Frequently asked questions
When you’ve got ripe bananas, this is one of the best ways to use them! It’s a fun recipe for kids that doubles as a grown up treat (especially with mix-ins). Our whole family loves this simple and wholesome banana ice cream recipe, and we hope you will too. Can it truly be as good as it sounds? We thought we’d put it to the test. Turns out, it actually comes out sweet, frosty, and creamy! Here’s how to make banana ice cream:
Start with very ripe bananas. The browner the better! Avoid perfectly yellow bananas: the ice cream won’t be sweet enough. Slice the bananas into 1/2-inch rounds, then freeze for 2 hours. Place them on a baking sheet so they don’t freeze into a solid block. Use a food processor (or high speed blender) to blend until smooth. We like a food processor because it’s easier to blend and comes together quickly: it takes about 1 minute. A high speed blender works but takes longer, and you’ll have to stop and scrape down the bowl more often. For hard ice cream texture, freeze for 2 hours. You can eat it right away for soft serve texture, and depending on your bananas it might be fairly thick right away. It’s easier to form into scoops after freezing (this is called “ripening”).
Blending can take a while: be patient. It will take several minutes to bring the frozen bananas to an ice cream-like texture. It’s helpful to add 1 tablespoon milk of choice, which makes it easier to blend. Taste and adjust flavors as necessary. If you’d like, you can add a little sugar or honey to make it slightly sweeter. Freezing overnight makes it become very hard and icy. The texture becomes like a block of ice. It’s best served the day it’s made. If too hard, allow to sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. This applies to when you’ve stored it for a few hours in the freezer.
Chocolate banana: Add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and additional honey, maple syrup or sugar to taste if necessary Peanut butter banana: Add 2 tablespoons peanut butter to the base, or swirl it in Chocolate chips or chunks: Add 1 handful chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, or chocolate chunks Chocolate ribbon: Stir in a half recipe of the chocolate from this Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream Nutella: Swirl in a spoonful of Nutella Cookie dough: Add small balls of dough from this Cookie Dough Ice Cream
What else would you add to this banana ice cream recipe? We would love to know your suggestions.
Make classic Chocolate Ice Cream, Strawberry Ice Cream, or Vanilla Ice Cream Try classic Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream or Coffee Ice Cream Get fancy with Rocky Road Ice Cream, Vanilla Ice Cream, Cookie Dough Ice Cream, or Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Skip the dairy with Vegan Ice Cream
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