Paçoca Ice Cream topped with Fried Bananas and drizzled with a luscious Chocolate Sauce is what I have for you today... Huh? Paçoca is a Southeastern Brazilian candy made from ground peanuts and sugar. Don't worry! If you don't have access to pre-packaged paçoca (peanut candy), you still can make this super duper delicious ice cream by roasting and grinding peanuts -- as simple as that!
I developed this recipe specifically for The Latin Kitchen, and it wound up becoming one of my all-time favorite ice creams. This is serious stuff, kiddos! A synonym for paçoca ice cream is addiction! Of that I am quite certain.
I am not kidding... I had to hide my paçoca ice cream in order to not eat it all in one sitting. All by itself it is already out of this world. But topped with fried bananas (banana frita) and drizzled with chocolate sauce, it is pure heaven. It is one of those unique experiences that one never forgets. If you are crazy for peanuts, peanut butter, and other peanut treats, you just have to try paçoca ice cream.
Paçoca is also used to refer to a completely dish. In my Northeast region, paçoca is a dish made from carne de sol (sun-cured beef), like this...
... along with farinha de mandioca (cassava flour), and red onions, and ground together in a mortar and pestle (pilão). This Northeastern paçoca dish is known as paçoca de pilão in the rest of Brazil while the Southeastern paçoca (peanut candy) is known is my Northeastern region as paçoquinha ('little paçoca'). I know that this can be a little bit confusing. It is all due to the origin of the word: paçoca comes from the indigenous Tupi word "posok," which means "to crumble," "to shatter."
But for now, let us focus on paçoca the peanut candy. To discover more about paçoca, stop by The Latin Kitchen and learn more about it from Bridget Shirvell. There you can also get the recipe in English for my Paçoca Ice Cream with Fried Bananas and Chocolate Sauce . In addition, if you would like to find out more about the health benefits of bananas, please take a look at this impressive article.
Paçoca Ice Cream with Fried Bananas and Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
- For the Paçoca Ice Cream:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 medium ripe yet firm bananas quartered
- ½ cup sugar divided
- 1-⅛ teaspoons ground cinnamon divided
- Freshly squeezed juice of ½ lime
- 2-½ cups ground paçoca or roasted and ground peanuts. See note below! use a fork or your hands to break up the paçoca
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 oz
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- For the Fried Bananas:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 medium ripe yet firm bananas sliced into rounds
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- For the Chocolate Sauce:
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- To make the paçoca ice cream: Wrap the ice cream bowl/bucket in plastic wrap (in order to keep it clean) and freeze it for about 24 hours prior to making the ice cream.
- Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Reduce heat to medium and cook the quartered bananas (chunks) for about 1 minute, tossing the bananas by shaking the pan around occasionally. In a small bowl, mix together ¼ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour on top of the bananas and let cook for about 2 minutes, agitating the pan occasionally. Remove from heat and drizzle the lime juice on top of the bananas, swirling the pan in a circular motion to coat them. Transfer to a bowl, let cool, and freeze.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together ¼ cup sugar, ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon, ground paçoca, heavy cream, condensed milk, vanilla, and salt until obtaining a homogeneous mixture.
- If using an ice cream machine: Pour mixture into ice cream machine frozen bowl/bucket, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Let it churn for about 25-30 minutes or until firm. Transfer the ice cream to a container, fold in the frozen bananas chunks, cover (with a lid or plastic wrap), and store in the freezer for at least 24 hours. Serve by itself or with fried bananas on top drizzled with chocolate sauce.
- If NOT using an ice cream machine: Follow the instructions above for preparing the banana chunks and also the ice cream mixture. Transfer the ice cream mixture to an airtight container and cover with plastic wrap. After ice cream has been in the freezer for 60-90 minutes, remove from the freezer and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or plastic spatula. Freeze ice cream again and continue to stir every 30 minutes for 2-3 hours. Fold in the frozen bananas chunks, cover (with a lid or heavy duty aluminum foil), and store in the freezer for at least 24 hours. Serve by itself or with fried bananas on top drizzled with chocolate sauce.
- For the fried bananas, heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Reduce heat to medium and cook the banana rounds for about 1 minute, shaking the pan around occasionally. In a small bowl, mix together ¼ cup sugar with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Pour over the bananas and let cook for about 2-3 minutes, agitating the pan occasionally. Remove pan from the heat and let cool a little bit before serving on top of the ice cream with the chocolate sauce.
- For the chocolate sauce, place both chocolate chips and heavy cream in a medium microwaveable bowl and heat at medium power (50%) for 1 to 1-½ minutes. Stir well, heating at 15-30 seconds intervals if necessary, stirring until smooth. Drizzle on top of the fried bananas.
Recipe Notes
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
Kammie @ Sensual Appeal says
Wow how creative! I love fried bananas 🙂
Denise Browning says
I hope you try this at home, Kammie. 🙂
Sugar et al says
This sounds like a sensational treat! I can totally understand why you couldn't stop eating it. I love the way you drizzled chocolate sauce over the top. Such gorgeous photos!
Denise Browning says
Hi, Sonali! Thanks again. Yes, this thing is very addictive.
Little Cooking Tips says
Dear Lord, this is a DIVINE dessert! WOW. Really. WOW. Thank you so much for this sweet torture Denise!:)
Denise Browning says
Panos and Mirella: I am so glad to hear that you loved this. I made oit for the first time and fell in love with it. This is super addictive!
Flor de Maria says
Hi
This sounds wonderful but when you say "2 1/2cupsground paçoca (use a fork or your hands to break up the paçoca", do you mean the roasted and ground nuts? Measure before or after grindind? Can you explain this please? I'd love to try it. Thanks
Denise Browning says
Hi, Flor de Maria! Since paçoca is a small solid block of candy, one needs to first grind it and then, measure 2 and 1/2 cups of it to make this ice cream. If paçoca candy is not available in your area, you can roast and then grind peanuts in order to measure 2 and 1/2 cups.
In my recipe, it is stated 2 and 1/2 cups of ground paçoca. Since ground is upfront, it means that you measure the GROUND product. If I had written 2-1/2 cups paçoca, ground (which I didn't)-- this would means you would measure the candy and then grind. These are nuances that make all the difference at the final result. I only wrote between parenthesis asking to use hands or a fork to break up the paçoca candy because there are people who looks to paçoca and ask themselves how they should grind the candy, which believe or not is so soft that one can use bare hands or a fork to grind it easily. No food processors or hammers are necessary. 🙂 I hope you enjoy this ice cream which became my fave. It is pure addiction! Wishing you a great day and thanks for stopping by!
Shashi @ http://runninsrilankan.com says
Denise - I learn so much from coming to your blog - not only about food and recipes but about culture and traditional foods - thanks for including the directions for making this ice cream without a ice cream maker. Peanuts (in any form) and chocolate are two of my favs - combined in ice cream - why its a dream!
Denise Browning says
Thanks so much, Shashi! I am very to hear form you that my blog has been a vehicle to learn more about Brazil in many ways. I hope you try this recipe at home -- which really became one of my all-time faves. I cannot make this often because I could eat the whole thing by myself -- and my hips would not thank me at all. 🙂
Juliana says
Paçoca? It has been so long since I had this treat...I love the ice cream version...only you my dear Denise pairing paçoca with banana...yum!
Hope you are having a fabulous week 😀
Denise Browning says
Juliana: Thank you! Paçoca, bananas and chocolate together are one of the most delicious pair. 🙂
John@Kitchen Riffs says
Boy, this looks so good! I've never had paçoca but it sounds delish. Love the idea of using banana, too. Good stuff -- thanks.
Denise Browning says
Thank you, John!
Raymund says
Ohh my Gee! That looks amazeballs! I feel that candy is similar to the Filipino Chocnut basically made out of peanuts, sugar and a bit of cocoa
Denise Browning says
Thanks, Raymund! So they are similar. I think the difference is paçoca does not take cocoa.
Rekha says
Oh this sounds truly divine... I once had an ice cream with fried bananas and I loved it. So i can imagine how delicious this would be with that nutty flavor... Yummy!
Denise Browning says
Thanks a lot! This is really very good.
cquek says
I want this right now
Denise Browning says
Me too, cquek!
Aurica says
perfect ice cream recipe with an excellent combination, fresh and juicy..i know the spriing is not here yet but i'll still eat that sweet dessert 😀
Denise Browning says
I hope you enjoy it, Aurica! It is my fave!!!
Deb says
Just scrumptious! What an absolutely stunning dessert! I would also have a difficult time putting my spoon down! Maybe a few big scoops would tame my desire!
Denise Browning says
Deb: Thank you so much!
Francesca says
Denise, this looks so wonderfully dense. I absolutely love fried bananas!!
Denise Browning says
Me too, Francesca! I love, love fried bananas...and pair well with this peanut ice cream -- which became a real fave of mine.
Mi Vida en un Dulce says
Each time I saw an ice cream recipe I wish I have an ice cream maker. I know that we can still make ice cream without, but I think that the machine helps a lot...!!!
Denise Browning says
My recipe includes directions to make both with or without an ice cream machine. Basically, the difference is that the ice cream can be prepared faster in the machine.
Liz says
Sounds heavenly, Denise! It's going to be 50 degrees today, so ice cream season can't be too far behind!
Denise Browning says
I see! We enjoy ice cream the entire year in Texas -- even though we have freezing temperatures. 🙂
The Café Sucre Farine says
This looks amazing Denise, a bit like our bananas foster, one of my favorites!
Denise Browning says
Yes, fried bananas is quite similar to banana foster, Chris!-- except for the liqueur.
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
Fried banana with chocolate sauce on top of ice cream? I love fried bananas! Great idea to put as toppings! I'd ask for extra for sure. 🙂
Denise Browning says
Glad that you enjoyed this recipe. The thing is addictive! 🙂
whatjessicabakednext says
This looks super delicious Denise! Banana with chocolate sauce and ice cream is actually heaven! 🙂
Denise Browning says
Enjoy, Jessica!
wizzy says
looks addictive, just like your blog. Every time I come here I find myself going back into your older posts and wanting to try everything!
Denise Browning says
Thanks so much, Wizzy! These are sweet words to my ears...
Judit & Corina @WineDineDaily says
Love fried bananas and these with chocolate look very decadent and tempting! The paçoca or peanut candy sounds interesting. Every time we visit you we learn something delicious about Brazil:)
Cheers,
J+C
Denise Browning says
Hello, Judit and Corina! I am so glad that you enjoyed this treat and learned more about Brazil's delicacies. It is always good to have you both visiting me here. Have a happy Sunday!