Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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.
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!
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.
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.
I plan to make this.
Thoughts on adding a layer of frozen white cake after the 2nd layer of banana mixed with ice cream?
Hi Leslie,
I’ve never tried that, I don’t think it’s really needed here, but of course do as you like:) I hope you love this recipe! xT
I am not a baker and am new to the kitchen. I made this for a birthday. Could not believe how much everyone liked it! The banana “pudding” layer and the yummy crunch topping is so good. Even the non – banana fans wanted seconds. I followed the recipe exactly. Thanks
Hey Elizabeth,
Amazing!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks a lot for giving it a try!🥑🥝 xT
So good, made for a birthday and it was a huge hit. Simple steps but a lot of them–it’s a good task for a day of cleaning or laundry. The only issue I had was drizzling honey over the crumbs. I ended up with strings of honey that didn’t break up. Next time I will add it to the food processor so it gets incorporated. I also may have pressed the crust into the springform pan too tightly, it was hard to cut. That didn’t prevent us from digging it out and eating it–delicious! This would be a basic recipe for all sorts of combinations of ice cream and fruits–peaches, coffee, caramel, berry, etc.
Hey Marilyn,
Wonderful!!😃 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad it was a winner! xx
Made for my sisters birthday and it went over so well! Had to substitute Nilla Wafers for butter shortbread cookies as Nilla Wafers are no longer sold in Canada apparently and it worked out so well! I also froze with the whipped cream and topping on it with no issues. Now to try a strawberry version for my nieces birthday!
Hey Kendra,
Happy Monday!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Birthday to your sister! xx
Can the topping be made in advance and refrigerated until it’s time to put on the cake for serving?
Hi Kelly,
Sure, I just wouldn’t leave it in the fridge for more than a few hours! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it turns out well for you! xx
This sounds delicious! Will I be able to make this without a food processor? Also, is one-two tablespoons of honey enough to sweeten a cup of cream?
Many thanks!
Hi Theresa,
You will need a food processor or blender to complete step 2. I’m sorry, I’m not sure what you mean with the 1 cup of ice cream, the recipe calls for much more than that:) I would follow all of the measurements as written. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
This cake is awesome!! I brought it to work it everyone loved it- literally fighting over the last piece! Very easy to make and the flavors went together so well. I love that pretzel/Nilla cookie crust!
Hey Allie,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, I am thrilled that it turned out well for you! ☀️🍉
I made this for my family, and they loved it! The topping was my favorite part, and the house smelled delicious as it was baking. Thank you for a great recipe!
Hey Paulette,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was delish! xT
This was so yummy and I added peanut butter to the vanilla ice cream layer and made extra peanut butter sauce for serving. Will definately be making this again!
Hey Stefanie,
Wonderful!!🌴🍍 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, love to hear that it turned out well! xx
Tastes great! But how do you lift the cake out of the pan if the parchment paper is cut to the size of the bottom? Do I not need to use parchment if using a springform pan?
Hey Kelly,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! If you are using a springform pan, you shouldn’t have to lift the cake at all, the pan should lift around it. Just leave the parchment on the bottom:) xx
Is this something that can be made a day or two ahead?
Hi Becky,
Yes, absolutely!! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
This was excellent – I froze it with whipped cream on it and it is delicious! I woke up thinking about it and had it for breakfast – Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes
Hey Tracy,
Happy Sunday!! 🍉🍓🫐 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
Most amazing dessert ever. This will be on repeat!! Crowd pleaser and pretty easy to make. Fantastic recipe—thank you!!
Hey Annie,
Happy Sunday!! 🍉🍓🫐 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
I can’t find Nilla Wafers anywhere, I’m in Canada. Is there something you would recommend as a replacement? I found a recipe to make my own but don’t really have the time!
Hi Cathy,
Sure, any other vanilla cookie would be great to use! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
I made this for Easter. It was AMAZING! I will definitely make this again. I would add a picture but I served on paper plates and this cake deserves china!
Thank you for all of your awesome recipes! I give your recipe books as gifts all the time.
Hey Jennifer,
Happy Monday!!🌞 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
How far in advance can you make this?
Hi Marta,
I would say a few days:) Let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try it for a birthday luncheon!