One-Ingredient Banana Nice Cream Recipe (Without An Ice Cream Maker)

Banana nice cream is one of those simple yet magical treats that will make you wonder why you haven’t tried it sooner. It’s made with just one main ingredient—frozen bananas! All you have to do is blend them up in a high-powered blender with a little plant milk, and you’ve got a creamy, dairy-free dessert that’s just as satisfying as ice cream. Plus, it’s completely customizable, so you can make it as sweet or as indulgent as you want.

This frozen banana nice cream is made with one single ingredient, tastes like soft serve ice cream, and is also a great way to use up ripe bananas. You can add in fun mix-ins like vegan chocolate chips, berries, or even peanut butter for a twist on the classic flavor. Whether you’re craving something sweet or looking for a healthy snack, banana nice cream is a perfect go-to option!

If you’re ready to dig in for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even as a late-night snack without the guilt, let’s get started! For even more banana-licious recipes, take a peek at this luscious dairy-free milkshake with chocolate and these super satisfying crumb muffins—perfect for snacking!

Delightful Banana Nice Cream Flavor Variations

The beauty of this recipe is that the bananas form a beautiful base that can be spun in many different directions by adding additional ingredients. Simply by adding some chopped fruit, nut butter, cocoa powder, or extracts, you can make: 

• Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
• Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Peppermint Ice Cream 
• Mango Banana Ice Cream
• Strawberry Banana Ice Cream

…and so much more. This dairy-free ice cream making technique is versatile and you really can’t go wrong! 

Tempting Toppings for Your Nice Cream

Ice cream is always better with toppings, so layer them on! Here are a few of our favorites:

• Vegan Sprinkles (there are several brands that carry really fun vegan sprinkles)
• Chopped Nuts (peanuts, candied pecans, sweet roasted walnuts, etc.)
• Vegan Chocolate Sauce
• Chocolate Chips or Chocolate Shavings
• Coconut Flakes 
• Dried Fruit (raisins, goji berries, mulberries, etc.) 
• Warm Peanut Butter Drizzle
• Strawberry Sauce
• Coconut Whipped Cream
• Aquafaba Whip
• Vegan Honey
• Vegan Nutella
• Crushed Oreos (yes, Oreos are vegan!)

You can serve this vegan ice cream in a bowl (I love using coconut bowls or even better—edible chocolate bowls or these whimsical chocolate fruit cones), in a cup, in a cone, or serve it up smoothie-bowl style! 

How to Make Banana Ice Cream

Making banana nice cream is super easy and totally delicious! Just blend frozen bananas with a splash of plant-based milk for a creamy, dairy-free treat. You can even add your favorite mix-ins, like chocolate chips or berries, to make it extra tasty!

Step 1: Use Super-Ripe Bananas

While any frozen bananas will work for this recipe, your banana ice cream will taste best if you use super-ripe spotty bananas. Bananas can be nearly all brown, and they will still work beautifully in this recipe. The longer bananas ripen, the sweeter they get.

Peel and slice up your ripe bananas and freeze them for at least 24 hours before making your nice cream. I keep frozen bananas in the freezer all the time, so banana soft serve is always just moments away! 

Step 2: Blend in a Food Processor (or High-Powered Blender)

If you have a food processor, use that. A food processor is designed to blend up thicker foods without  much liquid, whereas most blenders demand a lot of liquid to get things moving. You can toss your frozen bananas into your food processor and blend them without any milk, which creates the thickest creamiest banana ice cream! If you’d like to add a splash of milk, or any add-ins (like cocoa powder), just add them into the food processor with the bananas. 

Note: Hold your food processor down with your hand while you’re blending, because at the beginning the frozen banana chunks will fly wildly around. Soon enough, they will get chopped up and become a soft cream. Continue blending until the banana ice cream turns a lighter color, which you’ll see happen quickly. 

If you have a high-powered blender with a tamper, such as a Vitamix, that will work too! Although you will still have an easier time blending if you add a splash of your favorite plant-based milk (soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, etc). 

Finally, Step 3: Serve Up Your Nice Cream!

Once it’s ready, the dairy-free banana ice cream will be a soft serve consistency. It should be thick and velvety smooth without any chunks. Scoop it into a bowl or an ice cream cone, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy immediately! 

Banana ice cream does not store or save well, so lap up every last bit! It’s healthy, so you don’t have to worry about over-indulging. Go back for seconds or thirds guilt-free! The best healthy dessert ever.  

Make This Banana Nice Cream Recipe Into a Milkshake

If you’d prefer to drink your ice cream, you can easily turn this into a sippable vegan milkshake by adding some plant-based milk. Soymilk, handmade almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, flax milk—any type of milk will work, and you just need a bit! The more you add, the less thick your homemade dairy-free milkshake will be. Easy peasy! Peanut butter lovers will adore this dairy-free peanut butter milkshake recipe!