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This Healthy Banana Ice Cream Recipe, also known as nice cream, features a base of just two simple ingredients and four different flavor options. An ice cream lover’s dream come true, it’s rich, creamy, and so delicious!
Quick and easy to make, this recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, egg-free, Paleo, and vegan!
What Is Banana Ice Cream?
Banana ice cream, or nice cream, is a dessert made from frozen bananas! They’re blended up with a bit of liquid (we recommend almond milk) that turns into a creamy and sweet soft-serve-like puree. It’s often called nice cream because it’s a healthier or “nicer” version of ice cream.
Don’t be fooled by the description of it being healthy, though. This nice cream recipe is sinfully delicious! With vanilla, strawberry, peanut butter, and chocolate flavors, my family and I are completely hooked on this sweet treat!
I love that it’s refined sugar-free and my kids think it’s real ice cream. Plus, unlike regular homemade ice cream, it comes together in minutes and is super easy to make! Enjoy it on its own, use it in a sundae, or scoop it into a cone. No matter how you serve your favorite flavor, it’s sure to become a warm-weather staple in your home
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
*Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient list!
- Frozen Bananas: We have found that ripe bananas with just a few brown speckles on the yellow peel to be perfect ones for this recipe. If your bananas aren’t ripe, the banana ice cream won’t be sweet. And if they’re overly ripe, they’ll give the nice cream a funny flavor. Stick to perfectly ripe bananas for this!
- Dairy-Free Milk: We recommend using almond milk, but coconut milk will also work.
- Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract to infuse your dessert with a rich vanilla taste.
- Salt: Trust me on this! Just a pinch helps enhance the rest of the ingredients.
Ripen your bananas
If you find that your bananas are a little too green, place them in a brown paper bag. Then, let them rest at room temperature for a day or two, and they’ll speckle right up!
Flavor Variations
The flavor variations below start with the same base as our vanilla banana ice cream recipe. However, we omit the vanilla and incorporate extra mix-ins to replicate classic ice cream flavors. Here’s what you’ll need for each option:
Strawberry
- Frozen Bananas
- Strawberries: Use frozen strawberries for a strong strawberry flavor and a super creamy consistency.
- Salt
- Almond Milk or Coconut Milk
Peanut Butter
- Frozen Bananas
- Peanut Butter: Use your favorite variety of creamy peanut butter. Alternatively, swap that out for any nut butter you prefer.
- Salt
- Almond Milk or Coconut Milk
Chocolate
- Frozen Bananas
- Cocoa Powder: Use a high-quality cocoa powder for the best chocolatey flavor.
- Maple Syrup: My natural sweetener of choice to balance some of the bitterness of the cocoa. If you don’t have maple syrup, honey will also work.
- Salt
Switch up the flavor
We kept the flavor combinations fairly simple, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative! Feel free to experiment with any mix-ins you like best. Some great additions include:
- Frozen Fruit (blueberries, raspberries, etc)
- Any Nut Butter (almond butter, tahini, etc)
- Broken-Up Cookie Pieces (chocolate chip cookies, Oreos, etc.)
- Extracts (mint, almond, etc)
- Chocolate Chips
- Shredded Coconut and Coconut Milk
- Instant Coffee
- Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, etc)
- Granola
How to Make a Basic Healthy Banana Ice Cream Recipe
- Blend the ingredients: Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor. Process until the nice cream is completely smooth and airy similar to soft serve consistency.
- Freeze: Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan or a freezer-safe container, and freeze for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Serve: Let your banana ice cream sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes or until it’s soft enough to scoop. Then, serve, and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Skip the chilling time, and enjoy your nice cream right away once all the ingredients are blended!
- Freeze your bananas for at least 2 hours before blending the ingredients. You can freeze the bananas whole or sliced. Slicing them will allow the banana to freeze faster, but it can also promote oxidation and turn the bananas brown. So, if you are using sliced bananas, be sure to place them in a bag or container.
- Scrape down the sides of the food processor or blender as needed to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add more plant-based milk as needed until a smooth, creamy consistency forms.
Serving Suggestions
Feel free to serve your banana ice cream recipe in a bowl. Or, enjoy it in cones, sundaes, over brownies, or even with cookies! Then, if you really want to treat yourself, try adding toppings like:
- Nut Butter
- Chopped Chocolate
- Dye-Free Sprinkles
- Chocolate Ganache
- Shredded Coconut
- Granola
Watch the video here:
FAQs
Store banana ice cream in a covered container. Technically this can be kept frozen for up to 2 months, but we recommend you eat it as soon as possible. When it comes to nice cream, the fresher the better!
On its own, this recipe has a fairly strong banana taste. However, it takes on the flavor of whatever mix-ins you include, meaning the banana flavor is very mild.
Yes! Unlike traditional ice cream, this recipe is low-fat, free from preservatives, and sweetened with natural sugars. Plus, thanks to the bananas, it’s a good source of vitamins and minerals like potassium!
More Better-For-You Desserts to Try
- Protein Fudgsicles
- Chia Honey Lime Fruit Salad
- 2-Ingredient Strawberry Fruit Leather
- Healthy Chocolate Hummus Dip
- Super Easy Frozen Yogurt Bark
- Greek Yogurt Popsicles
Healthy Nice Cream
Ingredients
Nice Cream Base:
- 3 large bananas about 12 ounces, sliced and frozen at least 2 hours
- 2-4 tablespoons almond milk or coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- pinch of salt
Strawberry Nice Cream:
- 2 large bananas about 8 ounces, sliced and frozen at least 2 hours
- 8 ounces frozen strawberries
- Pinch salt
- 2-4 tablespoons almond milk or coconut milk
Peanut Butter Nice Cream:
- 3 large bananas about 12 ounces, sliced and frozen at least 2 hours
- ⅓ cup peanut butter
- Pinch salt
- 2-4 tablespoons almond milk or coconut milk
Chocolate Nice Cream:
- 3 large bananas about 12 ounces, sliced and frozen at least 2 hours
- ¼ cup dutch cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender. Process until the nice cream is completely smooth and airy, stopping as needed to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in more liquid if needed.3 large bananas, 2-4 tablespoons almond milk or coconut milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, pinch of salt
- Transfer nice cream to a loaf pan or other freezer-safe storage container and freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Let the nice cream sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, or until scoopable. The time needed to let sit will depend on how warm your home is!
- Scoop and serve as is, or with desired toppings.
Notes
- The nutrition information is for plain banana ice cream and does not include add-ins or toppings.
- Bananas should be frozen for at least two hours, or longer. If you are freezing the bananas for more than two hours, make sure to place in a container or bag to prevent the bananas from turning brown.
- Store banana ice cream in a covered container. Technically this can be kept frozen for up to 2 months, but we recommend you eat it as soon as possible. When it comes to nice cream, the fresher the better!
I’ve made 6 flavors so far: Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Ginger, Coconut, Pumpkin Spice and Tahini. The chocolate comes out the creamiest and is my favorite for taste with Peanut Butter a close second. The Tahini is amazing! Ginger was a little “too spicy” according to my friend, maybe I overdid the powdered ginger and could have used only diced candied ginger. Coconut and Pumpkin Spice were both very mild with a strong banana flavor. Haven’t tried using fruit or chocolate chips yet and plan to keep experimenting, it’s so much fun.
I ate it too fast to snap a pic. I sprinkled in some pumpkin spice and topped with grated caramel salted dark chocolate Yum!
If using peppermint extract…how much should I add?
I think about 1/4 teaspoon – 1/2 teaspoon depending on how minty you want it!
I hate banana flavor. Is there anything else I can use instead?
Sorry, the main ingredient in this recipe is banana, and there is no substitute.
Hi! I’m just double checking about the cocoa banana recipe, so no almond milk goes into that one? Thanks in advance!
Hi Courtney! That’s correct. The maple syrup gives it what it needs to come out smooth and creamy. If you do need to add in a tablespoon of almond milk though to get it creamy, that’s fine to do!
Delicious! Perfect consistancy
I made this nice cream in two flavors: chocolate peanut butter and strawberry. I’ve tried many other banana nice cream recipes and NONE compare to this one!! By far the most creamy and best tasting nice cream I’ve made, thanks to this recipe!!
YAY! So happy to hear!
Thank you guys so much for featuring this! Dairy free and no ice cream maker needed? A woman’s dream! Would it be ok to freeze the bananas DAYS in advance, or is it better to keep it at the shorter time period?