Banana Ice Cream – 10 NEW Recipes

Ten different flavor options of creamy vegan banana ice cream you can make at home, with just a few ingredients and a blender!

Possibly one of the most frequent emails I receive is from readers requesting more recipes for variations of banana ice cream, or “nice cream” as it’s often called in the blog world.

I’m sure many of you already know the basic concept of blending frozen bananas in a blender or food processor until the results have the exact texture of soft serve ice cream. If you add a little fat—such as peanut butter or coconut milk—it can even start to taste pretty similar to ice cream. I’ll post a quick photo tutorial below for anyone who hasn’t yet seen the basic concept, and then I’ll move on to the fun part – custom flavors!

Banana Ice Cream – Step One:

Let the bananas ripen before peeling. If they’re green or yellow to start with, leave them out until the bananas at least begin to turn brown. Not-overripe bananas will have something of an earthy taste, as opposed to the more sweet, caramelized flavor they develop as they turn brown.

Once ripe, peel the bananas, cut into pieces, and freeze them.

Step Two:

When the bananas are fully frozen, toss them into a food processor or high-quality blender (such as a Vitamix) and blend until you achieve a consistency that resembles soft serve. If your blender is having trouble processing, you can add up to 1/4 cup milk of choice or another liquid.

Once the soft-serve texture is reached, you can eat it immediately or scoop it into a container and freeze an additional 30 minutes or so, then scoop out with an ice cream scoop. This will give you a firmer banana ice cream texture.

The best part is dreaming up countless new flavors for this nice cream. I find inspiration everywhere, from restaurant menus, to grocery store displays, to even looking up the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor list online. If you ever happen to see a Peanut Butter Fudge Core banana ice cream recipe show up here on the blog, you’ll know exactly what my recent browsing history must look like.

This soft serve ice cream is even healthy enough to eat for breakfast – NO heavy cream or added sugars, and it is fat-free, dairy-free, vegan, raw, paleo, & gluten-free.

(Above, Chocolate Banana Ice Cream)

10 Banana Ice Cream Flavors

Chocolate Banana Ice Cream: Use 3 bananas. Add 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract, pinch salt, and 3 tbsp cocoa powder. Add 2 tbsp peanut butter for a Reeses peanut butter cup!

Mint Chocolate Chip: Use 2 bananas and a pinch of salt. Add 1/8 tsp pure peppermint extract (or more if desired), and stir in chocolate chips or cacao nibs after blending. Optional, blend in a pinch of spirulina or a small handful spinach for color and an extra nutrient boost.

Peanut Butter: Make the original recipe below, adding 2-3 tbsp peanut butter or another nut butter or allergy-friendly alternative before blending.

Cookies’n Cream: Make the original recipe below, adding 2 tbsp coconut butter if desired. After blending, add in a crushed cookie sandwich or Healthy Oreos.

Very Berry: Make the original recipe below, adding 1 cup frozen berries of choice and 1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract.

Coffee: Use 2 bananas and a pinch salt. Add 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules, 1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract, and optional shake of cinnamon and handful chocolate chips.

Pina Colada: Make the original recipe below, using 1/4 cup canned coconut milk as your milk of choice. Blend in 1/2 cup frozen pineapple. Stir in shredded coconut if desired.

Vanilla Bean: Use 3 bananas and a pinch of salt. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste.

Pistachio: Make the original recipe below, adding 2-3 tbsp pistachio butter and 1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract. Sprinkle crushed pistachios on top if desired.

Banana Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients

• 2-3 overripe, frozen bananas
• optional milk of choice, if needed
• pinch salt

Instructions

Start with bananas that are turning brown. Peel and cut into large pieces, then freeze in an airtight bag or container. (You can freeze a whole bunch at once so they’re ready whenever you want to make banana ice cream.) To make the ice cream, throw around 2-3 frozen bananas into a blender or food processor—adding a pinch of salt and 2-4 tbsp milk of choice for smoother blending if desired—and blend until you achieve a soft-serve texture. You can serve immediately, or transfer to a container and freeze an additional 30 minutes, then scoop out with an ice cream scoop.

Recipes for individual flavors are listed earlier in the post!

View Nutrition Facts

Link of The Day:

Peanut Butter Popsicles – Creamy peanut butter popsicles, dipped in melted chocolate – It’s basically like eating a frozen Reese’s peanut butter cup!

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Find more healthy recipes like this Banana Ice Cream – 10 NEW Recipes at Chocolate Covered Katie.