#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.
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.
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.
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?
Banana Nutella Swirl Gelato for Global Street Food #SundaySupper
A simple recipe for a very banana-y frozen dessert, swirled with chocolaty, hazelnutty Nutella goodness.
Ingredients
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.
Enjoy!
Check our all of these global street eats!
Bread on the Boulevard
- Bavarian Soft Pretzels from The Foodie Army Wife
- Pao de Queijo from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Gluten Free Focaccia di recco from No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
- Martabak (stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread) from The Urban Mrs
- Socca from Curious Cuisiniere
Hand-Held Savory Eats
- Carnitas Tortas from Cookin’ Mimi
- Schnitzelwecken {Schnitzel on a bun} from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
- Tortas de Milanesa (Pork Cutlet Sandwiches) from Juanita’s Cocina
- Waffle Cone Fried Chicken from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
- Feta Chicken Kabobs from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Beef Taquitos from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
- Chorizo, Chimichurri and Salsa Sandwiches from Vintage Kitchen Notes
- Falafel Pita Sandwich from Mama’s Blissful Bites
- Croque Monsieur from Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Chicken and Chorizo Street Tacos from I Run For Wine
- Tandoori Chicken Wrap from Foxes Love Lemons
- SoCal Rolled Tacos from Webicurean
- Samosas from Soni’s Food
- Beef and Pork Empanadas from Magnolia Days
To-Go Containers
- NicaMales (Nicaraguan Street Food) from The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
- Currywurst mit Pommes from girlichef
- Arancinis from My cute bride
- Poutine from Noshing with the Nolands
- Tokyo University Potatoes from NinjaBaking.com
- Tacos de Carne Asada from Family Foodie
Sweets on the Streets
- Nutella Crepes from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Easy Apple Churros with Dulce de Leche from Daily Dish Recipes
- Kettle Corn from Killer Bunnies, Inc
- Hotteok from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
- Funnel Cake 3 Ways from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Sweet Corn Tamale (Tamal Asado) from Basic N Delicious
- Pisang Goreng (Deep Fried Bananas) from Food Lust People Love
- Banana Nutella Swirl Gelato from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Grab a Thermos
- Wine Pairing Recommendations For Global Street Food #SundaySupper from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
And how about some more of my favorite international recipes:
Potato Cheese & Pot Cheese Pierogies
Thai Larb Chicken Lettuce Cups
Want to see lots more yummy food from me and my friends, and cute pictures of my kids?
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Such a lovely post and recipe. It sounds fantastic!
Thanks Bea, and thanks for hosting!!
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 =)
Oh gosh, I wish I remember his favorite. Probably some little hole in the wall type place
Gelato works for me everytime. I have banana ice cream (brown of course) in the freezer and don’t know how to eat it. Maybe nutella swirl is the answer? And the rum of course!
Adding Nutella really never hurts anything!
I’m sooooo jealous of your time in Italy! You lucky girl!!!!! This gelato (/sorbetto hybrid :P) looks sooo wonderful. Nutella is always a must 😉
Italy is amazing. You must go!
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.
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!!
What I wouldn’t give to eat gelato on the streets of Italy! I love this combination…it sounds amazing!
It is definitely a must-do foodie experience!
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!
Wow, I bet 6 weeks in Austria was amazing!!
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!
The flavor is just so much more intense than ice cream. So good!
So, I don’t even have to go to Italy for this? SOLD!
Oh but you should! It is amazing!!
What a perfect pairing of flavors!! I would adore this gelato!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Thanks Tara – gotta love Nutella and bananas!
This looks fantastic. I mean, it’s healthy right? Bananas are healthy… yum!
Exactly! And there isn’t that much sugar 🙂
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!
Haha, this actually isn’t tooooo bad – mostly banana!
This gelato looks absolutely amazing!! I love how bananas and low fat milk are used, so it’s wayyy better for you than ice cream. I would totally want to eat the whole thing, too!
And with the natural sweetness of the banana you don’t have to add a ton of sugar. Could even swirl in peanut butter instead of Nutella.
LOVE this so much! Anything with Nutella is awesome but this sounds incredible. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks! Nutella is always a winner!
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!
Oh you must get there! It is foodie heaven! I am fortunate we had the opportunity when we did because it would be much harder now.
So, this is the second #SS post featuring Nutella that I’ve visited, and they’ve both convinced me that I need to try Nutella.
No, I haven’t tried it yet. It’s ridiculous.
Be careful – total gateway food 🙂
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.
Do you ever really NEED a reason to buy Nutella 😉
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!
Hmmm, gelato that makes you want to eat more gelato. Good marketing! 🙂