One Ingredient Banana Ice Cream
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Make banana ice cream with just one simple ingredient – frozen bananas. No ice cream maker needed. Just blend until creamy, freeze and serve!
This one ingredient banana ice cream is one of those recipes that feels almost too simple, but it really works. All you need are frozen bananas and a blender or food processor to turn them into a creamy, scoopable treat.
I keep frozen bananas in my freezer at all times so I can make this whenever a craving hits. It’s great on its own, but it also works as a base for endless variations if you want to switch things up (more ideas below).
“This was easy and delicious and I don’t really like bananas! We have made this a few times now. It’s a great sub for ice cream, so smooth and creamy . I was surprised how much like soft serve this is. Thanks!”
Why I Love This Banana Ice Cream
- Truly one ingredient. Frozen bananas are all you need, and a food processor or blender does the rest.
- Naturally creamy. When blended, frozen bananas turn smooth and creamy with a texture similar to soft serve.
- Easy to customize. Enjoy it as is or add nut butter, chocolate chips, or fresh fruit to make it your own.
Ingredients Needed
- frozen banana – the star of the show! I like to peel and chop the banana before freezing which makes for easier blending. You can also follow my full guide on how to freeze bananas.
- almond milk – this is optional, but you can add unsweetened almond milk to help the mixture come together if you want.
Flavor Variations
One of the best things about one ingredient banana ice cream is how easy it is to turn it into different flavors. Use these ideas as a starting point and adjust based on what you have on hand.
- Chocolate: Add ½ to 1 tablespoon cacao powder or cocoa powder while blending, then stir in chocolate chips or cacao nibs. You can also try my chocolate banana ice cream.
- Peanut butter: Blend in 1 tablespoon peanut butter for a classic combo. I like drizzling a little extra on top before serving.
- Coconut: Top with toasted coconut flakes for a simple banana coconut flavor.
- Berry: Blend in frozen berries or top with fresh berries for serving.
- Vanilla: Add vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract for a simple vanilla version.
- Oatmeal raisin: Check out my oatmeal raisin ice cream, which uses banana ice cream as the base.
- Cinnamon: Add a pinch of cinnamon for a warm, lightly spiced flavor.
- Banana frozen yogurt: Blend in Greek yogurt to turn this into frozen yogurt, or follow my banana frozen yogurt recipe.
How to Make Banana Ice Cream
Step 1: Add frozen bananas to a food processor or high powered blender and blend for about 2 minutes. You may need to turn off the motor and stir the mixture a couple times while processing.
Step 2: Transfer your ice cream to a freezer-safe dish and/or serve it immediately with your favorite toppings.
Brittany’s Tips!
- Chop your bananas: Make sure your frozen bananas are chopped into chunks before adding them to your food processor or blender to help them blend easier.
- Stir while blending: While blending the ingredients you may need to turn off the motor of your food processor or blender and stir the mixture a few times while processing so it blends evenly and gets all the frozen chunks!
- Protect from freezer burn: Add a layer of parchment paper or wax paper on top of the frozen yogurt under the lid of the airtight container when storing in the freezer to prevent freezer burn.
How to Serve Banana Ice Cream
For soft serve consistency, you can spoon the mixture into one or two bowls and serve immediately after processing. For a scoop-able ice cream, transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe dish and freeze for 2 hours, then bring it out and scoop.
Want to take your banana ice cream to the next level? Top it with a delicious, homemade chocolate magic shell! To do this, melt dark chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave until melted. The coconut oil helps harden the chocolate when it gets cold and makes the chocolate a little thicker. Drizzle the magic shell on top of the ice cream and sprinkle flake sea salt on top for salty-sweet perfection. So good!
How to Store Leftovers
I personally like to enjoy banana ice cream right away (it tastes like soft serve), but leftovers store really well! I find that when I freeze this for longer than a couple hours, it gets a bit hard so you’ll need to set it on the counter to thaw 5-10 minutes before diving in!
Frequently Asked Questions
First thing first, let’s address the elephant in the room… is banana ice cream healthy? YES! Banana ice cream is a great alternative to traditional cow’s milk ice cream or any store-bought variety. It’s made with literally one ingredient! It has more fiber and less sugar than traditional ice cream, but is still absolutely delicious. It legit tastes like soft-serve.
Yes. A high-powered blender works well, but you may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times to get everything moving smoothly.
Yes. Ripe bananas are naturally sweeter and blend more smoothly, which makes a big difference in flavor and texture.
Stored in an airtight container, it will keep for up to one month. For the best texture, let it soften slightly before serving.
More Frozen Treats to Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
One Ingredient Banana Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 3 frozen bananas, in chunks
- 1-2 Tablespoons almond milk, if needed
Instructions
- Add frozen banana chunks to the base of a food processor. Pulse/process until smooth and creamy, usually takes 4-5 minutes in the processor or 2-3 in a high powered blender. You may need to turn off the motor and stir the mixture a couple times while processing. If at any point the mixture isn’t coming together, add a little almond milk, 1 Tablespoon at a time. I usually don't need to do this!
- For soft serve consistency, you can spoon the mixture into one or two bowls and serve immediately. For a scoop-able ice cream, transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe dish and freeze for 2 hours.
Notes
- To make a chocolate magic shell: Melt 2 Tablespoons dark chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon coconut oil in the microwave. Start with 30 seconds, stir and heat in 15 second intervals until melted. It shouldn’t take more than 1 minute or so. Drizzle the magic shell on top of the banana ice cream. It will harden quickly, but if you’re fast you can get a sprinkle of flaked sea salt to stick on top. The salt adds a nice sweet and salty flavor!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
This was a perfect post work out snack for my husband and with the weather we have been having here in the Northeast, it is the perfect way to use those bananas that are over-ripe quicker than usual!
YUM! I am so glad you loved this recipe, Christina. Thank you for your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
This was easy and delicious and I don’t really like bananas! We have made this a few times now. It’s a great sub for ice cream, so smooth and creamy . I was surprised how much like soft serve this is. Thanks!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for giving it a try, Kim!!