High-Protein Ice Cream

Two bowls of protein ice cream-one is chocolate and one is vanilla. There are two spoons next to the bowls.

4.77 from 17 votes

This protein-packed ice cream is made with frozen bananas and just a few wholesome ingredients. It’s creamy, totally customizable, and comes together in minutes. No ice cream maker required!

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Author: Brittany Mullins

Equipment

Ingredients

Chocolate

2 frozen bananas peeled and chopped into chunks
¼ cup dairy-free milk I used unsweetened almond milk
2 Tablespoons almond butter or peanut butter
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
½ Tablespoon chocolate chips or cacao nibs

Vanilla

2 frozen bananas peeled and chopped into chunks
¼ cup dairy-free milk I used unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Chocolate

Place bananas, almond milk, almond butter, cocoa powder and protein powder into a food processor or high speed blender.
Pulse/process until smooth and creamy. This should take about 3-4 minutes. You may need to turn off the motor and stir the mixture a couple times while processing.
Add in cacao nibs or chocolate chips (if using) and pulse once more.
Spoon ice cream into a bowl and enjoy! If you want to be able to scoop the ice cream you can pour it into a loaf pan lined with parchment and place in the freezer for 2 hours. Once hard, use an ice cream scoop to scoop it out and enjoy.

Vanilla

Place bananas, almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon and protein powder into a food processor or high speed blender.
Pulse/process until smooth and creamy. This should take about 3-4 minutes. You may need to turn off the motor and stir the mixture a couple times while processing.
Spoon ice cream into a bowl and enjoy! If you want to be able to scoop the ice cream you can pour it into a loaf pan lined with parchment and place in the freezer for 2 hours. Once hard, use an ice cream scoop to scoop it out and enjoy.

Notes

Protein powder: I recommend using a plant-based protein powder since that's what I used when testing this recipe. While you can use whey protein powder, it sometimes results in a firmer or slightly grainy texture once frozen, which might not be as creamy as you’d like. If you do prefer whey, just know the texture might be a bit different.
Storage: Store the ice cream in a freezer-safe container that's covered completely to prevent freezer burn for up to one month in the freezer.
Ice cream too hard? If it’s too hard straight from the freezer, let it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes to soften. You can also pop it back into the blender with a splash of milk to bring back that creamy texture. Another tip is to dip your ice cream scoop in hot water before scooping—it helps the ice cream come out smoothly without sticking!

Nutrition