In the process of conducting our blender review, we came upon the challenge of banana ice cream (also called “nice cream”), which can be tricky if you don’t know what you’re doing! Think chunky ice cream, runny ice cream, blender fatigue, and everything in between.
We learned a lot in the process, which we’ve distilled here in this ULTIMATE Guide to Banana Ice Cream, plus 10 easy and delicious flavors to try!
What is Nice Cream?
Banana ice cream, also referred to as “nice cream,” is a super simple, plant-based version of ice cream made with a base of just 1 ingredient: bananas!
It’s typically made in either a blender or food processor depending on the equipment available and your priorities (total time, hands-on time, quantity, etc.). We share the pros and cons of each method below!
Tips for Success
- Use ripe, spotty bananas for best flavor/sweetness
- Peel and slice into 1/2-inch slices instead of large chunks, which can be more difficult to blend
- Freeze in a single layer to prevent large clumps (parchment paper on a baking sheet is our favorite way to prevent sticking to the pan!)
- If you’re having trouble blending, let the banana thaw for a few minutes. This will allow it to soften and become easier to blend. Alternatively, you could add 1 Tbsp (15 ml) at a time of dairy-free milk to encourage blending. But be careful with this method as it’s the fastest way to get runny banana ice cream.
- For true “ice cream” texture vs. soft serve, simply spread into a Tupperware or loaf pan and freeze for 2-3 hours. Then scoop with an ice cream scoop! If too firm, let thaw 15-30 minutes to soften.
Food Processor vs. High-Speed Blender
Using either a food processor or a blender will work for making banana ice cream.
For best texture, we prefer a blender, but for an easier-to-master method, a food processor is the way to go!
Food Processor
- Generally takes a bit longer (5 minutes vs 2-3 minutes in a blender).
- Requires occasional babysitting. Otherwise, relatively hands-off.
- Not quite as smooth — can be a bit more difficult to fully blend and ensure there is no chunkiness.
Blender
- Fast! High-speed blenders (especially a Vitamix) with a tamper can make banana nice cream in 2-3 minutes, or depending on the motor power and skill, even 1 minute!
- Requires babysitting and using the tamper the whole time.
- Can be aggravating to the motor, and can sometimes require stopping for breaks.
- Can make larger quantities.
We’ve had success with both the Vitamix 5200 and Kitchenaid KSB8270FP Pro Line Series. See our full blender review here.
Flavors
The flavor options for banana ice cream are endless! For most flavors, you can simply add the flavors after the bananas have already been turned into “nice cream”:
- Vanilla (1 tsp vanilla extract)
- Green Dream (1 tsp spirulina + 1-2 tsp matcha)
- Chocolate (2 Tbsp cacao or cocoa powder)
- Chocolate Nut Butter (2 Tbsp cacao butter + 2 Tbsp nut butter)
- Peanut Butter (2-3 Tbsp peanut butter or other nut butter or choice)
- Chocolate Tahini (see this recipe)
- Cookie Dough (see this recipe)
But for the following flavors, add the fruit at the same time as the bananas:
- Strawberry (1 cup frozen strawberries)
- Berry (1 cup frozen mixed berries)
- Sea Salt Caramel (4-6 soaked pitted dates + healthy pinch sea salt)
Toppings
If you’ve ever been to an ice cream shop where you get to choose your toppings, you know there are so many different options! The same applies here.
Some of our favorite topping ideas include:
- Sliced fresh fruit (such as kiwi, banana, or berries)
- Cacao nibs
- Nut butter
- Shredded coconut
- Seed cycling mixes
We hope you LOVE this ice cream! It’s:
Creamy
Fluffy
Sweet
Fruity
Refreshing
& Delicious!
It’s perfect any time you’re craving a healthier dessert (or when you need to use up extra bananas)! It would also be fun as a homemade ice cream bar, allowing everyone to customize with different flavors and toppings.
More Banana Dessert Recipes
- Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Pudding
- Vegan Banana Cream Pie
- Raw Vegan Banana Cream Pie
- 5-Minute Raw Banana Split
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Banana Ice Cream (Tips + 10 flavors!)
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups sliced frozen ripe banana (~2 medium-large bananas as recipe is written — adjust amount if adjusting serving size // the riper, the sweeter)
- 1-2 tsp maple syrup or other sweetener of choice (optional)
FLAVOR VARIATIONS
- Vanilla (base recipe + 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- Strawberry (base recipe + 1 cup frozen strawberries, organic when possible)
- Berry (base recipe + 1 cup frozen mixed berries)
- Green Dream (base recipe + 1 tsp spirulina + 1-2 tsp matcha)
- Chocolate (base recipe + 2 Tbsp cacao or cocoa powder)
- Chocolate Nut Butter (base recipe + 2 Tbsp cacao powder + 2 Tbsp nut butter)
- Peanut Butter (base recipe + 2-3 Tbsp peanut butter or other nut butter of choice)
- Chocolate Tahini
- Sea Salt Caramel (4-6 soaked pitted dates + healthy pinch sea salt)
- Cookie Dough
FOR SERVING optional
- Sliced fresh fruit (such as kiwi, banana, or berries)
- Cacao nibs
- Nut butter
- Shredded coconut
- Seed cycling mixes
Instructions
FREEZE BANANAS:
- Be sure to start with ripe and spotty bananas. Peel and slice into 1/2-inch slices for easier blending (large chunks tax the motor). Then add to a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm (3-4 hours or overnight).
FOOD PROCESSOR:
- Add sliced frozen bananas to a food processor fitted with an “S” blade. Then blend for 4-5 minutes or until completely smooth, fluffy, and blended. You’ll need to stop occasionally to stir and scrape the sides. You’ll be left with a soft serve texture. See “FREEZING” below for freezing tips.
HIGH-SPEED BLENDER:
- Add sliced frozen bananas to a high-speed blender, our most recommended model being the Vitamix 5200 for ultimate control and its powerful motor. (The Kitchenaid KSB8270FP Pro Line Series works well, too.) Turn the Vitamix dial to its lowest setting and ensure the switch is flipped to “Variable” NOT “High” to start with. It’s too much to jump the motor from 0-100 that fast.
- Once it’s started blending, quickly switch from “Variable” to “High” speed and use the tamper to press down and stir/agitate the bananas, which should turn into soft-serve texture banana ice cream quite quickly. If the motor seems to be struggling, stop and pause momentarily. Be sure to switch back to low speed / “Variable,” then switch to “High” speed every time to protect the motor.
FLAVORS:
- Adding flavor to your nice cream is easy! For every flavor besides strawberry, berry, or Salted Caramel, simply add the recommended amounts of each ingredient to your ice cream at this time and blend until creamy and smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. If making strawberry or berry, we recommend adding them at the beginning with the unblended bananas for best texture.
FREEZING:
- At this point you have soft-serve texture banana ice cream. To get more of a scoopable ice cream texture, simply spread into a Tupperware or parchment-lined loaf pan and freeze for 2-3 hours. Then scoop with an ice cream scoop! If too firm, let thaw 15-30 minutes to soften.
STORAGE:
- Best when fresh. See freezing instructions above. Frozen banana ice cream should keep for up to 1 month if well covered, though we find it’s best when used within the first week.
Video
Notes
*Prep time does not include slicing and freezing bananas.
Elizabeth says
I made it 3 ways with bargain spotted bananas from the grocery store and Cuisinart food processor and I loved it. I had to add a teaspoon of vanilla plus an extra teaspoon of maple syrup to mask the heavy banana flavor. My favorite was the strawberry. I also made green dream and salted caramel. Thank you for the simple, delicious, clean food recipe!
Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing your variations, Elizabeth! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! xo
Patricia Benison says
This was a huge success!’ Yum!! But what is the best way to store the leftovers without it getting too icy?
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Patricia! It’s best when fresh as it is prone to getting icy once frozen.
Regina Antonio says
I want to try this recipe but I don’t like bananas. If I mix this with fruit (like strawberry or mango), will the taste of banana be detectable?
Hi Regina, the amount of banana flavor depends on how ripe the bananas are, and there will probably always be a bit of a “banana” flavor present. We do have mango sorbet, pineapple sorbet, and raspberry mango coconut sorbet that you might prefer!
Linda says
I personally can’t stand the taste of over-ripe bananas. I freeze them at a state I would prefer to eat them (no brown spots). I find this plenty sweet. I make nice cream a couple times a week in the summer months and I always use non-spotted bananas. I usually mix in vanilla, (unsweetened) peanut butter, and cinnamon. To me, it does not taste very much like banana at that point. Strawberry or another fruit is also good if you want to hide the banana flavor more or make it sweeter.
Sandora says
This is so wonderful! I made it with frozen bananas and frozen raspberries, topped it off with shaved 85% cocoa dark chocolate before serving. So easy, and so good! Thank you!
Oh my! That sounds AMAZING! Thank you for sharing, Sandora! xo
Alexa says
Made the chocolate flavour and it was SO GOOD – I couldn’t resist finishing the entire batch in one sitting :) It was so satisfying to watch the frozen bananas turn into creamy “soft serve”. I’m going to be experimenting with new flavours this summer. Next up: chocolate + cherry, vegan s’mores, and mint-chip :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Alexa! Those flavors all sound amazing! Thank you for sharing! xo
lil chef says
healthy and creamy, its the easiest and best ice cream i ever made!
Woohoo! Thanks for the lovely review!
Sara says
Where are these beautiful wooden measuring spoons from?
We’ve had them a while so can’t remember, but think they’re from Terrain!
Phillip says
Thank you for sharing. This was quite helpful! I’ve been using an emersion blender, I will try my vitamix next time with a larger batch to freeze.
So glad it was helpful, Phillip! Thank you for sharing!
Nicole says
This is so heavenly it’s wild. I’ve been wanting to give this a go for ages and after making the mango sorbet and seeing how easy it is, I finally tried it with the chocolate pb version and it’s amazing. I’ll be trying other flavors soon and would love to see a Mexican chocolate version!
Wonderful! Love that flavor idea, Nicole. Thank you for sharing!
Deanna Johnson says
While the texture is very similar to icecream, it’s just too banana-y for me. I added some pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and cocoa nibs. It tastes fine, it just reminds me of a smoothie bowl or something. I imagine what it would be like to add half-frozen yogurt cubes to half of the frozen banana. It would be nice I think. Thanks though!
Thanks for sharing, Deanna. Using less ripe bananas can help it be less banana-y!
Marti Soler says
Re freezing bananas . . . I have been making banana smoothies for many years. I buy overripe bananas and put them in the freezer as is. I usually pull them apart and take off the labels (because I compost the peels). Then just before using them I take them from the freezer, let them soak in water for 2-5 min (the water temp will determine how fast they thaw) then just cut off one end and squeeze it into the blender. This saves time peeling and cutting them up and keeps them white (if the freezer is cold enough).
Thanks for sharing, Marti!
Pam in Sacramento says
So far, I have made two batches in our Vitamix 5200: a plain banana and banana with cherry and vanilla (using frozen sweet cherries and pure Tahitian vanilla extract). No added sweetener, it was plenty sweet. This is very yummy. We ate it as soft serve. Your instructions to run on low first to get the fruit chopped up before going to high speed is the key to success! We see a lot more banana nice cream in our future! And many flavors! Thank you for excellent instructions.
We’re so glad it works well for you, Pam! And we LOVE the cherry vanilla idea! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Stephanie Gage says
I made this for my kids as a mid morning snack and they thought it was awesome eating “ice cream” before lunch! I made it plain and added honey on top before serving. Two thumbs up from my kids.
Yay! Thanks so much for the great review, Stephanie! So glad you all enjoyed!
Kezia says
Hi! My ice cream turned out a bit icy even though I let it thaw out after being in the freezer. What can I do to ensure smoother consistency?
It is somewhat the nature of banana ice cream. But to avoid this in the future make sure it doesn’t melt at all before freezing, which will form icy crystals. And you can blend in a little maple syrup or vanilla extract (or even date caramel), which don’t freeze and will make the ice cream creamier. Hope that helps!
Leona Chatsko says
I love your banana ice cream recipe. I noticed if I increase it to 4 servings the amount of bananas but not the berries. Is this right or should I double the berries as well?
Leona
Ah good catch! We don’t have a way to change it in the recipe, but yes, double!
Tricia Akins says
Saw your notes on 1/2″ slice for banana’s so it’s easier on blender. Curious if a rough chop or mash would work, as well. Does it change the texture of ice cream if bananas are mashed before freezing?
Hi Tricia, a rough chop should work. We think mashing might still be hard on the blender.
♥ Dana & James ♥ says
YUM! Probably our 100’th batch by now. Thank so much Minimalist Baker!
— ♥ Dana & James ♥
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Jocelyn says
This was fantastic. Made just Banana with a little agave for our first batch. Amazing. So easy in the Vitamix.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jocelyn! Thanks so much for sharing!
Matija says
Your tips are amazing! The choc. version is amazing! I would just like to add that if you do not have Vitamix or something from that category, use food processor. My blender is amazing (Moulinex Masterchef 8000), but still needs liquid and is simply not meant for this stuff.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it and found the tips helpful! Thanks for sharing, Matija!
Michelle says
Love this! I used cocoa powder along w strawberries. Turned out amazing! Trying the salted caramel next.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Michelle! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Eden Marie Blumenauer says
Thank You Dana! Mind blown! I had been making this with almond milk and PB and could never get the right consistency. This was perfect and was the nice cream of my dreams!
Whoop! We’re so glad it turned out well, Eden! xo
Jess says
Thank you so much for posting this! I can no longer eat dairy and ice cream is the thing I miss the most. The sea salt caramel turned out pretty well. My food processor isn’t amazing so I would recommend chopping the dates as tiny as possible if you’re in the same boat as me.
Thanks for sharing, Jess! If the dates are soaked they *should* blend easily, but yes, chopping also helps!
Carly says
Delicious! Be sure to use the tamper if using the blender. I added vanilla AND peanut butter! Delicious!
Agreed – the tamper is key! Thanks for sharing, Carly.
Danielle says
We love nice cream!🤩 We do “Chuncky Monkey” with roasted almonds, dark chocolate chuncks, and toasted coconut flakes. 😋 Super yummy! Or we add browney chuncks and marshmallow fluff, naughty “nice” cream🤭. 5hank you for the 💡!
WHOA sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Jennifer says
So yummy! I’ve made this twice (chocolate flavored, with no coffee powder) and it always turns out creamy (soft serve texture) and delicious. I can’t wait to try some of the other recipes (looking forward to trying the peanut butter one and salted caramel)! Such a yummy indulgent (yet guilt-free) treat!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Jennifer! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Ciara says
So easy and delicious! Before adding flavor, I set some aside with a dollop of peanut butter to make a tasty dog treat for my pup’s birthday! We both loved it!
Lovely! Tanks for sharing, Ciara!
Shuan says
Thanks for sharing this great recipe. Do you know how the texture is after the ice cream has been frozen? Is it going to be real hard? And how many ounces in 2 servings? Thanks a lot.
It’s actually quite good but we enjoy it fresh! I’m not sure on ounces!
Alyssa says
I’ve never made nice cream because I didn’t know it could be done in a food processor. Tried it today with strawberry and it was amaze :) ty!!!!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Alyssa!
Laura De León says
This is an absolutely wonderful recipe. I have an old blender and it was really hard to get it to turn. I ended up putting in a tiny bit of almond milk, just enough to get the blades moving. A little squeeze of chocolate syrup and a bit of liquid Stevia was all it needed. Taste like the food of the Gods! Absolutely perfect! I brought a small bowl directly to my hubby who was working hard in the garage. One taste and his eyes almost came out of his head. “That’s delicious honey!“ Healthy! Easy! Delicious! What more can you ask for? THANK YOU! 💕
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Laura!
Sandra Vera says
Delciosousness like you say!! =)
I’m big fan of you and cook many of your recipes.
I have a question, how do you do to keep your Vitamix jar like new?
It would be a good tip for me, sometimes mine is is yellow or green dependidng what my food color is. LOL
Have a lovley day!
Sandra V from Medellín – Colombia
I hand wash and hand dry it as soon as I use it! xoxooo
Andrea says
This is so easy especially in a Vitamix blender. It is so good and refreshing. I made plain banana. I added maple syrup when blending and a tiny bit of plant milk. The bananas were very ripe when frozen so they had a strong flavor. Next time I’ll freeze the bananas less ripe. We added a little brown sugar which helped the strong banana flavor.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing!!
Rileigh says
AMAZING!!!!! I just made a batch of the chocolate peanut butter. We tried it soft-serve style before putting it back in the freezer for the final firm-up – absolutely delicious! I probably used closer to 3 cups of bananas, so I increased the maple syrup to 1 tbsp and used 3 tbsp of peanut butter and 2 tbsp of cocoa powder. I also added a pinch of sea salt – it’s perfect! Thanks so much!!! :)
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Rileigh!
Rosanne says
What kind of Matcha do you recommend, and where do you get it?
See this post!
Tracy Wright says
Could I master this in a Nutri Bullet? Thanks
You can try but since there’s no tamper it’s hard to get the texture right. It takes practice and patience!
sherry says
i make this sort of ‘nice cream’ quite often. i have made it with all sorts of fruit like strawberries and raspberries, and of course bananas. it’s brilliant isn’t it? i add an egg white and a bit of sugar to the berry versions tho.
cheers
sherry
Thanks for sharing, Sherry!
Shelley Noble says
Fantastic! Will try as soon as bananas go ripe. Love the clarity of instruction and the ability to select number of servings to get recipe amounts.
Who are you angels??
ha! Thanks, Shelley. Hope you love it!
Elizabeth says
I love this website! Minimal ingredients for recipes that are healthy, unique and tasty. I appreciate your efforts!
xoxo!
Marti Glenn says
Love. Love this banana “cream”… so easy to make and delicious! I always go for your recipes first and I LOVE when you show up in my “in box!” Thank you for all your delicious, down to earth, easy to create recipes. I make one almost every day!!
xoxo! Thanks, Marti!
Fawsiya says
Yum yum yum, just want you need at the end of a long day
xo!
Frank says
Chocolate peanut butter is my favourite. I use plant based chocolate protein powder, banana (of course), oat milk, a half an avocado, and a 1 1/2 tablespoons of peanut butter at the very end. I like to put the peanut butter in at the last moment so it only gets a few seconds in the food processor. Instead of having peanut butter blended throughout you get little clumps spread around in the nice cream. In one serving I get around 25-30g of protein, healthy fats, and tons of vitamins.
Yum! Thanks for sharing, Frank!
Aubrey says
If adding cinnamon, how much should I add?
Maybe 1/2 – 1 tsp? Let us know how it goes!