One Ingredient Vegan Ice Cream – 3 Amazing Flavors

This One Ingredient Vegan ‘Ice Cream’ is my favorite dessert this summer. It’s vegan, paleo and light enough to eat every day.

The greatest thing about this ‘ice cream’ is it’s just bananas.  No sweetener, no dairy, no nut milk. The recipe is a process that turns bananas into a dessert that tastes like ice cream.

I make 3 different flavors which takes the basic recipe to a whole new level.  

For the basic banana ‘ice cream’ cut 2 cups of ripe bananas into 1/2 inch chunks (2-3 bananas).  The bananas should be quite ripe with a few black spots on the skin. Put them into a plastic freezer bag and freeze overnight until they are solid.

Take the frozen bananas out of the bag, they’ll probably be all stuck together, so separate them a bit with a knife. Put them into a food processor. Separating the bananas prevents them from getting caught in the blades of the processor.  At first I used them right out of the bag and they were hard to process, but then I realized it was way better to break them apart.

Process for 45-60 seconds until the bananas are fully blended into a smooth and creamy frozen dessert.  Work quickly and don’t over process or it will melt and loose the ‘ice cream’ texture.

You can enjoy the banana ‘ice cream’ plain just the way it is.  It’s best eaten right away but it will also freeze well for a few days. If it’s a hot summer day, I find it best to put it in the freezer for 30 -45 minutes to firm up and get a more ice cream like texture.

I love this dessert because it’s:

• easy to make
• tastes amazing
• very light – low calorie, low fat
• refreshing and satisfying

While this one ingredient ice cream is great by itself, it’s even better when you add in a few more ingredients to make flavors.  The few extra ingredients makes it taste even more like real ice cream.

You’ll use the same basic recipe I just described for all the flavors. 

To make each flavor add the following ingredients to the food processor once the banana ice cream is smooth and creamy.  Have all your ingredients ready before you begin to prevent it from melting.

Almond Butter Ice Cream

The inspiration for this one came from my love of Haagan Dazs peanut butter ice cream.  Since almond butter is much healthier than peanut butter, I prefer it.

In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond butter with 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup. Set aside. Add 3/4 teaspoon of almond extract to the frozen bananas when you put them into the food processor. Process 45-60 seconds until creamy.  Add the sweetened almond butter and pulse a few times.  You want the almond butter to still have a bit of texture, not get fully blended in. Serve topped with a few chopped almonds.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

In this version you hardly taste the banana flavor.  Make sure your chocolate chips are at room temperature. I use vegan, paleo chips from Enjoy Life.   Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the frozen bananas when you put them into the food processor. Process 45 seconds until almost creamy.  Add 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder, pulse a few times. Add 1/4 cup chocolate chips and pulse to combine.  Some of the chips will get chopped up and others will be whole little treats in the ice cream.  If the ‘ice cream’ gets a little soft, put into the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up before eating.

Strawberry Ice Cream 

This version is delicious and beautiful too!  Start with only 1 1/2 cups frozen bananas instead of the usual 2 cups.  Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract. The extracts enhance the flavor or the strawberries and soften the banana flavor. Process until smooth and creamy, 45 seconds.  Add 3/4 cup frozen strawberries. Process until the color becomes a consistent pink and there are still a few pieces of strawberries, about 15-20 seconds.

I love making all three flavors of this one ingredient vegan ice cream. I keep a few bags of frozen bananas in my freezer at all times, ready to transform into this amazing ‘ice cream’.  It’s food that makes you feel good.

Each recipe makes enough for 2 servings.  It’s nice to have a bowl full of ice cream with 3 flavors to enjoy but one flavor is great too. Store any extra an air tight container in the freezer for 2-3 days.   Be creative and make your own combinations!  I think I’ll make chocolate almond butter next.

” Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.”
                                                                                  ~ John Lubbock

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