Surprisingly creamy and smooth, this strawberry banana ice cream is a delicious dairy-free treat with just 2 ingredients.
2013 is the year I made my first batch of banana ice cream, or nice cream, as some say. OMG, in 2013!!! Like 8 years ago! Whoa, where did the time go?!
Since then I got married and had two babies with absolutely crazy sweet tooth, just like their mama! Couple of years ago, Grant at 3 was in a habit of having an ice cream break after his nap. Obviously, it was becoming a very unhealthy habit, but instead of saying ‘no’ to his favorite time of the day, we made this delicious frozen treat together and had so much fun.
He absolutely enjoyed his bowl of ice cream and I was happy he wasn’t consuming a ton of processed sugar every day.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
There’s a lot to love about this frozen treat, but here’re the highlights:
- Unbelievably creamy texture
- No overly banana flavor (thanks to sweet strawberries!)
- Only 2 ingredients required!
Ingredient Notes:
- Bananas – Make sure to freeze really ripe bananas with black spots. They’re much sweeter when ripe. Peel and slice the banana before freezing.
- Strawberries – I use a bag of frozen strawberries from the store, but you can always freeze fresh strawberries too.
Ratio:
I usually don’t measure the ingredients, but keep in mind different ratios will yield different results.
- More bananas make creamier ice cream.
- More strawberries yield more like sorbet, which is super refreshing!
How to make this nice cream:
Making this ice cream is magical and so easy!
- Simply place frozen strawberries and bananas in a food processor and watch the magic happen!
Tip
Be patient as the fruits will go through different stages. From chunky to crumbly to creamy.
Give it quick stir a few times to help the fruit chunks to move around.
FAQ:
As for equipment you don’t need an ice cream maker. But you do need a good food processor! I use my 14-cup Cuisinart food processor (our wedding gift!)
If you have high-powered blender, like Vitamix, it may work, but regular blender won’t cut it.
If you’re using super ripe banana, which is what you should be using for best result, you won’t need any additional sweetener. Besides, strawberries also add nice sweetness to the ice cream!
Hope you’ll love this creamy and healthy treat. 🙂
Strawberry Banana Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 bananas sliced and frozen Note 1
- 8-10 frozen strawberries Note 2
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Place frozen bananas and strawberries in a food processor.
- Process for 4-5 minutes, or until nice and creamy. It'll take a few minutes to get to creamy consistency, so be patient.
- Stir in pure vanilla extract, if desired.
- Serve it right away as soft serve ice cream, or freeze it in an airtight container for couple hours to firm up. If frozen hard, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes.
Tips & Notes:
– More bananas make creamier ice cream.
– More strawberries yield more like sorbet, which is super refreshing!
Nutrition Facts:
This recipe was originally published on April 19, 2013.
Yvonne says
Yum, yum, and YUM!!
Shinee says
Yay, so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your feedback, Yvonne!
Cherith says
Yes! This came out perfectly smooth and creamy despite no dairy. I’m always trying to find fun and yummy yet healthy treats for my grandkids so this fit the bill perfectly . Thank you!
Shinee says
Yay, so happy you tried and loved it!! My kids absolutely love it too. Thank you for your feedback, Cherith!
Susanna M says
I found this recipe through pinterest and DEAR LORD, I’m in heaven. Perfect for hot summer days and sweet tooth cravings. And the best part is that the recipe is SO simple to make and takes only 5 minutes! – you have no excuse but to try it out.. 😉
Missy Eaton says
I made this but added about a 1/8 of a cup sugar and a tiny bit more vanilla. Very tasty! I’m sure that it’s very yummy and satisfying without the sugar, too.
Shinee says
Thank you, Missy, for your feedback!
Joan Fox says
I made this with and without frozen bananas. I also added some light cool whip. Kept it from freezing so hard.
Shinee says
Yay, so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Joan! Thank you for your feedback and your modifications! 🙂
Anne says
Does it matter if it isn’t a ripe banana? Have a few brown ones frozen that I set aside for banana bread but thought I’d try this for something different
Shinee says
Hi, Anne. I like to use ripe and frozen bananas for this one, because ripe bananas are sweeter. Did you freeze unripe bananas?
Flarrow says
Is it okay if I use fresh fruits instead of frozen fruits and then freeze the cream??
Shinee says
Hi, Flarrow! You’ll have to use frozen fruits to get the creamy texture. Fresh fruits won’t work, as you’ll just get fruit puree.
Rika says
Hi.. Looks like a amazing receipe. Was looking for something that can be made without the ice cream machine .. Definetely going to try this one. Just want to confirm, bananas used are peeled?
Shinee says
Yes, definitely peeled banana. Hope you enjoy, Rika!
Max says
Is it okay to use another fruit like perhaps frozen blueberries or something along those lines instead of strawberries? I’m allergic to strawberries 🙁
Shinee says
I don’t see why you could not, Max. Give it a try, it should be fine. And let me know how it turned out. 🙂
lawheezer says
In your ingredients list I think you mean pure vanilla extract, although pure vanilla ice cream might be fun too!
Shinee says
Oh wow, what was I thinking?! Haha… Thank you so much for pointing it out to me. I really appreciate it. I just corrected it. 🙂