This One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream (Nice Cream) is the perfect summer dessert! It’s quick, easy, healthy and you don’t even need an ice cream maker!
Banana nice cream (one-ingredient banana ice cream) has sure come a long way since I first posted about it back in 2014! Made simply by puréeing frozen bananas in a food processor, this simple dish originally rose to fame as a homemade vegan substitute for ice cream.
Since then it's just grown in popularity. If you're craving the sweet, creamy taste and texture of ice cream but don't want all the calories and fat, then this one-ingredient banana ice cream is for you!
Sometimes called banana soft serve, this healthy ice cream will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth. Plus, it's so easy to make- you don’t even need an ice cream maker! If you're a chocolate fan, make sure you check out my healthy chocolate banana "ice cream," which tastes like a Snickers bar!
What is Nice Cream?
It's hard to believe, but when you blend chopped up frozen bananas in a food processor, it turns into banana nice cream! It's a a delicious, rich and creamy treat that tastes like soft serve ice cream.
Why You'll Love This Dish
- Only 1 ingredient!
- Quick and easy-takes just a few minutes in the food processor
- Healthy snack or dessert
- Endlessly customizable- experiment with different flavor combinations
Doctor's Tips
- This one-ingredient banana ice cream is low calorie, low fat, gluten free, dairy free, cholesterol free and vegan!
- Plus, it’s packed with a variety of important nutrients like Vitamin B6, fiber, Vitamin C, potassium and manganese.
- It’s a nice healthy substitute for ice cream. It's also an excellent nutritious snack for your kids.
Equipment
Best Food Processor
You'll need a powerful food processor to make this dish. I use this Cuisinart 14-cup food processor.
How to Make One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream
- Step 1- Cut the bananas into 1-inch pieces. Put them on a plate in a single layer and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. Then, place the pieces in a food processor. Alternatively, you can use a high-speed blender.
- Step 2- Purée until creamy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
The ice cream can be served at this point and will have a texture similar to soft serve ice cream. For a firmer texture, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place it in the freezer for at least an hour. Let the ice cream soften about 10 minutes before serving.
Chef's Tips:
- Use ripe, sweet bananas. Don't have ripe bananas? Read my post on how to quickly ripen bananas in the oven or air fryer.
- Be sure to peel and cut the bananas into pieces before freezing them. It's really hard to peel the skin off frozen bananas! Also, cutting the bananas into pieces will make it easier on your food processor and yield a creamy consistency.
- Make sure the banana pieces are completely frozen before puréeing them.
- If your food processor is struggling, you can add a little milk, which will make it easier to blend.
Flavor Variations
Once you get the basic technique down, you can experiment with some different flavor combinations. Here are a few ideas:
- Banana Peanut Butter- add 2 Tablespoons peanut butter to the ice cream and blend.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter- add ¼ cup cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons peanut butter.
- Chunky Monkey- stir 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts into the ice cream.
- Banana Nutella- add ¼ cup Nutella to the ice cream and blend.
- Banana Berry- freeze 2 cups chopped strawberries with the bananas. Purée together in a food processor with ⅓ cup low fat milk.
More Frozen Desserts
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Recipe
One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream (Banana Nice Cream)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 ripe bananas, peeled
Instructions
- Cut the bananas into 1-inch pieces. Put them on a plate in a single layer and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
- Place the frozen banana pieces in a food processor. Purée until creamy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
- The ice cream can be served at this point and will have a texture similar to soft serve ice cream. For a firmer texture, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place it in the freezer for at least an hour. Let the ice cream soften about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Chocolate Peanut Butter- add ¼ cup cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons peanut butter.
- Chunky Monkey- stir 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts into the ice cream.
- Banana Nutella- add ¼ cup Nutella to the ice cream and blend
- Banana Berry- freeze 2 cups chopped strawberries with the bananas. Puree together in a food processor with ⅓ cup low fat milk.
Nutrition
About the author
Dr. Sonali Ruder
Meet Dr. Sonali Ruder aka The Foodie Physician- ER doctor, chef, culinary creator & mom.
ur says
A great simple dessert for the summer, as the bananas ripen quickly and all at the same time.
Thank you Sonali for this easy and simple dessert.
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
I hope you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for stopping by!
Help says
Was super excited to try this! Don't know if my food processor isn't strong enough or if I should let the bananas thaw some first, but it did not chop through them let alone puree them. Just moved the chopped pieces around while vibrating furiously...and I am not exaggerating when I saw FURIOUSLY. I had to actually hold the processor down in place or it would have flown off the counter. I'm sure it's not the blade, I just purchased this processor last week and this is only my 2nd time using it, so the blade is razor sharp. Perhaps I need a processor with more power? Help! I really wanna try this recipe!!
sonaliruder says
I'm sorry it didn't work for you! You need a high powered food processor or blender to be able to puree the frozen banana. I would suggest freezing the banana pieces for a shorter time, maybe only an hour or two (or letting them defrost for a little while if they're rock hard). Then try it again. Once it's pureed, you can always freeze it to get a firmer texture. Good luck!
Laurel says
How long does this keep after processing? Can I throw it back in the freezer?
sonaliruder says
You can store it in a sealed container in the freezer like ice cream. It gets pretty firm in the freezer so let it thaw out for 10-15 minutes before eating.
Jennifer Jeanetta says
Can u use a blender or does it have to be a food processor
sonaliruder says
You can try to use a blender but you'll probably have to scrape down the sides a lot.
/- |( $ !~! /- T /- says
I love this recipe!! I used to worry what to do with bunches of bananas since we wouldn't eat more that 1 or 2 as is. But not anymore. I look forward to buying bananas now, because of this sugar free, healthy dessert! Thanks a bunch!
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much for the lovely comment!
Anonymous says
Can't wait to try this !
sonaliruder says
Thanks! I hope you enjoy 🙂
ur says
I followed your recipe and successfully made the banana ice cream with my ripe bananas!!
sonaliruder says
Great! So glad you liked it!
ur says
What a great idea. I always have bananas, all ripening at the same time. This is an easy and simple idea to use up the over ripe bananas, especially in summer. I also like the idea of adding nutella or peanut butter for variations. Home made easy ice cream.