One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

Do you remember when "nice cream" was a thing? I mean, it's always been A Thing, but for a while there it was all the rage. I made it often when we lived in Saudi Arabia, where temperatures typically hovered well into the 100+ range, bananas were cheap, and I had all the free time in the world during naptime to whip up a creamy batch of banana ice cream. It was and is so good.

I still love making banana ice cream. It's one of the more magical recipes I've ever put together, and it needs just one ingredient - bananas - plus a food processor or blender. When the frozen bananas are processed, they turn into the most gorgeously soft-serve textured ice cream that, yes, rivals real ice cream! You can keep it simple with straight bananas or embark on trying loads of different add-ins from chocolate to nut butter. This is an easy recipe, obviously, but one that is absolutely worth making! Pair it with easy gluten-free peanut butter cookies or oat flour peanut butter cookies for that irresistible duo of banana and peanut butter.

Why You'll Love It

I love ice cream, but sometimes when a craving strikes, I don't have any in the fridge (or I don't want to create a potential sugar crash later). Enter homemade banana ice cream. I adore how quickly this ice cream comes together - save your ripe bananas in the freezer so you can make it any time. Here are a few reasons why you'll love this recipe:

• It's so easy to make. Seriously, all you need are bananas! If you don't feel like embarking on anything more complicated, the plain banana ice cream is more than enough to satisfy any sweet tooth. Or, try a little drizzle of chocolate sauce over the top to make it feel even more decadent.
• Naturally sweet. I love that there's no added sugar in this simple ice cream recipe. I don't like to make any "healthy" claims because I'm absolutely not a dietician, but I really love that this banana ice cream relies on the natural sweetness of the fruit and you don't need anything extra.
• Adaptable. As I mentioned, you can add in so many tidbits to banana ice cream, from nut butter to chocolate shavings to berries and more. Check out my suggestions lower down.

Ingredients Needed

You need, well, one ingredient for this one-ingredient ice cream! Make sure to check the recipe card for more tips.

• Bananas - Sweet, ripe bananas are the only ingredient needed for this easy banana ice cream recipe. Bananas may be frozen with their skins on or off, and you can leave them whole or cut them into coins. I usually leave them whole so I can just chuck them in a freezer-safe bag and keep them in the freezer until l need them.

Variation Ideas

As mentioned, here are some of my favorite ways to dress up banana ice cream. You can also use it as the base for a sundae with whipped cream, nuts, and caramel sauce!

• Nut butter - Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter - these are all perfect for whizzing into banana ice cream. Add three tablespoons of your nut butter of choice to the food processor.
• Tahini - Do you love tahini as much as I do? It's also a fantastic addition to banana ice cream. Add 3-4 tablespoons of creamy tahini or to taste for a punch of sesame flavor. You may also wish to add 1 tablespoon of honey.
• Maple syrup - Bump up the sweetness by adding a tablespoon or two or to taste of pure maple syrup.
• Nutella - Yes ... this is a favorite variation. Use as much or as little Nutella as you like (I tend to err on the "more is more" side of things).
• Vanilla - Add 1-2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract to your bananas.
• Dark chocolate - 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• Chocolate - Add chocolate shavings to the blender. Note! I don't like doing chocolate chips because they are too large, though you could try mini chocolate chips. I like to chop up a favorite chocolate bar into fine shards and use those.
• Fruit - Add strawberries, mango, blueberries, and more.
• Spices - A little ground spice like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, or a combination would be lovely.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Yes, this is a simple recipe, but you'll benefit from a few of my banana ice cream-making tips outlined below. Try to give them a quick read before you begin to make the ice cream for the best results.

• Try the variation suggestions outlined above! That's it. That's my first tip.
• Add a splash of water - You may need to add a splash of water or milk or non-dairy milk to the blender if the bananas are pretty frozen and not blending up quickly.
• Defrost them a bit - I like to set my frozen bananas on the counter for about 15 minutes before blending them so that they are not rock hard. It also makes it easier to slice the bananas if I've frozen them whole. Make sure they don't get too soft, though - you want them to be firmly frozen when you add them to the food processor.
• Keep bananas in the freezer - I always have a bag of bananas in the freezer because we don't always eat up our ripe bananas as quickly as I anticipate. Rather than waste them, I pop the whole, unpeeled bananas into a freezer-safe bag and keep them in the freezer for baking and ice cream. You can also peel your bananas or cut them into coins - you do you - but I leave them whole and unpeeled to keep things easy.
• Make sure to cut the bananas - Roughly chop or cut the frozen bananas into pieces before adding them to the blender or food processor.
• Food processor vs. blender: You can use a high-powered blender or food processor to make this banana ice cream. I prefer the food processor because it's strong enough to break down the bananas, and there's plenty of room for the bananas to puree. If you do use a blender, make sure it is strong enough to fully puree the bananas.
• Double the batch - Go ahead and double or even triple your batch of banana ice cream.

Proper Storage

Keep leftover banana ice cream in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 1 week. You can eat it straight from the freezer for a firmer, more scoopable ice cream-like texture, or let it sit out a bit for a more soft serve-like vibe.