Like everyone else, these dog days of summer have me craving cold, creamy ice cream on the daily. Sadly, though, I’d have problems if I indulged everyday (and not just with my bathing suit fit). On top of it, one of my sons is dairy free. So I needed to find a healthy frozen dessert treat to stand in the place of ice cream — at least on some days — stat.
That’s when I discovered this one-ingredient banana ice cream recipe. I know: it’s not really ice cream. But it’s also not really a recipe. It’s way too easy to be called that. So if you ask me, it’s a wash and totally counts because, at the end of the day, this yields a healthy, easy, frozen treat that satisfies. Done and done.
Oh, and by the way, this is a fantastic snack or healthy dessert for early eaters and toddlers too. No cream! No sugar! But still a sweet frozen taste that will feel like a super treat to little ones.
Related: The internet’s favorite two ingredient cookies: Are they worth the hype?
One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream Recipe: What you need
Well, it should be obvious by now: You need bananas, and bananas only. How many will vary depending on the size of your bananas, but one banana will yield about a 1/2 cup of frozen banana pieces, which will puree into a scant 1/2 cup of banana ice cream.
Keep in mind that this ice cream will taste just like the banana(s) you choose, so opt for perfectly ripe fruit. Otherwise, you know that weird slimy texture and chalky taste that underripe bananas have? Your ice cream will have that also. Ick.
Also — this is cheating a little — but I like to make my banana ice cream with two ingredients. For every 1/2 cup of banana pieces, I also use a 1/4 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. I find that the vanilla makes this treat taste a little sweeter and, well, more like real ice cream.
If you want to go even further with your add-in’s, check out this post on how to make banana ice cream in 10 different flavors at Chocolate Covered Katie.
Related: 4 of the very best non-dairy ice creams, taste tested and approved.
One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream Recipe: How to make it
1. Cut banana into 1″ inch thick pieces.
2. Lay the pieces flat on a parchment lined baking sheet that will fit into your freezer. Freeze the banana pieces until they are completely frozen through, at least 2 hours.
3. Throw frozen banana pieces and some pure vanilla extract (optional) into a food processor and blend. Be patient: For a little while it will seem like there’s no way this recipe is going to work and then — suddenly — it happens! You’ll see a smooth, creamy, frozen treat come together into a ball, almost the way dough does, and you’ll know you’re done.
4. Serve immediately. This doesn’t refreeze that well, so you want to make it when you’re ready to eat it. If you want to be able to make this on the spur of the moment, keep frozen banana pieces in a plastic food storage bag in your freezer at all times. I do this anyway since it’s helpful for making smoothie packs too!
