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Simple Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

August 8, 2012 by KimiHarris 28 Comments

Thanks for stopping by! If you're interested in healthy eating check out my free gifts! and subscribe to get regular email updates. *Some links may be affiliate.*
Thanks for stopping by! If you're interested in healthy eating check out my free gifts! and subscribe to get regular email updates. *Some links may be affiliate.*

This simple recipe uses bananas as the base, sweetener, and creamy component to homemade ice cream, and you don’t even need an ice cream maker!  I added chocolate and a spoonful of vanilla extract for an especially lovely treat. But you can literally make it a one ingredient ice cream by simply using bananas. It doesn’t get more simple then that! And it really is yummy! Sweet and creamy, you’d never guess how simple it was to make.

Because it is such a simple method (basically blending frozen bananas), it is easy to experiment with different ingredients. Why not make a strawberry banana version, or add peanut butter to the chocolate version? I can see this going a lot of different ways.

Sometimes you want something sweet, but you don’t want to eat something store-bought (and unhealthy), but also don’t want to put a lot of work into it. Well, it is easy to throw this together, you just need to make sure you have frozen bananas on hand.

Speaking of which, you should make sure you freeze them in their prime ripeness; Not when they are overly ripe, not when they have any green left on them. It makes a difference, believe me.

The other great thing about this method is that it works well for GAPS. For earlier stages, you can just make it with plain bananas (which is still quite tasty!). But cocoa powder is allowed on the full diet, as long as you tolerate it well.

Finally, I did make a board for Simple Healthy Food on my Pinterest page, as I mentioned I might in my post sharing my simple menu plan. You are welcome, as always, to re-pin any ideas you like from here and spread the word about simple, yet nourishing food. And, I couldn’t resist making a pinterest friendly photo. Pinterest readers, let me know what you think of the below format.

Simple Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
3 frozen, peeled ripe bananas
2 tablespoons of high quality cocoa powder (full-fat is recommended)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Milk of choice, if needed, to help with the blending process

1. In a food processor or powerful blender, blend the bananas, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract, until smooth. If needed, drizzle in milk of choice to make a creamy texture. Don’t add too much however, or it will turn into a thick smoothie. If your bananas weren’t very sweet for whatever reason, you can add a little sweetener.

2. Serve right away for a soft serve texture. Or place in a lidded container and freeze for an hour or two (not more) to harden.

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KimiHarris

I love beautiful and simple food that is nourishing to the body and the soul. I wrote Fresh: Nourishing Salads for All Seasons and Ladled: Nourishing Soups for All Seasons as another outlet of sharing this love of mine. I also love sharing practical tips on how to make a real food diet work on a real life budget. Find me online elsewhere by clicking on the icons below!

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Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Previous Post: « My simple menu of the week
Next Post: Pennywise Platter Thursday 8/9 »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. caroline

    August 8, 2012 at 10:22 pm

    Yum! love the simplicity!

    Reply
  2. Tori

    August 8, 2012 at 11:03 pm

    I heard this when I saw something on Nirrimi’s page. So I bought banana’s yesterday, shall try to make whenever the banana’s are ripe.

    Reply
  3. Erin@TheHumbledHomemaker

    August 9, 2012 at 5:41 am

    This looks absolutely delicious–and so easy! I found some bananas on clearance last night, so I might have to try this today!!

    Reply
  4. Susan

    August 9, 2012 at 12:27 pm

    Sounds super yummy!! Can’t wait to try it! :O)

    Reply
  5. Jaime

    August 9, 2012 at 12:33 pm

    We’ll give this a try today! My boys are going to love it – so I’ll forward on their thanks 🙂

    Reply
  6. Lisa

    August 9, 2012 at 12:38 pm

    And there is a cool machine relatively inexpensive that you put the very ripe frozen bananas into and it comes out super creamy…it is awesome! We like to add raw walnuts and some dark chocolate chunks that are dairy free for a special treat.

    Reply
  7. Venetia

    August 9, 2012 at 12:55 pm

    … or try frozen bananas. Great when you are tired. Let your fruit ripen and then peel the bananas and open-freeze on trays. Wrap individually and then remove from the freezer, slice them up and enjoy – on their own or folded into natural yoghourt.

    Reply
  8. Beth

    August 9, 2012 at 1:02 pm

    I love the simplicity of this. I might add a pastured egg yolk or two to up the nutrient density. And maybe a sprinkle of ground coconut shreds and/or sprinkle of cinnamon as an experiment.

    Reply
  9. Heidi

    August 9, 2012 at 1:20 pm

    This looks so simple and yummy love it! Also that is the perfect picture for pinterest already repinned it on to my food board.

    Reply
  10. Nadine

    August 9, 2012 at 1:28 pm

    We make this and it is delicious! We add peanut butter to it sometimes. Very yummy!!

    Reply
  11. Terri

    August 9, 2012 at 6:16 pm

    Can’t wait to try this! Sounds Yummy:)

    Reply
  12. Marillyn @ just-making-noise

    August 9, 2012 at 6:59 pm

    We make this a lot too… we’ve done a variety of flavors and love them all 🙂

    Reply
  13. Laura

    August 11, 2012 at 10:34 am

    Absolutely delicious ~ next time I will peel the bananas before freezing them!

    Reply
  14. rosyjo

    August 11, 2012 at 11:57 am

    Made it. Think banana split where they drizzle the chocolate over the banana with the ice cream or dairy free version of your choice. Like it! Thanks!

    Reply
  15. Melissa

    August 13, 2012 at 12:44 pm

    I’m allergic to bananas….any variations? Sounds amazing!

    Reply
    • Alex

      September 10, 2016 at 1:46 pm

      Yes, strawberries, pineapples, mangos.
      There Re very simple sorbet versions to try.

      Reply
  16. Shaye @ The Elliott Homestead

    August 15, 2012 at 8:58 am

    I just made this – oh my goodness, it was so wonderful. And it took two minutes total. I am imagine the possibilities to be endless….Thanks for this wonderful recipe!

    Reply
  17. Frozen Margarita

    August 23, 2012 at 3:10 pm

    That’s a great looking ice cream. Almost resembles soft serve.

    Reply
  18. Anastasia @ eco-babyz

    June 25, 2013 at 6:25 pm

    So adding this to my roundup of real food hot weather summer recipes! 🙂

    Reply
  19. Meagan

    June 25, 2013 at 6:44 pm

    Kimi – when I clicked on this link it said it was “unsafe connection” but I knew it was your site and clicked through anyways. JUST FYI 🙂

    Reply
  20. Vicki Hall

    July 31, 2013 at 6:24 pm

    Two of my favorite things chocolate and bananas This looks so so simple I’m definitely gonna try it.

    Reply
  21. Sarah Hayes

    August 9, 2013 at 9:04 pm

    Ive really been wanting to make something like this with frozen bananas!! This sounds sooo good and easy. I think I will make it tmrw! Thank you so much for sharing this. i already know I will love it

    Reply
  22. natalie parvis

    September 14, 2013 at 2:43 pm

    You always have the most unique recipes. This one sounds just delicious.

    Reply
  23. Rachel

    May 25, 2014 at 11:54 pm

    Can I replace bananas with Mangoes?Thanks!

    Reply
  24. Laura

    June 12, 2014 at 5:51 am

    This recipe was wonderful. I have a child with multiple allergies and she’s really enjoying this recipe. I just added a touch of vanilla coconut milk to it and it was perfect. Nice to be able to give her a little treat.

    Reply
  25. Ismini

    June 22, 2014 at 2:03 am

    Hello,
    just wanted to ask if I want to make around 20 servings how what quantities should I use? Also can I use vanilla powder instead of vanilla extract?
    Thank you

    Reply
  26. Sherree

    July 1, 2014 at 11:26 am

    I wonder, can it be frozen in popsicle form to make a sort of creamsicle?

    Reply
  27. Aaron Trotter

    July 22, 2015 at 11:52 am

    Just made this for the first time and it was phenomenal! I try a lot of recipes from the internet and although this may not be very complicated it is one of the best as it is so tasty, simple and easy to follow.

    Reply

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The information you find here at The Nourishing Gourmet is meant to help you become a better cook! This site is primarily for sharing family friendly recipes. It's not meant to give medical advice or to make any health claims on the prevention or curing of diseases.This site is only for informational and educational purposes. Please discuss with your own, qualified health care provider before adding in supplements or making any changes in your diet. Also, any links to sponsors or affiliates (including Amazon) may give me a percentage of the sale or a pay per click. Thank you for supporting this site.

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