This banana ice cream recipe stars one simple ingredient: frozen bananas! This creamy, dairy-free treat is fun and refreshing on hot summer days.
Have you ever made frozen banana ice cream? This one-ingredient treat has a rich, creamy texture a lot like regular ice cream, but you don’t need an ice cream maker (or any sugar or dairy) to make it. It whizzes up in the food processor in just a few minutes!
Banana ice cream was trendy years ago (remember “nice cream”?), but it recently made its way back into my kitchen thanks to the PBS Kids show Daniel Tiger. There’s an episode where Daniel and his mom make “banana swirl” together, which inspired me to start making it with my son Ollie.
This healthy banana ice cream recipe is a great dessert to make with kids, but based on how much Jack and I enjoy it, I feel confident saying that adults will love it too. It’s so simple, fun, and refreshing on hot summer days. If you’re not a fan already, I hope you try it!
How to Make Banana Ice Cream
You can find the complete recipe with measurements at the bottom of this post, but for now, here’s a quick overview of how it goes:
Step 1: Freeze the bananas.
I do this a day ahead, but 8 hours would do the trick too. Peel the bananas, then seal them in an airtight container or bag and stash them in the freezer.
Step 2: Let them thaw slightly, then chop.
Blending fully frozen bananas can be hard on a food processor. To make them easier to whip, I let them thaw on my counter for 15 minutes and then slice them before processing.
Step 3: Whip them in the food processor!
Place the chopped bananas in the food processor and process until smooth, for about 5 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. The banana ice cream is ready when it becomes pale and has a smooth, creamy soft serve-like texture.
Step 4 (optional): Freeze for a firmer texture.
After blending, the banana ice cream will have a soft serve consistency. If you’d like it to be scoop-able, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Don’t leave it in the freezer for more than 2 hours though—if it’s in there for too long, it will become a block of ice!
Recipe Tips
- The riper the bananas, the better. Just like banana bread, this banana ice cream has the sweetest banana flavor when you make it with brown, spotty bananas.
- Let the bananas thaw more if needed. If the bananas aren’t breaking down in the food processor, stop processing and let them sit for another 2 to 5 minutes at room temperature to thaw a bit more. If needed, you can also add a splash of milk or almond milk to help them blend, but I like the texture best with just banana.
- I vote food processor over blender. You can make this recipe in a blender if you need to, but if both options are available, go with the food processor. I’ve always found that I need to add milk to a blender in order to get the bananas smooth and creamy, which results in a slightly thinner consistency.
- Eat it on the day you make it. Banana ice cream isn’t the same as traditional ice cream! With no added sugar or heavy cream, it freezes into an icy block after 2+ hours in the freezer. You can always scale down the recipe if needed. I call for 6 bananas here, but 2 to 3 also work well in my food processor.
Banana Ice Cream Flavor Variations
I like to add a little vanilla and a pinch of salt to my basic banana ice cream for extra depth of flavor.
If you’d like to experiment with even more add-ins, feel free! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- peanut butter
- almond butter
- Nutella
- honey
- cocoa powder
- cinnamon
- chocolate chips
Add smooth mix-ins like peanut butter to the food processor in the last few minutes of blending. Fold in chunky mix-ins like chocolate chips with a spatula once the banana ice cream is fully smooth.
Let me know what variations you try!
More Favorite Frozen Treats
If you love this banana ice cream recipe, try one of these yummy frozen treats next:
Banana Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 6 very ripe bananas, peeled and frozen
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Milk, as needed to blend
Instructions
- Remove the bananas from the freezer. Let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to soften slightly, then chop.
- In the bowl of a food processor, place the chopped bananas, vanilla, and salt. Process for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the bananas have a smooth, whipped texture similar to soft serve. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. If the bananas are too frozen to fully process, let them thaw for another minute or so. You can also add milk to help the bananas blend, but the texture is creamiest with just banana.
- Enjoy immediately, or for firmer ice cream, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 hours before serving. Don’t freeze it for much longer, or it will be too firm and icy to scoop. This banana ice cream is best enjoyed on the day it’s made.
