Chocolate Banana Ice Cream!

This chocolate banana ice cream is the perfect afternoon or after-dinner snack. It's dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free, which means it's healthy and oh so tasty!  

This chocolate banana ice cream recipe is delicious AND healthy! With no granulated sugar, heavy cream, or egg yolks you can be confident it's much healthier for you than a regular bowl of ice cream. Plus, it's so easy to whip up, you'll want to make it every week! 

Chocolate banana ice cream made in an ice cream maker is super simple but it can also be made in a blender or food processor if you don't own an ice cream maker. This makes it accessible to everyone! While this dreamy ice cream is not quite a soft serve, its delightfully delicious cocoa and bananas are the perfect flavor combination!

You can be confident about serving this amazing ice cream chocolate banana delight because it's real food made with just 5 tasty ingredients that your whole family will love. 

 

Ingredients

 

1 large banana: You can put the banana in whole or you can slice and freeze it first

1 can full-fat coconut milk: This provides the necessary fat to make the ice smooth and creamy 

1 cup almond milk (unsweetened): Some liquid is needed to get it to all blend together 

1/4 cup maple syrup: This is used for sweetener

2 tablespoons cacao powder: A little of this goes a long way to getting that perfect chocolate flavor 

 

Instructions

 

Place all ingredients in a blender and process until totally combined.

Place mixture in the refrigerator for several hours until very cold (at least 2).

Then following your ice cream maker instructions, pour the mixture into your machine and make ice cream.

Note: you may store leftovers in the freezer, but realize that the texture will change slightly to become very hard. When serving, plan on removing from a freezer at least 20 minutes prior.

 

 

 

How to store this frozen treat 

You can keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months, just make sure to tightly wrap it in plastic wrap to help prevent freezer burn. 

 

Variations and additions 

Chocolate and banana are an amazing combination but here are a few ways you can rev it up! 

You can add peanut butter or almond butter for a creamier texture and even bolder flavor along with the cocoa powder and bananas. Chocolate peanut butter with bananas is one of the best combos! 

To give yourself a head start, you can use frozen bananas (cut in pieces) as well and cut down on the ice cream prep time.   

Since this is refined sugar-free ice cream, besides maple syrup, you can use honey or agave nectar as well.

 

FAQs 

How do you make chocolate ice cream with bananas? It's easy and follows the normal ice cream prep by combining the ingredients, chilling them in the fridge, then using an ice cream maker or blender to make it into that smooth ice cream texture. 

Is banana ice cream healthier than regular ice cream? While not all banana ice cream is healthier than regular ice cream, this one certainly is! It's made with only 5 ingredients and that doesn't include any refined sugars, cream, or egg yolks. 

How many calories is banana ice cream? This particular recipe is 191 calories per serving while a serving of other 'regular' ice cream recipes can be upwards of 300 calories! 

What can I do with a lot of frozen bananas? That one is easy! Make healthy chocolate and peanut butter banana ice cream, of course! 

How to serve this ice cream 

This is the fun part! After the machine is all done and you have a nice big mess of creamy ice cream, it's time to serve it up and eat it! 

Here are a couple of ways you do it. 

Serve it in a waffle or sugar cone. Since you've saved calories in the ice cream, you can definitely eat a cone! 

You can also go more traditional and serve it in your favorite ice cream bowl. 

Top it with chocolate chips, sliced almonds, fresh banana slices, a spoonful of peanut butter or almond butter, sliced strawberries, or toasted walnuts. 

Banana Ice Cream:

• Banana Ice Cream
• Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

Dairy-Free Ice Cream:

• Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream
• Mint Chocolate Chip Coconut Ice Cream
• Paleo Pumpkin Ice Cream

This recipe was updated with new photos in May 2021.