM, is one of their favorite street foods, particularly fruit-based ice creams. So while this is not a typical Polish-style lody recipe, I do feel like I am also giving a nod to my heritage.

Scoops of banana Nutella swirl gelato in a white bowl with a spoon.

Be sure to join us for the Global Street Food #SundaySupper chat at 7 PM EST this Sunday evening. The party starts at 7 pm EST; come join us by following the #SundaySupper hashtag or through TweetChat. Throughout the day on Sunday we will tweet our favorite recipes by using #SundaySupper hashtag. We are excited for you to join the fun. Be sure to also check out the #SundaySupper Pinterest Board for more recipes and ideas.

What is your favorite street food?

Scoops of banana Nutella swirl gelato in a white bowl with a spoon.
5 from 1 vote

Homemade Banana Nutella Swirl Gelato

Banana Nutella Swirl Gelato is a simple recipe for an ultra banana-y homemade frozen dessert, swirled with chocolate hazelnut Nutella goodness!
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb bananas (or about 3 large, very ripe bananas, 2-2 1/4 cups after pureeing)
  • 1/3 c light brown sugar
  • 2/3 c milk I used 2%, but have not tried other milks
  • 2 T rum
  • 2 t vanilla extract
  • 1/3 c Nutella

Instructions

  • Peel bananas, and place in food processor. Puree until smooth.
  • Add brown sugar, milk, rum, and vanlla extract. Process until thoroughly incorporated, scraping down the sides or breaking up chunks of bronw sugar, as necessary.
  • Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine, and churn according to machine’s instructions.
  • Transfer to a freezer-safe container, place small dollops of Nutella on top of the gelato mixture, and swirls with a butter knife.
  • Place in freezer for several hours, or until frozen thoroughly.
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Banana Nutella Swirl Gelato
Amount Per Serving
Calories 341 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 8g40%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 8mg3%
Sodium 39mg2%
Potassium 615mg18%
Carbohydrates 62g21%
Fiber 4g16%
Sugar 47g52%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 113IU2%
Vitamin C 10mg12%
Calcium 97mg10%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Categories:

Enjoy!

Scoops of banana Nutella swirl gelato in a white bowl.

Check our all of these global street eats!

Bread on the Boulevard

Hand-Held Savory Eats

To-Go Containers

Sweets on the Streets

Grab a Thermos 

And how about some more of my favorite international recipes:

Potato Cheese & Pot Cheese Pierogies

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Thai Larb Chicken Lettuce Cups

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Chicken Souvlaki Dinner

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36 Comments
  1. Ah, your story brought me back to Italy. We ate gelato at least once a day too. I must say coffee was a favorite of mine, but I loved trying different flavors. The craziest was a spicy chocolate that, as tasty as it way, left me pining for more gelato to cool my mouth down from the spice.

    Your gelato sounds fantastic. I love the combo with rum and Nutella!

  2. Thank you for giving me a reason to buy a jar of Nutella (and some bananas too). Love the simplicity of this recipe and can’t wait to give it a churn in my ice cream maker.

  3. Nancy @ gottagetbaked

    Brianne, reading this post makes me want to hop on a plane and fly to Italy right now. It’s high on my list of places to travel. The Husband and I have been trying to plan a trip to Paris & Italy for the past two years now but something always comes up (usually lack of funds or vacation time). I’m going to have gelato every day while I’m there, twice a day! Your ice cream looks delicious. I’ve been seeing a lot of recipes for ice cream made from bananas and I can’t wait to try it. Nutella is the perfect match!

  4. Over the years I’ve thought about purchasing an ice cream machine many times, but it’s recipes like this that have kept me from doing so (and I mean that in the best way;-) I wouldn’t be able to control myself! Great recipe!

  5. Yeah, when we were in Italy, gelato was often my lunch! SO much better than any ice cream I’ve ever had! Your banana/Nutella version sounds terrific!

  6. OMG. This looks so amazing. I love your Italy story, too. When I was in grad school I did a six-week summer study abroad in Graz, Austria (a pretty small town), and the town had one gelateria. I got a small cup just about every day I was there. I think pistachio was my favorite, though I tried a bunch. It was so delicious. After I came home it was weeks and weeks before I ate American commercial, store-bought ice cream again. It just wasn’t the same!

  7. Let me be honest…totally jealous you and hubby went to Italy. Yup, totally 🙂 I can’t even imagine how delicious this is. We have nutella for breakfast almost every morning. This is a must add recipe to our evening menu now.

    1. The first trip was before we were married – I was working in the UK for 2 months and we had to take advantage. Both trips were amazing, so if you ever get the opportunity, you should go!!

  8. Banana and Nutella are a perfect pairing for gelato/ ice cream/lody =)

    And love the pair of you and your husband traipsing around Italy in search of the perfect gelato.
    I’m very curious to know the name of the sweet shop that served the best coffee gelato =)

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