One Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

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Banana ice cream made with one simple ingredient – frozen bananas! No ice cream maker needed. Just blend until creamy and serve. And if you’re feeling fancy you can top it with homemade magic shell!

Prepare to be hooked on the easiest recipe ever… banana ice cream. It’s made with just one ingredient and doesn’t require an ice cream maker! I love keeping frozen bananas in my freezer so I can whip up this treat whenever my sweet tooth kicks in.

Bowl of banana ice cream topped with homemade magic shell and sea salt.

There are so many variations of banana ice cream (and I have a few posted here on EBF already) but I wanted to share the easy, basic recipe with you!

Bowl of banana ice cream topped with homemade magic shell and sea salt. Spoon is taking a bite.

Is Banana Ice Cream Healthy?

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.

Coconut oil, dark chocolate chips, frozen banana, almond milk and sea salt measured out in bowls.

Here’s What You Need

For the ice cream you only need two simple ingredients:

  • frozen banana – the star of the show! I like to peel and chop the banana before freezing which makes for easier blending.
  • almond milk – optional but you can add unsweetened almond milk to help the mixture come together.

If you want to make the chocolate magic shell you’ll also need:

  • chocolate chips
  • coconut oil
  • sea salt
Side by side photos. One is banana ice cream blended in a food processor. The second photo is an ice cream scooper with an ice cream scoop from a loaf pan.

Two Ways to Serve it Up

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.

Flavor Variation Ideas

Oh my goodness, there are sooo many ways to get creative with banana ice cream and create different flavors. Here are some ideas to get you started.

  • Chocolate – add in 1/2-1 Tablespoon cacao powder or cocoa powder plus chocolate chips or cacao nibs for a chocolate-y treat! Or just try my chocolate banana ice cream recipe.
  • Peanut Butter – add in 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter during blending and drizzle extra peanut butter on top. I make this one all the time and it’s amazing.
  • Coconut – Top with homemade toasted coconut flakes for a delicious banana coconut combo!
  • Berry – add in frozen berries during blending and/or top with fresh berries for serving!
  • Vanilla – add vanilla bean paste from 1/2 – 1 vanilla bean pod or vanilla extract for vanilla goodness.
  • Oatmeal raisin – check out my oatmeal raisin ice cream that uses banana ice cream as the base.
A spoon drizzling homemade magic shell over a bowl of banana ice cream.

Homemade Magic Shell

Want to take your banana ice cream to the next level? Top it with a delicious, homemade chocolate magic shell!

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.

Bowl of banana ice cream topped with homemade magic shell and sea salt.

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!

More Frozen Treats to Try

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4.67 from 9 votes

One Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

Homemade banana ice cream made with one simple ingredient – frozen bananas! No ice cream maker needed. Just blend until creamy and serve.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Freeze Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients  

  • 3 frozen bananas, in chunks
  • 1-2 Tablespoons almond milk, if needed

Magic Shell

Instructions 

  • 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!
    Food processor with blended bananas.
  • 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.
    Ice cream scooper scooping a serving of banana ice cream from a loaf pan.
  • If using magic shell, melt your chocolate chips and 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.
    Bowl with dark chocolate chips and coconut oil.
  • 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

Serving: 1/2 of recipe with magic shell | Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 692mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 22g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: banana ice cream
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

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