chunky monkey miso caramel semifreddo

a sliceable no-churn ice cream based on my childhood favorite

i basically grew up on ben and jerry’s chunky monkey ice cream. just about every evening after dinner when my mom and i were living with my grandparents, we would have a little scoop of ice cream, typically one of two flavors: ben & jerry’s chunky monkey or cherry garcia. it was the perfect nightcap.

if you’ve never had chunky monkey ice cream, it’s a banana and vanilla ice cream studded with chunks of dark chocolate and walnuts. that’s it. the combination is so simple but so good, and i honestly think banana ice cream in general is very underrated. i haven’t had chunky monkey in who knows how long (i’m not even sure if they are still making it with the same formula?) and after trying a few different flavors from the brand of a famous german chef which left me unimpressed, i felt myself missing it. i am indeed one of those poor souls without an ice cream maker, but that hasn’t stopped me before and it didn’t stop me now.

as i dove into development, i knew i wanted to present this really simple no-churn ice cream in a different format and add something to the classic flavors of chunky monkey. so for the form i took inspiration from the sliceable frozen italian dessert, semifreddo, which, according to nicola lamb, this is not, as semifreddo typically includes italian meringue and pate a bombe (an egg yolk and sugar syrup mixture). it’s definitely not as airy and soft as a classic semifreddo (it also doesn’t melt nearly as fast!) but it’s still easy to make and really tasty. feel free to serve it scooped and call it no-churn ice cream—it’s all good.

when it came to the flavor, i decided to take inspiration from my miso caramel and banana tiramisu. i thought the miso caramel would be a natural match with the banana ice cream, walnuts and chocolate, and it’s super simple to drizzle into or over the semifreddo. if you don’t want to make your own caramel or would rather stick to 100% sweetness with no slightly salty, savory element, you can use your favorite store-bought caramel sauce.

i had some leftover hot fudge (sohla el-waylly’s recipe) from a previous test, and i have to say it makes the ideal finish here. yes, it’s delicious when warmed and served over your semifreddo slice, but there’s really no need to serve it warm. i’m lazy, so i just pulled the hot fudge sauce from the fridge, stirred it well, and drizzled generously.

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this time two years ago:

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chunky monkey miso caramel semifreddo

makes 6-8 servings

40 grams toasted walnuts

60 grams dark chocolate (i like 70% cacao)

300 milliliters heavy cream, cold

200 milliliters sweetened condensed milk

2 bananas (about 170 grams; you can use any ripeness you like here, the riper they are, the sweeter the semifreddo will be)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons miso caramel (find the recipe here or written below), plus more for serving (substitute: your favorite homemade or store-bought salted or plain caramel sauce)

hot fudge for serving, optional

1. roughly chop 40 grams toasted walnuts. finely chop 60 grams dark chocolate. line a 9x5x3 inch / 23x13x8 cm loaf pan (or a larger loaf pan, it will just affect shape if you slice the semifreddo) with enough plastic wrap to have plenty of overhang on all sides. make sure you have room in your freezer for the loaf pan to sit flat.

2. whip 300 milliliters heavy cream to stiff peaks in a mixing bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. blend 20 milliliters sweetened condensed milk, 2 bananas (about 170 grams), 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender until well combined and smooth; about 20 seconds on high speed.

3. add about one quarter of the banana mixture into the whipped cream and fold together until mostly combined, then add the remaining banana mixture and fold again until mostly combined. add most of the walnuts and dark chocolate (reserving some for the top, if desired) and fold together.

4. pour half of the semifreddo base into the prepared loaf pan, then 2 tablespoons of miso caramel. swirl with a chopstick or spoon, then add the remaining semifreddo mixture, another tablespoon of miso caramel, and the remaining walnuts and chocolate. use the plastic wrap overhang to cover well, then transfer to the freezer for at least 6 hrs.

5. remove the semifreddo from the loaf pan, unwrap and slice into 1 inch pieces. serve immediately with some hot fudge (i like this recipe and actually just serve it cold, straight out of the fridge) and more miso caramel, if desired. the semifreddo will keep well tightly wrapped in the freezer for a month. alternatively, let the semifreddo sit on the counter for about 15 minutes to soften up before using an ice cream scoop to scoop and serve.

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to make the miso caramel: add 150 grams granulated sugar and 60 milliliters water to a saucepan with a light-colored bottom. set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil without stirring, just tilt or swirl the pot gently every so often. after about 8 minutes, the sugar should be a deep golden brown with wisps of smoke just start to form. remove from the heat and add 120 milliliters heavy cream. let it bubble up, then start to gently whisk; if the caramel hardens as you whisk, put it back over low heat and keep whisking until it’s a smooth liquid again before removing from the heat once more. whisk in 2 tablespoons white miso and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a glass jar; depending on your preference and the texture of your miso, you can also sieve the caramel into the jar to remove any lumps. let cool completely before using or covering and storing in the fridge for up to 1 month.

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more from darn good:

pretzel biscuits

crunchy buckwheat caramel roll cake

a celery salad for the celery skeptic

→ browse my full recipe archive here ←