Looking for a healthier alternative to ice cream? Satisfy your sweet tooth with vegan banana ice cream. You won't believe how good this is until you try it. Learn how to customize this delicious treat with simple ingredients and enjoy a guilt-free dessert or breakfast anytime.
"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream."
Thanks to Barney, we can sing this catchy song even if we are plant-based and indulge in this delicious plant-based frozen treat. If the only running you do is chasing the ice cream truck, I promise, you can stop running and make delicious vegan ice cream anytime at home. No Breyer's remorse here.
If you want something delicious to accompany this 'nice' cream, I have a delicious vegan version of the DoubleTree Hilton Chocolate Chip Cookie, Vegan Coffee Cake Cookies, or Vegan Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies you can try.
Jump to:
Ingredient Overview
Whipping up banana ice cream is a breeze. Just blend frozen bananas with a bit of plant-based milk to get things smooth. If you want to change things up, add extra 'add-ins' from the section below. Don’t forget the toppings, though—they're what really make it pop. Check out the suggestions below to take your ice cream game to the next level!
Bananas
I wait for my bananas to start auditioning for the role of "spotted and slightly squishy" before I peel them, chuck them into a ziplock, and then send them straight to the freezer. I've heard tales of wise ones who lay them out on a tray, freeze them individually, and THEN tuck them into a ziplock, ensuring they don't turn into a banana glacier. But hey, who has that kind of freezer real estate? Not me. So, I skip the formalities and just prepare for an epic showdown of wrestling those frozen bananas apart when the time comes. If you wait 2-3 minutes for them to unfreeze, it's much easier to pull them apart.
Milk
Plant-based milk helps the blender and food processor get the party started - especially if the bananas are rock solid from the freezer. Letting the bananas defrost for a few minutes also helps them to blend. Start with a tablespoon. Then, drizzle it into the top of the food processor if necessary to keep things moving.
Optional Ad-In Ingredients
Add other ingredients to blend with the bananas. Add about ½ cup of frozen fruits like blueberries, strawberries, or mangos. If you want something decadent, add some cocoa, peanut butter, or vegan hazelnut spread like TBH instead.
PB2 is a good option if you want to keep this dessert low in calories and fat.
Topping Ideas
- Easy Vegan Trail Mix
- Nuts
- Coconut Shreds
- Vegan Chocolate Chips
- UNREAL Chocolate Gems
- Chocolate Syrup
- Cocowhip
- Oreos
- Wild Blueberries (frozen or fresh)
- Pomegranate Seeds (frozen or fresh)
How To Make Banana Ice Cream
Place chopped frozen bananas in a food processor or blender along with a tablespoon of milk.
Blend until well combined. Drizzle additional milk into the food processor or blender to facilitate the blending.
Top Tips
This recipe gives you a soft-serve texture that is best eaten immediately. But if you want a firmer ice cream texture, place it in Tupperware in the freezer for a few hours.
If you're using a blender, ensure you have a tamper to push the banana around.
For reference, cocoa and cacao are different. The one you choose depends on your health goals and tastes. Check out this site for an easy reference for what you prefer.
Flavor Ideas
There are dozens of ways to enjoy this as a decadent dessert or a healthy plant-based breakfast. Here are some flavor ideas for you to try:
- Epic Vanilla Snowman - 2 bananas and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Very Berry - 2 bananas plus ½ to 1 cup of frozen berry of choice
- Creamy Obsession - 2 bananas and about ¼ cup of vegan nutella spread, peanut butter, or PB2. Top with chocolate chips and toasted coconut shreds.
- Cookies 'n Cream - Blend a couple of bananas with about 5 Oreos or any cookies you choose.
- Cool Twist Chocolate Chip - 2 bananas, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, topped with vegan chocolate chips, walnuts, and coconut shreds
FAQ's
A regular blender can work, but you may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the blender more often to ensure a smooth consistency. You will also need a tamper for your blender.
What did you think?
Got a minute? Dive into the comments and rate this recipe to let me know how it turned out for you. Was it a hit? Any twists you added? I want to know if my directions were any good or if you plan to make it. Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for inspiration.
PrintRecipe
Homemade Vegan Banana Ice Cream
Try this delicious and healthy alternative to traditional ice cream. With just two simple ingredients, you can create a guilt-free dessert or a plant-based breakfast that satisfies your sweet tooth.
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 ½ cup 1x
Ingredients
- 3 bananas (frozen)
- ¼ cup plant-based milk - you may not use all of it
Optional add-ins to blend with the bananas
- ¼ cup frozen fruit of choice (¼ - ½ cup)
- ¼ cup peanut butter or PB2
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
- 5 Oreos (can also be used as a topping)
- vegan hazelnut spread
- vanilla extract
Topping Suggestions
- semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips
- chopped walnuts
- peanuts
- vegan whipped cream
- vegan caramel
- pistachios
- coconut shreds
- vegan hazelnut spread
- UNREAL chocolate gems (similar to M&Ms)
- strawberries (frozen or fresh)
- pomegranate seeds (frozen or fresh)
- blueberries (frozen or fresh)
Instructions
Prepare
- Freeze bananas for at least 12 hours.
Combine Ingredients
- Place frozen bananas in a high-speed blender or a food processor with one tablespoon of milk.
- If adding additional frozen fruit, PB2, or cocoa, add it in with the bananas.
- Add more milk while the food processor is blending by dripping it in through the top a tablespoon at a time to prevent getting runny ice cream but encourage easier blending. You may not need to use all the milk.
- Blend for 2-3 minutes or until soft serve ice cream consistency.
Toppings
- Top with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Keep a zip-lock bag of retired and peeled bananas in the freezer for a quick treat. You can store them for up to 2-3 months.
I like to freeze bananas right after their peak—a day to three days after they're perfect for eating. Tossing bananas into the freezer when they're way past their prime can make your ice cream taste a bit funky, like munching on an overly ripe banana.
You will need a blender tamper to move and mix the bananas in the blender.
A food processor is slightly easier to use because the ice cream doesn't get caught in the blades as with a blender. But either is fine to use.
This recipe gives you a soft-serve texture. For a firmer ice cream texture, place in Tupperware in the freezer for a few hours. Then scoop it out and enjoy.
The nutrition profile is based on two large frozen bananas with a couple of tablespoons of plant-based milk. No toppings are included in the calculation. Use a nutritional app like Cronometer to get information on the exact ingredients and amounts you are using.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: dessert, snack, breakfast
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cup
- Calories: 242
- Sugar: 33
- Sodium: 31
- Fat: 1
- Saturated Fat: 0.3
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 7
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Anonymous says
It tastes just like traditional ice cream!