Dairy-free One-Ingredient Ice Cream (No churn)

Have you seen that commercial for Yonanas? A banana ice cream maker. Well, guess what? You don’t need a $50 machine to make banana ice cream. Oh wait. You do need a machine that might cost around $50, but it is one you probably already have (and can use for much more than making banana ice cream). A food processor. Or a blender (though I haven’t tested this method).

All you really need is bananas and a food processor. That’s it. Throw bananas – previously frozen ones – in your processor and blend away. Enjoy.

But I like to kick it up a notch. There are tons of banana ice cream recipes out there. I didn’t create banana ice cream (though I do wonder who was the first to do this). So I'm sharing a few of the different ways I've made banana ice cream.

Really though, it’s more of a soft serve. Tomato, tomahto.

Banana soft serve (Dairy-free One-Ingredient Ice Cream)
Printable recipe 

Prep:

Freeze chunks of bananas. I break the banana into chunks with my hand, but you can cut them up if you wish. Do this when your bananas are ripe, but not to the point of banana bread ripe. They are good to have on hand for smoothies and this ice cream.

What you need:

Bananas, frozen

Coconut milk, optional (or milk of choice)

Sweetener, optional

Optional additions

To make:

Add frozen banana chunks to your food processor. Add a splash of milk if needed to assist with blending. Add sweetener if desired. Slowly pulse few seconds to break bananas up. Increase speed until bananas reach a creamy consistency. If too soft, stick it back in the freezer until slightly firm. Scoop in a bowl and add toppings like coconut flakes, chopped nuts, or chocolate drizzle.

Notes: Sweetener is not usually necessary, but if you like it sweeter, go for it. I sometimes add maple syrup just for the added flavor. You don’t need the milk unless you have trouble blending the bananas, but I like the extra creaminess coconut milk gives. 

If you don't have a food processor or blender and you don't want to miss out on this, put your frozen bananas in a bowl and let it sit out to defrost slightly. Then mash them with a fork or potato masher (do other people still use those?) adding milk as necessary. Then stir, stir, stir. It won't be as creamy, but will taste just as good. 

Check out my new Pumpkin version HERE. It's delicious!

Additions/Variations

Cinnamon: Just add cinnamon. Cinnamon is good for you and tastes good. I add it every time.

Blueberry vanilla: Add a ¼ cup or more frozen blueberries and 1 tsp of vanilla extract (or scrape a vanilla bean)

Chocolate: (not AIP) Add 1-2 tbsp of cocoa powder (or raw cacao powder)

Mint chocolate chip: (not AIP) Add a handful of mint leaves or 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of mint extract. After blending, mix in chocolate chips.

These are just the few ways I have experimented with banana ice cream/soft serve. You can add whatever you want. Experiment and find your own favorite. Mine, so far, is the mint. Instead of chocolate chips though, I just added a tbsp of cocoa powder.

You may never buy ice cream again (okay, you probably will, but this is a good alternative).

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