This milkshake currently tops my sixteen-year-old’s list of things he wants me to make when Lent ends. He has remarkable willpower — he gave up sweets for Easter and has stuck to it, despite living in a house where sweets are never far away. I’ve tried to avoid tempting him by preparing healthy treats, fruit, and smoothies, and doing most dessert projects while he’s out. Even so, occasionally I whip up something irresistible when he’s home. This is the same kid who once polished off eight slices of a sheet cake in one sitting and can’t pass a candy counter without buying something if he has money.
He plans to return to sweets after Easter, and he’s already made a priority list. This milkshake holds the number-one spot. He intends to break his fast with it — even before Easter candy or breakfast.
I tried to get this photographed before he returned from a friend’s last week. It wasn’t the recipe that took long — interruptions from four other boys slowed me down. They’d given up various pleasures for Lent as well: texting, video games, Minecraft, and a reading game. Between roasting bananas and scooping ice cream, there were minor domestic emergencies (like a tennis ball in the dog’s mouth and a small drilling accident) that demanded attention. But I managed to finish the milkshake: caramel drizzled inside the glass, the shake poured in, a cloud of whipped cream, a little more caramel and chocolate sauce on top, and one brûléed banana half perched on the rim.
Just as I reached for my camera, the door opened and my son stood there, silently clutching his stomach. I had to admit it — in that moment I earned the title of “Worst Mother of the Year.”
I pinned his request list above my workspace. So far it reads:
- Roasted Banana and Caramel Milkshake
- Thin Mints
- All the chocolate in the house
While I search for a safer hiding place for the chocolate, let’s talk about why this milkshake is special. It’s unapologetically banana-forward: creamy and thick with a concentrated, caramel-like banana sweetness thanks to roasted bananas.
How and Why to Roast Bananas
Roasting bananas is simple and transformative. Leave whole bananas in their peels and bake them at a high temperature until the skins turn black and the fruit inside is soft and glossy. The heat concentrates the fruit’s natural sugars and deepens the flavor, turning an ordinary banana into something sweet and complex. Even a slightly underripe banana becomes fragrant and luscious after roasting.
For an extra special garnish, I brûlée halves of roasted bananas so they get a crisp, caramelized sugar crust like crème brûlée. The result is sweet and creamy with a layer of deeply caramelized sugar on top—utterly indulgent and perfect atop this milkshake.
Cook’s Notes
- Roast extra bananas, scoop the soft fruit from the skins, and freeze it in ice cube trays for future smoothies, milkshakes, or baking. Roasted banana works beautifully in banana bread.
- I used homemade salted caramel sauce for this shake, which is exceptional, but store-bought caramel will work fine. If you want to go all-in, warm a bit of dulce de leche and drizzle that inside the glass.
- I used dulce de leche–swirl ice cream. If you can’t find it, choose a caramel-swirl ice cream or plain French vanilla and add a couple tablespoons of caramel sauce to the blender.
- Because the milkshake is already very sweet, top it with unsweetened or lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Roasted Banana and Caramel Milkshake
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 2 whole bananas
- 3 cups dulce de leche or caramel swirl ice cream
- 1/4-1/2 cup milk depending on desired thickness
- Optional: ice cubes to make it super thick.
- 1 tablespoon caramel sauce warmed just enough to be pourable
- unsweetened or lightly sweetened whipped cream
For Garnish:
- additional caramel sauce
- chocolate sauce
- 2 halves of a brûléed banana see notes for a simple method
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
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Place bananas, unpeeled, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15–20 minutes, until the peels are black and the fruit appears glossy and swollen. Remove and cool to at least room temperature before handling.
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Cut a small tip from each banana peel and squeeze the soft roasted banana into a blender. Add the ice cream and 1/4 cup milk. Blend until smooth. For a thicker shake, add a few ice cubes and blend. For a thinner shake, add up to the remaining 1/4 cup milk.
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Drizzle caramel sauce around the inside of two glasses, letting it drip down. Divide the milkshake between the glasses. Top with whipped cream, a little more caramel and some chocolate sauce. Nestle a brûléed banana half in the whipped cream and serve immediately. Leftover milkshake can be poured into popsicle molds for banana cream popsicles.
Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate nutrition based on the exact ingredients you use if needed.
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