OK y’all. Hold on to your horses and to your hats. This DELICIOUS ice cream is vegan, 100% healthy, and has only TWO ingredients. I’m serious.
Bananas + Cocoa Powder. Boom. Ice cream. Or, “nice cream,” as the kids are calling it these days.
If you haven’t already heard of the banana “nice cream” trend, it’s time to hop on the bandwagon. It is seriously delicious and a completely valid alternative to traditional ice cream.
It’s creamy and even melts like ice cream! The banana tastes surprisingly neutral as well (must be because it’s cold), making it a great base for other flavors (yet it still adds natural sweetness without refined sugar).
I’ve tried a few healthy alternatives for decadent treats.
Once, I tried making those banana “cookies.” You’ve probably heard of them: those “cookies” that have only bananas and oats and are somehow supposed to taste like cookies? False. They do not. (I made energy bars instead using the same idea.)
This ice cream, on the other hand, is a worthy substitute. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that it tastes exactly like real ice cream with cream and sugar, but it will certainly satisfy your craving for ice cream if you get one.
The steps for this are simple. The basic gist is this: blend frozen bananas and cocoa powder in a food processor (a blender can also be used) until it looks like soft serve ice cream.
…that’s it.
Tips and tricks for making banana ice cream
Here are some tips for the perfect chocolate banana ice cream every time, plus some ideas for other flavor combinations.
Slice and freeze the bananas.
First, slice the bananas, and place on a parchment covered baking sheet.
You want to freeze the bananas sliced so it doesn’t break your food processor or blender when you make this by trying to break up an entire frozen solid banana.
Place the sliced bananas in the freezer for at least 25 minutes on the baking sheet. At this point, you can transfer the bananas to a bag or container to keep in the freezer until you want to make the ice cream, or make the ice cream immediately.
By flash freezing the bananas individually, they won’t freeze together in one solid chunk, and you can keep a bunch ready to go in your freezer for when you have an emergency ice cream craving!
Use a food processor
You can make banana ice cream in either a food processor or a blender, but having used both, I HIGHLY recommend using a food processor.
Similarly to making peanut butter from scratch, the frozen bananas will turn to a crumbly texture and all of a sudden, magically, turn to the most beautiful, soft, and fluffy soft-serve ice cream texture.
The blender version comes out a bit more dense and chunky, but still delicious.
And if you’re in the market for a great food processor, I recommend this one (more professional) or this one (cheaper) by Cuisinart.
Play around with flavor combinations.
- Make it sweeter: Is the ice cream not sweet enough with just the banana? Add some honey or maple syrup to it, to keep it refined sugar free.
- Use only bananas! Do you ONLY have bananas and nothing else? You can make this a one-ingredient ice cream just as easily.
- Add extra ingredients. Add some peanut butter for flavor and protein. Add some fresh strawberries or raspberries to the mix. Add some vanilla extract! Or canned pumpkin with pumpkin pie spices! Or what about some coffee beans and/or some Kahlua for a grown-up treat? I’m getting so excited here.
The possibilities are endless. When you are done blending the ice cream, you can even stir in some nuts, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, or other typical ice cream toppings for a chunkier texture.
So there you have it! A completely guilt free way to satisfy your ice cream cravings. If any of you try a great flavor combination, leave it in the comments below!
Enjoy :-)
Two-Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
Equipment
- Food Processor
Instructions
- To prepare for this, slice the bananas and freeze on a parchment covered baking sheet for at least 25 minutes.
- Put the frozen sliced bananas and cocoa powder in a food processor (a blender can also be used) and turn on.
- Blend together until the mixture looks like soft serve ice cream (1-2 minutes).
Notes
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Estimated Nutrition Information
Kevin
I found your recipe after I randomly mixed some cocoa powder into some bananas that I had cut up, frozen, then put in my refrigerator to thaw. The bananas were kind of melted into softness and liquid. It was a warm day…without even blending, I thought: this is like chocolate ice cream, melting with some lumps, this is amazing! I love it that you make things simple: two ingredients! One ingredient! I’ve got a blendtec high powered blender, and a supply of fruits from the discount overripe rack at my favorite grocery: this month I’m going to try: frozen banana with chocolate powder; banana with blueberries; vanilla nice cream; one ingredient banana nice cream; mango nice cream!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Kayla
I made this for the first time today (with a few add-ins) and was blown away how tasty it was! I added some peanut butter and a splash of chocolate milk and it is so much better than store-bought ice cream! Thank you for the amazing recipe. I will be making it this way in the future for better health AND taste.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Gabriella
Hi! So excited to try this for the first time tomorrow. Would you recommend making a big batch and store it in the freezer?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Sorry I didn’t see this until now – just moved across the country and catching up on comments! This recipe won’t refreeze very well, as it will get super solid and hard to scoop. But I do think you could probably refreeze it in popsicle forms! Hope that helps :-)
Heather
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! I made it exactly as written and it is perfect!
I was very skeptical at first, thinking the banana would overpower the chocolate. But no! There’s just a slight hint of banana under the silky chocolate flavor.
For anyone who loves ice cream, this is a TRUE game-changer! I’m so excited to try the other add ins you suggested too!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! I was also skeptical the first time I made it. I think the cold takes away some of the banana taste, too.
Zoe
Love! I’m a young teen and I recently found out that I have allergies to sugar and gluten and other things. I made mine with brown bananas from freezer, cocoa powder, vanilla, and oat milk. It was delicious. Tasted like a dark chocolate treat. 10/10 recommend
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad this worked well as an allergy-friendly treat for you! Kudos to you for finding a way to still enjoy your favorite foods while following the “rules.” Thanks for the lovely review! (by the way, my daughter who is 3 years old is also named Zoey, but with a y) :-)
Daula
Hi, this recipe sounds so delicious and so simple. What it work using a ice cream maker?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Good question! I don’t think it will, since with an ice cream maker you start with a liquid (cream) and it slowly solidifies to ice from the cold. In this case, you are starting with a solid, so the food processor/blender will be your best bet. Hope that helps and hope you like it!
Jade
I blended 8 frozen bananas in the Vitamix-added nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon and about 1/3 cup coconut milk. Then once whipped folded in freshly toasted macadamia nuts, cacao nibs and toasted almonds. Wow!!!
Sooooooo good.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it- and LOVE your additions! Sounds heavenly.
Biljana
I am in the elimination diet and found this … it is absolutely delicious. We topped it with pecans and mango. Will definitely keep this recipe even after the diet. Such a nice treat even my kids liked it. Excited to try new toppings as well.
Thank you,
B.N.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you and your kids liked this, and I love the toppings you chose!
Eric Van Aken
I’m so excited to make this. Should this be made right when you are going to eat it and not refrozen (I feel like I read that in one of the other comments).
I’m going to use a little peanut butter powder with the cocoa powder and hope that tastes good! Thanks for the recipe!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yes, eat this right away a refreezing it will make it very hard (though might result in good popsicles!). Hope you like it!
Garima Tomar
can i add cinnamon powder along with cocoa ?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Absolutely! This recipe is super versatile- you can definitely add cinnamon. I’d probably recommend about 1/2 teaspoon :-)
Lisa
Wow, this was a revelation! I’ve been seeing banana-based ice cream for a few years and thought it sounded kind of weird and not that appealing, but I gave it a go this evening and it is delicious! Who knew bananas would turn such a luscious, creamy texture?? I added a pinch of salt and a dash of vanilla along with the cocoa – so, so delicious! I’m eager to try adding a splash of bailey’s or a spoonful of almond butter or try other flavors than chocolate altogether. No need to buy ice cream any more :) Thanks!
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’m so happy you liked it! And wow- a splash of Bailey’s? GREAT idea.
Gracie
I am making this for my mom for mothers day. I used non caffeinated chocolate.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hope you and your mom liked it!
MCC
Sooo glad I tried your recipe! It was delicious. My husband added apple pie spice to his, and was crazy about it. Going to a plant-based diet can be a tough adjustment, so thank you for the wonderful idea to add some healthy sweetness!
Elizabeth Lindemann
What a fun idea to add apple pie spice! Glad you liked it and happy it’s helpful for your adjustment to plant-based!
Greta Roberts
Can I freeze this for later – meaning, do we need to eat it right away?
Making this today. Thank you
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’ve never tried it personally, but after a little research I believe you can! It will be a little harder than just after blending (which will be more like soft-serve ice cream). If it’s hard to scoop out, run your ice cream scoop under hot water for a little while to warm it up which should help a bit. Hope that helps and hope you like it!
Beth Edwards
Can I use whole frozen bananas if that’s all I have? Should I defrost a little first and chop into smaller pieces or is it best to do something else or to just not all together haha? Thanks!
Elizabeth Lindemann
I think it will depend on how sturdy your blender is! You may be able to puree the whole frozen bananas but just be careful- and if it takes too long or the blender is shaking around or something, maybe let them defrost for a little before making this. I don’t think whole bananas would work in a food processor.
Allie
I’m seeing diy fudge pops!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yes 100%!! So good!
Tia
Love this recipe, will try others of yours in the future! I added extra cocoa powder for a richer chocolate flavour
Elizabeth Lindemann
Always a good idea to add more chocolate :-) Glad you liked it!
Marissa Lederman
Can this recipe be made without freezing the bananas first?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I suppose you could make it without freezing the bananas, but it will be more like banana puree and not like ice cream. It won’t be cold obviously, but also the texture might be a little thinner without freezing it. Hope that helps!
Tanya
Hi,
I was wondering if this recipe could be made using a mixer grinder?
We don’t have a food processor or blender at home; I recently started adopting vegan alternatives into and this ice-cream just looks yum :))
Elizabeth Lindemann
I haven’t ever used a mixer grinder, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
Abby
My sons and I are lactose intolerant and I cant wait to show him what I made tomorrow. My boss and amazing pastry chef gave me a great vegan peanut butter cookie recipe and we are making icecream sandwiches. This is all her idea and she and you deserve the credit. Thank you!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oh yay!! So glad this recipe was helpful for you!
Melodie S.
I’ve been doing the frozen banana “ice cream” thing for several years and love it, but for some reason, I never thought to add the cocoa powder. Strange, no? Anyway, thank you for opening my eyes to something so simple and satisfying. The possibilities for this as a base are endless! Personally, I like to mix frozen pineapple in with the banana and add a little coconut for a pina colada type treat. YUM!!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oh YUM! I love those suggestions!
Robin Long
Absolutely delicious…..can’t wait to experiment ?
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Tom
Surprisingly delicious; added nut toppings
Is there a way to make vegan vanilla icecream with strawberries?
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! A lot of vegan ice creams use coconut milk as a base. I don’t have a recipe for vegan vanilla ice cream, but here’s a great looking one from Minimalist Baker (I bet you can just add strawberries to the mix!). Hope that helps!
Van
Thank you
Elizabeth Lindemann
You’re welcome! Glad you liked it!
Nicky
Ice cream is a big favourite in our house, but I have been trying to avoid sugar and dairy. Made this for guests yesterday evening, served with chopped nuts on top, and it was a huge success. Five stars!
Elizabeth
So happy you and your guests liked it! Thanks for the comment :-)