Are you looking for a healthy dessert choice alternative to aid in your New Year’s resolution? I have just the recipe. This easy 1-ingredient Healthy Banana Ice Cream is so creamy and full of natural sweetness. It’s even better topped with a spoonful of peanut butter sauce, crushed peanuts or both. Yum!
So here’s a little back story on this “ice cream.” After getting married many years ago, my husband and I came to the conclusion that we needed to step it up and become a little more healthy. We went out and bought ourselves a nice juicing machine. Thinking this juicer was our key to becoming more healthy, we began juicing everything in sight. Fruits, veggies, and even some garlic, onions, ginger and radishes (all I can say is get a great perfume and some breath mints), everything.
One day we were flipping through the manual one day we saw a few recipes for whole fruit “ice cream” or sorbet, made with frozen fruit. Anything with the words ice cream in it had us hooked. 😉 So, we froze a bunch of bananas and “juiced” them the next day. It was FANTASTIC! Creamy, sweet but still healthy. Even after experimenting with other fruits the plain, slightly brown-spotted bananas made the best ice cream. It has been a win for us ever since.
Get ready for this ingredient lineup… bananas. That’s it! All you need is a bunch of frozen bananas. Toppings like peanut butter or chocolate sauce and chopped peanuts are optional (and recommended from me).
The best bananas for this are the ones that are starting to go brown. These ones are sweet but not over ripe. It make the ice cream perfectly sweet and sooo creamy without tasting over ripe. If you freeze green bananas the ice cream won’t be as sweet or creamy. To freeze, peel the bananas and place in a freezer Ziploc bag. Freeze until hard. I usually freeze them the night before.
When you’re ready, pull the frozen bananas out of the freezer and using your juicer with the attachment that allows everything to pass through the machine (or a Vitamix bender). We have an Omega juicer and love it.
If the bananas are frozen solid (right out of the freezer) they will come out looking and feeling a little “dry.”
If you allow them to thaw for just a few minutes they will come out a bit softer. In the end, the ice cream will end up about the same consistency whether you let the frozen bananas thaw slightly or not.
Once the bananas have been juiced, stir until they become smooth and creamy. It should look something like this.
Scoop the banana ice cream into serving dishes or freeze for later. When we make this, we can’t resist and eat it immediately. I personally like the softened texture compared to completely frozen.
If you’d like to go more healthy with toppings, try heating a scoop of peanut butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds. It will melt the peanut butter enough that you can drizzle it over the banana ice cream.
Top it with some chopped peanuts, grab a spoon and you’re set. BUT…
if you’re ok with a bit of unhealthy, try microwaving 1 tablespoons chocolate with 1 tablespoon cream to make a simple chocolate ganache sauce. The Chocolate compliments the banana so well.
I’m more of a peanut butter lover and my husband is more of a chocolate lover but our little misses would prefer this ice cream Plain Jane style. Any way you have it, it’s sure to satisfy that sweet tooth while staying on the healthier side of things.
Are you looking for healthier alternatives? What’s your favorite healthy sweet treat?
This ice cream is so creamy and full of natural sweetness. It's sure to satisfy your sweet tooth while staying on the healthier side of things.
Ingredients
4 bananas, frozen
peanut butter, optional
chocolate sauce, optional
chopped peanuts, optional
Instructions
Peel ripe bananas and place in freezer ziploc bag. Freeze until hard or overnight.
Using a juicer with an attachment that allows everything to pass through the machine (or a vitamix blender), grind bananas.
Mix banana until smooth and creamy.
Serve or freeze for later.
Notes
Peanut butter sauce- microwave a scoop of peanut butter for 15-30 seconds. Simple Chocolate ganache sauce- microwave 1 Tablespoon chocolate and 1 Tablespoon cream for 15 seconds. Stir until combine.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 servings with PB or Chocolate sauceServing Size: 1 Amount Per Serving:Calories: 181Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 47mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 4gSugar: 20gProtein: 3g
If you’re looking for another great recipe you can make with a juicer like the Omega, check this Carrot Citrus Sunrise Mocktail. It’s healthy and delicious on any morning!
This looks so good! I love that it’s a healthier alternative to your usual ice cream. It’s definitely something that I’ll make for the kids! It’s a nice after school treat.
I make banana nice cream a lot too, and like you I prefer it a little soft serve than totally frozen. Great with fruit like berries and a sprinkle of nuts
I love banana ice cream. I blend the banana first, mix it with the peanutbutter then frozen it until reach the texture of ice cream. Next time when I want to make it I will use your technique.
This looks so good! I love that it’s a healthier alternative to your usual ice cream. It’s definitely something that I’ll make for the kids! It’s a nice after school treat.
Oh I love this. We make banana ice-cream often. My girls freeze all kinds of fruits and make healthy ice cream. This looks so good.
I make banana nice cream a lot too, and like you I prefer it a little soft serve than totally frozen. Great with fruit like berries and a sprinkle of nuts
I have never had banana ice cream. My son loves to order it when we go to Bruster’s. I am going to give this healthy version a try for my boys!
what a great idea! And it looks fantastic! I’d go for peanut butter and peanuts on top for sure. yum, or even some caramel right? yum again.
Love this! I sadly have a food intolerance to bananas but my kids love them and they love ice cream, so I know they’d love this recipe!
Omg I’m in shock that the only ingredient you need is bananas to make the ice cream. Now I want to run out and get a juicer haha.
That would be so good right about now. I have a sweet tooth anyhow, and some banana ice cream would be good right about now.
I love banana ice cream. I blend the banana first, mix it with the peanutbutter then frozen it until reach the texture of ice cream. Next time when I want to make it I will use your technique.
I love the idea of mixing the peanut butter right in. Yum!
This looks so yummy! I don’t really buy ice cream because I’m trying to be healthier but I really want to make my own
Thanks Courteney!
OMG this makes me want a juicer more! I never would have thought to use a juicer to make the ice cream.
It’s pretty sweet! We love our Omega juicer. 🙂
Yumm. I love homemade ice cream. I will be bookmarking this recipe for later on.