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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » 10 Minute Recipes

    Banana Nice Cream

    Published: Sep 5, 2019 · Modified: Sep 14, 2021 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 62 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe
    Diet: Gluten Free / Low Fat / Vegan

    When those ice cream cravings hit, but you want something a bit lighter, why not blend up a frozen banana and make yourself some Banana Nice Cream. A lower in calorie and fat alternative to ice cream, which kids love too. So many different ways to flavour it and the topping choices are almost endless. This frozen dessert can be ready in just 2 minutes.

    Banana Nice Cream in a serving dish with a banana and spoon.

    Nice cream just sounds so, well, nice, doesn't it? It implies that ice cream isn't nice, which is of course it is, but if you are looking for a lower in fat and calories alternative then this frozen treat is nicer. This is also raw, vegan, gluten free, dairy free and with no added sugar.

    It is basically a frozen banana that has been blended up to have an ice cream consistency. Yes, really! It's a great way to use up bananas that are going a bit brown, as super ripe bananas are best for this recipe.

    Jump to:
    • Why you will love it
    • Ingredients needed
    • Step by step
    • Health benefits of bananas
    • Flavour options
    • Toppings
    • FAQs
    • Extra tips
    • More dessert recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why you will love it

    • Just 133 calories for a big bowl
    • Lower in fat than ice cream
    • Lots of different ways to flavour it
    • Vegan
    • Kids love it

    Ingredients needed

    • Bananas - You need frozen bananas for this recipe. We always keep bananas in the freezer to use in either this, smoothies or our 5 minute healthy frozen yogurt. Make sure the bananas you freeze are really ripe.
    • Cocoa powder - This is optional, if you want to make chocolate nice cream.

    A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

    Step by step

    One: Put the frozen bananas in a food processor and blend for 2 minutes until an ice cream consistency. You will need to stop the food processor a couple of times to scrape the sides down and carry on blending. It will look like crumbs to begin with, but keep going as it will start to get creamy. If your blender is really having trouble with the frozen bananas, add a little milk to help it.
    Two: Serve in glasses topped with chocolate chips and coconut (or toppings of choice).

    Two shot collage of chopped bananas on a plate and then in a blender with some cocoa powder.

    Health benefits of bananas

    Bananas are a great source of potassium, vitamin B6, fibre and carbohydrate, and some vitamin C too. They do have a lower water content than most fruit, so bananas typically have more calories as well as a higher sugar content compared to other non-tropical fruits. But, this is still a lighter version of ice cream.

    Bananas full of potassium, which is one of the most important electrolytes in the body, helping to regulate heart function as well as fluid balance. It is a key factor in regulating blood pressure. 

    Flavour options

    First I blended just a banana, to keep it simple and then I took it one step further. Oh yes - I live on the edge! I added cocoa powder and made chocolate ice cream. SO GOOD! The list is almost endless of the things you can add to make different flavours.

    Some of the other ingredients we like to add instead of cocoa powder include frozen strawberries or cherries to make a berry ice cream, peanut butter to make a nutty ice cream or vanilla extract for something subtle. You could even add some orange zest to this chocolate version.

    Basically, think of all your favourite ice cream flavours and you can probably recreate them with nice cream. Love mint choc chip? Mix in some peppermint extract and chocolate chips. Cookies and cream your favourite? Crush up an Oreo or two and stir it in.

    Chocolate nice cream in a serving bowl.

    Toppings

    Ice cream is all about the toppings isn't it? We added some dark chocolate chips and coconut flakes, but you can go really crazy here. Kids love this recipe anyway (it is tried and tested on many, many kids), but what they will really love is adding the toppings themselves. Sprinkle, sauces, chopped nuts, chunks of fruit, anything goes here.

    Banana Nice Cream topped with coconut and chocolate chips.

    FAQs

    What if I don't like bananas?

    If you don't like banana, then this isn't really for you because it does still have a banana flavour. But the creaminess of banana lends itself really well to an ice cream alternative when it is frozen. 

    Is banana nice cream vegan?

    Yes, this is naturally vegan. Just be mindful of what you mix in to it or what you add as toppings. If you want going to sweeten it, don't use honey if you want to keep this vegan.

    How to store banana nice cream

    If you don't want to have to blend up the bananas every time you want some of this, you could make a big batch and then keep it in the freezer like you would regular ice cream. You would need to let it soften a big before serving though.
    Eating this straight from the blender it has a soft serve consistency. If you want a more solid ice cream, then put it in the freezer for about 30 minutes to an hour and it will be more scoop-able.

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    Extra tips

    • You want to use really ripe bananas for this, so it's a great way to use bananas that are going a bit brown.
    • You will be a high powered food processor to make this. You might also need to scrape down the sides a couple of times. If your blender is really struggling with this, add a little milk to make it easier to blend.
    • To make this nice cream taste even more like ice cream a little more indulgent, it needs some fat blending in to it like nut butter or coconut milk.
    • You can make a big batch of this and then put it back in the freezer. It will need softening a little again before serving.
    • Make sure you chop the bananas up before freezing them, as this will make it easier to blend them.
    • If you eat the nice cream right away, it will be like soft serve. However, you can put it back in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden it a little and make it scoop-able.

    More dessert recipes

    • Frozen Yogurt Bark
    • Healthy Flapjacks
    • Healthy Apple Pie
    • Bakewell Pudding

    If you’ve tried this banana nice cream recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    Recipe

    A serving glass full of banana nice cream.

    Healthy Chocolate Nice Cream

    We have a Healthy Chocolate Nice Cream recipe for you that will fix your ice cream cravings, but is low in calories and fat too.
    A circular logo saying GF.
    Gluten Free
    the words low fat in a white circle.
    Low Fat
    An illustration of a v-shaped plant in a pot.
    Vegan
    5 from 41 votes
    Author: Dannii
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: British, Italian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Freezing time: 4 hours
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 133kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 Banana - peeled and cut into slices that have been frozen for at least 4 hours
    • 2 tablespoon Cocoa powder - (unsweetened)

    Instructions

    • Put the frozen banana slices into a food processor with the cocoa powder.
    • Blend until it forms a creamy ice cream consistency. (see notes below)

    Notes

    You will need to stop the food processor a few times to scrape down the sides and start blending again, but it will start to form ice cream after a few minutes.
    Here are some things you should try adding (maybe not all at the same time though):
    • Nut butter (homemade peanut butter is my favourite)
    • Vanilla
    • Other frozen fruits (strawberries or pineapple work well)
    • A tiny bit of orange juice, or orange zest
    • Chilli flakes (yes, chilli flakes! Chilli chocolate is amazing!)

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1portion | Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 569mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 16.5mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1.1mg
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Julie @ Running in a Skirt

      July 24, 2016 at 3:05 pm

      5 stars
      How delish!! What a great way to get ice cream without all the fat!

      Reply
    2. Amy Deverson

      July 24, 2016 at 12:40 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness I am DEFINITELY making these!! They look amazing and so quick too.

      Reply
    3. Tandy | Lavender and Lime

      July 24, 2016 at 6:25 am

      This is a great treat when you are watching what you are eating

      Reply
    4. WhatLauraLoves

      July 23, 2016 at 10:28 pm

      5 stars
      I absolutely LOVE making banana ice cream. Will try with the cocoa powder as I tried using hot chocolate and it didnt really work for me- thanks for the tip xxx

      Reply
    5. Sarah, Maison Cupcake

      July 23, 2016 at 5:04 pm

      Gotta love frozen bananas. I can't freeze them fast enough!!

      Reply
    6. Kari @ bite-sized thoughts

      July 23, 2016 at 10:29 am

      5 stars
      I'm glad you enjoyed the heat! I grew up with frozen banana ice cream (my Mum used to make it for us) and since going vegan it's been a regular staple of my summer times - I love how versatile it is. Chocolate is always a classic :)

      Reply
    7. Claire

      July 23, 2016 at 10:26 am

      5 stars
      Yum! Frozen bananas are such a godsend, aren't they?

      Reply
    8. Jo Wiggins

      July 23, 2016 at 6:49 am

      Oh my goodness! This looks amazing! I'll definitely be giving this a try X

      Reply
    9. Kelly

      July 23, 2016 at 4:45 am

      5 stars
      So glad you guys took the time out to enjoy the day. Ice cream is the perfect reward especially when it's healthy! It's been so hot here we can't get enough of banana ice cream too :) Love that you added chocolate!

      Reply
    10. Lara

      July 22, 2016 at 10:59 pm

      5 stars
      Ice cream is my biggest weakness, and I can eat too much of it too. My daughter is allergic to banana though, but would this work with another fruit?

      Reply
    11. Carol

      July 22, 2016 at 10:58 pm

      5 stars
      I wish I had bananas in the freezer to make this, but I will be making some tomorrow. Great idea Dannii!

      Reply
    12. Mary

      July 22, 2016 at 10:06 pm

      5 stars
      Sounds like the perfect way to enjoy the sunny days we've had this week! I really, really miss living by the beach now that we live in Northamptonshire. Chips and ice cream are always a must when you head to the seaside! :)

      Reply
    13. Jess

      July 22, 2016 at 10:00 pm

      5 stars
      Gotta love a day out in Blackpool, your fish & chips look amazing! I love banana "ice cream", totally agree that it doesn't even taste of banana really :)

      Reply
    14. Rhian Westbury

      July 22, 2016 at 9:27 pm

      Wow so simple to make, I always forget how banana's can be used for ice cream and things like this. They look amazing x

      Reply
    15. Molly Kumar

      July 22, 2016 at 7:57 pm

      I love that you made it so healthy yet simple. I'm always ready for 2 mins chocolate ice -creams :)

      Reply
    16. swayam

      July 22, 2016 at 7:54 pm

      5 stars
      wow!! You sure had a good day. And seriously frozen banana and chocolate icecream?? Say that again pls!! LOVE it. My 4 yr old would love this so much.. Hope to make it real soon :)

      Reply
    17. Karina

      July 22, 2016 at 7:47 pm

      Ah the simple pleasures are the best, love ur down to earth approach to living, good job guys!

      Reply
    18. Matt @ Plating Pixels

      July 22, 2016 at 7:34 pm

      I've made a similar healthy pudding. Love that you can have sweet but natural and healthy foods!

      Reply
    19. Suchi @elegantmeraki

      July 22, 2016 at 7:19 pm

      OMG!!! Healthy ice cream!!! is that even possible looks like it is after all... Love it! Bookmarking it.

      Reply
    20. J @Blessherheartyall

      July 22, 2016 at 6:27 pm

      5 stars
      Okay, so chocolate ice cream is always a win, but then it's 2 minutes... and then you have me sold!

      Reply
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    My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.
    Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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