Which Ice Cream with Banana Cream Pie?

[ReelMike84]

I'm making a banana cream pie this weekend with a pretzel crust. I'm thinking of making some ice cream to go along with it, but I can't decide. Caramel was my first thought, or maybe brown sugar. What do you think?

[MollyGee]

Ice cream and banana cream? Are you skipping a whipped cream topping? I hope, at least, the ice cream is in its own bowl. And then I'm going to be boring and say vanilla. Banana is so overwhelming a flavor and cream pies often so sweet that any ice cream would have to be very strongly-flavored. Cinnamon might work out or cardamon. Or a REALLY rich chocolate.

[Emme]

though as others have stated, i'm not sure about ice cream with cream pie, but flavor-wise... Maple Bacon Ice Cream

[silverhawk]

i d happily eat banana cream pie on its own. if the idea is to go "xtreme", "kicked up," or "off the hook," then id likely serve a very rich, seriously tempered chocolate--half way to chocolate sauce, half ice cream.

[Full tummy]

A place where I eat banana cream pie serves it with a deep, dark chocolate sauce, and it is delicious!!!

[Cherylptw]

Butter Walnut...I think that pretzel crust is a great idea & the combination of banana, pretzel and walnuts would be fab.

[chef chicklet]

pralines and cream orrrrr..... marshmallow with dark chocolate. OMG, I just gained 5 pounds.

[lil magill]

if you can get to an indian o asian market, get some palm sugar for caramel ice cream. otherwise hispanic markets have raw sugar too. They come in hard hunks that you grate and the flavor is far and away beyond sugar in the raw! i made caramel ice cream with this and added malt powder for the extra depth and calories..... But i wouldn't really think cream pie needs ice cream....

[cookie44]

I'm torn between no ice cream with banana cream pie and nutella (chocolate hazelnut) icea cream with banana cream pie.

[Full tummy]

Well, if you want to get the flavours from banoffee pie, which are scrumptious, you're half-way there with the banana cream pie, and you could make a toffee/caramel/dulce de leche ice cream as was already suggested. That said, I think with all the whipped cream in the pie, ice cream is not needed.

[ipsedixit]

Rocky Road.

[eeejo]

peanut butter
yumm

[Normandie]

I think I agree with those who would *not* accompany a cream pie with ice cream--simply too much similarity in texture, for me. But if I WERE going to do it, the first flavor that occurred to me was rum raisin, just as Christina suggested. My other choices would be Sam's suggestion of Tamarind and lulubelle's of cinnamon. I think you need something either a little acidic or hot to cut the sweetness *and* the mouthfeel of the banana cream. I think flavors like caramel, brown sugar, dulce de leche simply add too much sweetness in this case (though I love them all on their own!).

Ideally, I would skip the ice cream and go for a contrast in texture--maybe like a wafer dipped in something like a cappucino-chocolate (but something with a little bitter chocolate tinge to it) or maybe a ginger-snap wafer or cinnamon *cookie*...or *even* a lemon wafer.

But that's just me and it's all always a matter of personal taste. :-) Love banana cream pie, though!

[scunge]

Ice cream and a cream pie ????? Then I thought about it .hmmm I once had coconut ice cream (dunno the brand or shop who made it) but now whe're cookin ......well not cooking in the literal sense .Please let us know your choice

[LauraGrace]

I have nothing meaningful to add, but let me just say: when I first saw this, I thought "Ice cream with banana cream pie? WTF? Gross!" And then I saw lulubelle's suggestion for cinnamon, and ChristinaMason's suggestion for rum, and I thought, "Never mind." I would happily eat rum ice cream, cinnamon ice cream, or cinnamon/rum ice cream. :) *drools*

[Procrastibaker]

I would not consider ice cream a good match with banana cream pie, even if the flavors seem tasty. Maybe a flavored whipped cream? For me, the point of ice cream with pie is a) to add the richness of dairy where their isn't any and b) to get a contrast of warm/cold. Neither is the case with banana cream. But maybe I should try it? Or maybe there's a recipe for a frozen banana cream pie?

[ChristinaMason]

I tend to agree with you, it seems a little over-the-top. Banana cream pie ice cream though, now there's a dessert I could get behind. Thinking a rich custard banana ice cream with crumbled Nila wafers, topped off with chocolate shavings or hot fudge and whipped cream. Oh my goodness. I might have to have that (in my dreams).

[lynnlato]

I agree and its an interesting point you made about ice cream with fruit pies is to add a dairy richness - I think you're right. I don't see the point in adding ice cream w/ a cream pie. But, then again, I was never a fan of banana cream pie to begin with. Now a pretzel crust w/ a chocolate peanut butter pie - that's something I could embrace!

[sparkareno]

dulce de leche or something with macadamia nuts

[ChristinaMason]

Rum/rum raisin would seem to go really well with bananas.

[mcel215]

GMTA... :)

[lulubelle]

What about cinnamon?
My other thought is some very dark, not terribly sweet chocolate to cut the sweetness of the pie.

[Sam Fujisaka]

tamarind