Sure, you could make banana bread, but you might want to set aside your overly ripe bananas for this low-calorie frozen treat instead. Banana ice cream mimics the creamy texture of a traditional scoop without the dairy or added sugars. It’s also even easier to make!
Start by cutting at least two ripe bananas–the more brown spots, the better– into slices and freezing them for at least an hour. Freeze them on a silicone baking sheet and try to keep the slices from touching to make them easy to remove later. Once the bananas are frozen, put them in a food processor and blend until smooth, about five to seven minutes. You can also use a high-powered blender; just be sure it can handle the frozen bananas without needing liquid to thin them out. Your bananas should be the texture of a thick soft-serve.
Next, add your flavoring. You can use fresh or frozen mixed berries, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, or cinnamon to create a two-ingredient ice cream. Pulse for a few seconds to smooth out chunks and make sure everything is evenly mixed. Dig in now for a soft-serve texture or put it back in the freezer until it’s firm enough to scoop, about three hours. Top your bowl with fresh berries or fill your favorite cone with your homemade ice cream. Store your leftovers, if there are any, in an airtight container.
This vegan banana ice cream can keep up to a week in the freezer, if you can hold out that long. If it gets icy, let your ice cream soften slightly at room temperature before giving it a whirl in the food processor to restore its creamy texture.
