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Salty Pretzel Banana Pudding Ice Cream Cake – everyone’s nostalgic and loved banana pudding, recreated in the form of yummy vanilla ice cream cake. The crust is made up of salty pretzels mixed with sweet Nilla wafer cookies, then baked, chilled, and layered with creamy vanilla ice cream plus additional honey-toasted crumbs. A topping of fresh bananas, vanilla cream, and more of those addicting salty cookie crumbs finish the cake off.
It’s slowly becoming ice cream season with lots of spring weather in New York this week. Plus sunshine and warmth in Miami today, I am so excited!
For the longest time I’ve wanted to share a banana pudding recipe, but two reasons have always steered me off the banana pudding path. The first is that I don’t love the idea of using a boxed pudding mix. Most traditional, more retro recipes, use box pudding. If I do ever end up creating banana pudding, it needs to be SIMPLE. A boxed pudding mix would take care of that, but I just don’t love their ingredient list. So I’ll keep working on a solution.
Ingredients
- Mini salted pretzels
- Vanilla wafer cookies (love vanilla wafers!)
- Salted butter melted (unsalted butter is fine if you prefer)
- Honey
- Vanilla ice cream
- Ripe bananas
- Vanilla extract
- Vanilla ice cream
- Sliced fresh bananas
- Heavy cream
Kitchen Supplies
- Springform cake pan
- whisk
- large mixing bowl
- Parchment paper
- Food processor
- Electric mixer
- wire rack
The second reason I have yet to share banana pudding is simple, I don’t want to simply recreate a recipe that’s already on the internet.
But Easter is this Sunday! And I wanted to share a banana pudding type of dessert. And that’s when I thought, “Well, a banana ice cream cake could be really fun!”.
I made this cake before heading out of town and I’ve been looking forward to sharing it ever since. I love this simple cake, and I love that it reminds me of my Nonnie and her 6 ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake.
She’d make that ice cream cake all the time, especially for warm weather holidays or whenever we’d spend time with my grandparents in Florida. It’s still one of my family’s favorite cakes. I make it often too!
Here are some details
Start with the crust. A mix of salty crushed-up pretzels and Nilla wafer cookies, which are a staple in every banana pudding recipe.
The crust is baked in a springform pan. At the same time, I bake a separate pan of crumbs up along with some honey. We’ll use these crumbs for sprinkling over the cake.
Bake the crust and then let it cool so the cream doesn’t melt into the crust.
Take a container of vanilla ice cream, I like the Tillamook old-fashioned vanilla. Then layer it onto the bottom of the crust.
Add half of the toasted loose crumbs from earlier, and freeze. You only need to freeze this layer for 20 or so minutes.
While that first layer freezes, mash a few ripe bananas and swirl them with vanilla, plus some honey. Mix in more vanilla ice and then take that banana-swirled ice cream and spread it out over the cake. Freeze again, but this time freeze until totally frozen!!
To finish the cake, layer with sliced bananas, cream, and then, the salty-sweet cookie crumbs!
Slice and enjoy every last creamy, banana-filled bite. It’s sweet, heavy on the ice cream, swirled with banana, honey, and vanilla, and has just the right amount of salty cookie and pretzel crunch on the bottom. The perfect balance of sweet and salty that leaves you longing for another bite.
It’s a real show-stopper! Be sure to include the recipe on a recipe card when you share this cake with guests.
Looking for more ice cream cake recipes? Here are a few to try:
Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream Cake
Coffee and Fudge Ice Cream Cake
Swirled Berry Ice Cream Butter Cake
Triple Layer Chocolate Fudge Ice cream Cake
Nonnie’s 6 Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake
Lastly, if you make this Salty Pretzel Banana Pudding Ice Cream Cake Cake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Salty Pretzel Banana Pudding Ice Cream Cake
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 469 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 cups mini salted pretzels
- 30 vanilla wafer cookies (about 2 big cups)
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter melted
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 3-4 cups vanilla ice cream
- 2-3 ripe bananas
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup sliced fresh bananas
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- 1. Line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°. 2. In a food processor, pulse the pretzels and Nilla wafer cookies into fine crumbs. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture holds together when pinched. Press half of the crumbs into the bottom of the springform pan, spread the remaining crumbs out on the baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon honey. Bake 5-8 minutes, until toasted. 3. Scoop 3-4 cups of vanilla ice cream out onto the cooled crust. Flatten/spread into a mostly even layer. Sprinkle with half of the loose pretzel/cookie crumbs. Freeze for 30 minutes.4. Mash 2-3 bananas in a bowl with 2 tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Add 2 cups vanilla ice cream and gently swirl together. Spread onto the vanilla layer. Freeze for 30 minutes more.5. Before serving, use an electric mixer to whip the cream with 1-2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt until soft peaks form.6. Remove the cake from the freezer. Use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan. Top with sliced bananas, whipped cream, and the remaining crumbs. Slice and enjoy immediately.
This post was originally published on April 7, 2023
Ma’am, this is pie and it is the most delicious pie I’ve ever had.
Hi Nathan,
Wonderful! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it turned out well! Happy Friday!
I’ve been making your recipes for years and they never fail!! I normally don’t comment on the website but I listened to the All on the Table podcast you joined where you talk about reading them and responding so figured I would rate and comment! This was delightful and perfect for the Fourth of July! I used speculoos cookies instead of vanilla wafers and topped with caramel sauce for serving. It was such a huge hit (like all the other dishes I’ve made from you!)! Very thankful for you sharing your wonderful talents with us so we can make your delicious food and share with our families!!
Hey Robyn,
Awesome!! So glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it! And thank you for making so many other recipes:) I appreciate you following along and your kind message! Have the best Sunday!
I was wondering – can you keep this in the freezer for a couple of days before serving? (Or maybe make the ice cream components, keep in freezer, then put the whipped cream etc on top when you’re ready to serve?)
Hey Bryn,
You bet!! I would do ice cream portion of the cake and then wait until the day of for the whipped cream. I hope you love this recipe! xx
I’d lik to double this for a birthday party but only have 1 spring for pan.. any ideas on how this recipe can be doubled? Can I use a 9×13 baking pan?
Hi Michelle! Yes, I would use a 9×13 pan if doubling to make sure you have room for everything! 🙂 xT
Made this for Father’s Day and it was a huge hit. Father in law thought we bought it – which I take as a compliment! Can’t wait to make it again!
Hey Brittney,
Awesome! Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best week:)
Hey there, I was wondering if there is an alternative to honey that could be used? This cake looks so good and I want to make it for my husband’s birthday. He’s a big fan of banana pudding ice cream, but he doesn’t like honey!
Hi Lauren,
You could use an equal amount of maple syrup. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Birthday to your husband! xx
This cake has been a hit the couple of times i have made it – my only challenge has been that the crust doesnt really fully set s its hard to add the first layer of ice cream in without the crust shifting – any secrets or tips to avoid that? I have made it 3-4 times and it doesnt seem to set/harden enough for a typical crust?
Hi Lisa,
So glad to hear you have been enjoying this recipe! I would try adding more honey next time to see if that helps the crust. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This was a complete WOW! I made it for the 4th of July and everyone lost their mind. I was a complete rockstar. Thanks so much for your innovative, flawless, dang delicious recipes. Xoxo
Hey Jill,
Fantastic! Love to hear that this recipe turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it! Have a great weekend:)