Today I wanted to share my easy recipe for making the perfect vegan banana ice cream. If you’ve never heard of it, search for the hashtag #nicecream on Instagram to know what I’m talking about! It’s also referred to as a smoothie bowl when there are toppings on it. Once you learn how to make it, you’ll honestly think it tastes exactly like ice cream, except it’s 100% healthy, light, AND dairy free. I eat this stuff for breakfast literally every day (check out my What I Eat In A Day post for even more healthy meal ideas!) and since it consists of nothing but fruit and a little bit of almond milk it is one of the healthiest things you could eat! You can expand uponthe two ingredient recipe below and make all kinds of different flavors with this base, like chocolate, raspberry, blueberry, mango, strawberry, etc!
I love this recipe because of how light it is. You know that feeling you get of being bloated and just so overly full after eating way too much? You definitely won’t be getting that from eating this stuff! It is still super filling and a great meal for kids and adults alike – and the more toppings you put like granola, almond butter, chia seeds, berries, coconut flakes, etc, the more filling and protein rich it will be! It’s really all about personal preference and over time you’ll discover your favorite toppings to go with this easy banana ice cream recipe.
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All you need for one easy serving of plain banana ice cream is:
A blender (this oneis the best one I’ve used so far)
4 regular size bananas
Half a cup of your favoriteunsweetened or vanilla plant milk (unsweetened almond milk is what I use)
Optional but highly recommended:
Any other frozen or fresh fruit if you want to make a fruit flavor other than banana. The basicbanana ice cream is still really delicious, but I find adding berries or mango makes it AMAZING. Or, you can buy low fat peanut butter like PB2 powder and mix that in for a peanut butter flavor. I personally buy these packages ofcacaopowder from the brand Navitas Naturals and I put in about two and a halftablespoons per five bananas – this makes the banana ice cream taste EXACTLY like chocolate soft serve ice cream and the powder is sugar free and vegan!
Start by un-peeling fourregular size bananas and then cut them up into pieces. Then put the pieces in a plastic storage container and freeze them for 5+ hours or overnight.
Once the bananas are frozen, take your half cup of plant milk and put it into the blender FIRST. If you froze the bananas overnight, you’ll want to leave them out to defrost for 15-20 minutes. This will make it easier on the blender, but you don’t want to thaw them too much to the point where they start to get mushy. It’s all about achieving the perfect consistency which you’ll learn after you’ve made this a few times!
Take a fork and start to pick apart the bananas. Take a couple small chunks at a time and put them in with the milk, then start blending. If you find that you need more milk, add it in a little at a time. The key is to not make it soupy because you don’t want your toppings to sink.
As the blender works its magic, add more and more banana chunks in until you’ve blended them all. When you’re done, it should have the consistency of soft serve ice cream and look like this:
Here’s an example of strawberry banana ice cream. I just take a handful of frozen strawberries and add them in two a time so the blender doesn’t have to work too hard:
Plant-based fats are the best way to thicken vegan ice cream. Coconut cream, full-fat coconut milk and coconut oil will give the creamiest and thickest results. Cornstarch and tapioca starch can also be used to thicken but the end result will be a little more icy and a little less creamy.
Place the frozen bananas and sugar in a processor.process until it starts to pulverise.Start adding the milk and process until smooth and ice cream like.serve.
Use higher fat content vegan milks: Oat milk, coconut milk and cream, as well as cashew milk and cream, have a higher fat content which can help create a creamier texture. Add a fat source: Adding a fat source like coconut oil or cocoa butter can also help create a creamier texture.
For homemade vegan ice creams, it's possible to recreate the creamy texture and flavor of regular ice cream. It's more difficult to match regular ice cream's ability to last in the freezer for weeks without forming ice crystals. In general, homemade vegan ice creams should be eaten within two weeks of freezing.
A common - and better - emulsifier for ice cream is soy lecithin, which can be derived from soybeans, sunflowers and rapeseed. Soy lecithin has a neutral taste, and also allows you to make egg-less ice cream.
The secret is nothing more than coconut milk. Full-fat, creamy coconut milk. Other vegan milk substitutes, like almond milk or soy milk, just don't cut it when it comes to ice cream.
In the United States, ice cream made with just cream, sugar, and a flavouring (usually fruit) is sometimes referred to as "Philadelphia style" ice cream. Ice cream that uses eggs to make a custard is sometimes called "French ice cream".
Vegan ice cream recipes often rely on coconut milk, coconut oil (you can opt for refined coconut oil, which has less coconut flavor), or blended nuts to achieve a creamy texture.
My ice cream is icy. This is probably the most common problem with home made ice cream. And it's caused by large ice crystals forming in the mixture as it freezes. Large ice crystals are usually the result of either too much water in the mix or excessively long freezing time.
Coconut cream is a versatile ingredient that makes an excellent vegan substitute for heavy cream. While it can be purchased pre-made, it's also simple to make at home using coconut milk. Simply chill a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight, open it and pour the liquid contents into another container.
Vegan ice cream can be a healthier alternative to regular ice cream in certain aspects. It is typically lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, making it beneficial for heart health. However, vegan ice cream can still be high in sugar and calories, so portion control is important.
Plant-based diets are also associated with reduced inflammation and improved kidney function. Vegan ice cream is made from plant-based ingredients such as almond milk, coconut milk, and soy milk, making it a healthier alternative to traditional dairy ice cream.
When compared to dairy-based ice cream, there are potential health benefits to plant-based alternatives. Chief amongst them are lower saturated fat levels and zero cholesterol. LDL cholesterol contributes to heart and circulatory diseases. Only animal products contain it.
Adding thickening agents, such as egg yolks, cornstarch, gelatin, tapioca starch, or even Junket tablets, enhances the texture and elevates the overall ice cream experience. Remember, making homemade ice cream is as much an art as it is a science.
Adding 1/4 cup dairy-free milk powder or powdered cashews to this recipe will help thicken it further, but it won't be as fluffy and will slightly influence the consistency and taste. Soymilk powder works best, but coconut milk powder makes this a true coconut-flavored whip.
Weak, watery ice creams may not contain enough solids. Try adding some skimmed milk powder (SMP). Or you can experiment with stabilizers. A little bit of salt may bring out some more flavor as well!
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