2-Ingredient Strawberry Banana Ice Cream Recipe + Video
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This Banana Ice Cream Recipe is made with only 2 ingredients, and it takes just 5 minutes! I scream, you scream, we all scream for easy homemade soft serve ice cream!! No ice cream maker needed!
I love the flavor of this strawberry banana ice cream recipe! It’s a great recipe with simple ingredients, and really does create the perfect treat.
If you want a guilt-free treat, this healthy ice cream recipe is it!
Not only is it perfect on a hot summer day, but it’s one of those frozen treats that hits your taste buds in the perfect way.
Use fresh fruit to make creamy ice cream! The banana flavor is one of the best – and I love that you can use different fruit if you want to mix it up!
Banana Ice Cream Recipe
Because this homemade soft serve ice cream is made from frozen fruit, it’s also known as “nice cream.”
Before it became crazy popular and loads of other flavors were created, the original nice cream was made with nothing but a frozen banana — talk about easy!!
I’m telling you, this frozen fruit ice cream is so flipping creamy and delicious, you won’t even realize that it’s a healthy treat.
In addition to being healthy, it also just happens to be dairy free, and the best part is: you control the sweetness.
Why We Love Frozen Fruit Ice Cream
Unlike traditional ice cream, which contains a lot of sugar and heavy cream, this healthy banana strawberry ice cream is a naturally sweetened frozen treat.
The sugar in this recipe is completely optional! You can leave it out entirely if you prefer. Or, you can use a liquid sweetener like Stevia or honey instead.
It’s a much better choice for anyone that is watching their calories or is lactose intolerant. Just keep in mind that bananas are high in sugar on their own.
How to Make Banana Strawberry Ice Cream
Simply slice up the frozen fruit and add it to a high-power blender or a food processor.
Be sure the lid is on tight, then blend until the frozen strawberries and bananas become creamy and smooth. That’s all there is to it! Easy, right?
Tips for Perfect Homemade Soft Serve Ice Cream
- Changing the consistency. If you want soft and creamy fruit ice cream, you can eat it right out of the blender.
However, if you want ice cream that is a bit more solid, place the mixture in the freezer for a couple of hours.
Keep in mind — since there are no preservatives, homemade soft serve ice cream will freeze up rock hard.
To soften, just remove it from the freezer 10 minutes before you want to serve it. - Always use ripe bananas when you make this treat. If they are still a bit green, the strawberry banana ice cream won’t be sweet enough.
- Using a regular blender. If you don’t own a high-powered blender or a food processor, you can use a traditional blender.
But, the consistency will be better if you cut your bananas into slices before you freeze them.
Flavor Variations
Frozen bananas are key to the creamy texture of this frozen dessert. There isn’t a good substitute for them that I know of.
That said, there are many different flavor variations you can make!! Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
- Blueberry and banana
- Cocoa powder and banana
- Peach and banana
- Coconut milk with pineapple and banana
- Nutella and banana
You can see how this banana ice cream recipe has a world of possibilities!
Kitchen Tools and Supplies You’ll Need
- Mixing Bowl – I like a variety of mixing bowls and prep bowls, and this set has them all.
- Blender – You can use any blender, but I absolutely love this one! I use it for smoothies, soups, tomato sauce, and naturally — this banana ice cream recipe!
Banana Ice Cream Recipe FAQ
This banana strawberry ice cream can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container. That’s because it’s simply blended frozen fruit!
Just be sure to soften it on the counter before serving.
Dairy-based recipes only last for 1 to 2 weeks, making this easy fruit ice cream a great make-ahead option.
If you have bananas that are ripening too fast, just peel them and put them in the freezer to use in the future.
As a bonus, when you start craving strawberry banana ice cream, your bananas will already be frozen and ready to use!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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2-Ingredient Strawberry Banana Ice Cream Recipe + Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large bananas, frozen
- 4 cups strawberries, frozen
- 2 tablespoons sugar, optional
Instructions
- Place strawberries in a bowl or measuring cup. If your strawberries are not very sweet, sprinkle with sugar and toss to combine. Place the bowl in the microwave at 30-second intervals until the strawberries soften slightly and the sugar dissolves in the juice (if used).
- Add bananas and strawberry mixture to the blender and blend until they reach the perfect consistency.
- When your ice cream stops moving in the blender, you will want to stop and scrape down the pitcher of the blender and stir a few times, about 2-3 minutes of total blending time.
- Your frozen fruit may separate into tiny frozen chunks before it becomes a fabulous creamy consistency, so be patient.
- Serve and enjoy! You can also transfer to a freezer-safe container and allow ice cream to firm up in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours.
Video
Donna’s Notes
- If you do not have a high powdered blender you may want to cut your bananas into slices and freeze them.
- There are no preservatives in your ice cream, so it will freeze solid. Simply remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving to allow to soften slightly. It freezes and keeps beautifully!
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published March 2012, updated and republished May 2024
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I like the blog. This ice cream looks so delicious.
it was very good I ate it up so quick!
I make mine with the strawberry banana yogurt too.
This looks amazing! Brilliant too! Thank you so much for this beautiful recipe!!!! Can't wait to give it a try.
Great combination. Seems like I've been freezing just about everything this way lately. The kids are always giddy to have "smoothie ice cream" and it is so much healthier! Nice job.
I love that it's dairy free!
Now this is an ice cream recipe I wouldn't feel guilty about serving to my family. I especially love that you can whip it up in your blender! Thanks for sharing and enjoy the beautiful weather 🙂
Wow this looks delicious, I just started making banana ice cream, so this is a great add in too!! love this.
I pinned this recipe if you'd like to follow me http://pinterest.com/newlyweds/
I just made this and it turned out more like a smoothie than ice cream. Did I do something wrong? Were my bananas too ripe maybe (they were super mushy before I froze them). I put it in the freezer to firm up so I can eat it later but just was wondering if I did something wrong.
It could be that your bananas were more ripe, did you also freeze your strawberries? They should still be pretty frozen when you blend them, just starting to defrost.
I think my bananas were too ripe. The strawberries were frozen. Its still delicious but even after freezing for an hour its still more icy than creamy.
I'm confused, so there is no half and half in this? No cream or milk whatsoever?? If so then how does it become creamy? And if so why then is it called ice CREAM since it's just fruit???
The bananas make the creamy consistency.
Hope that helps! XOXO
Do you think if I add some yogurt to this recipe it'll help with the creaminess/consistancy?
It would help make them creamy in the blender. However once you put it in the freezer, it would freeze solid. If you remove from freezer and allow to thaw for 15-20 minutes on the counter it would be wonderful.
Yes, I agree with The Slow Roasted Italian… Yogurt will make the mixture freeze rock solid. I know because I recently took regular yogurt & froze it – I couldn't believe how hard it became. It was as solid as an ice cube & took a LONG time to de-ice!
Yes this is the kind of ice cream I like to make for my daughters too, when I made the cocoa and bananas one, she(2 y old) looked and me and said.. "Are these fruits?" Noooo.. no fruits.. ice cream ..:) Hmmm.. she wasn't too sure about it.. but she ate it all:)
Love this! I do a banana (and sometimes peanut butter) version and we all love it! I like the idea of adding strawberry too. Don't you just love fooling the little ones? 🙂
Would it work just as well if I were to halve the whole recipe?
Absolutely! Enjoy.
Hi, I want to try this out but can I skip the microwaving step or replace it by heating in other ways since I do not own a microwave?
Absolutely. Just toss frozen strawberries with sugar and sit on the counter top until slightly softened (about 30 minutes).
Hope that helps! Enjoy.
I made this Saturday and served it between lunch and dinner as a cool treat between meals. We were all three working in the yard/garden and it was beyond GOOD! My husband is a diabetic, and my mother-in-law has to watch her dairy, so the idea seemed great but I would make this for anyone, any time. We eat a lot of bananas and strawberries and this is the PERFECT recipe!
I just made this and it's incredible! I love love the simplicity and the wholesomeness! THANKS!
Love it! Just remember to peel the bananas before you freeze them (I forgot this crucial step the first time around)to make this great ice cream.
Love it! Just remember to peel the bananas prior to freezing to make this great ice cream.
What blender are you using…..? Is it a Vitamix?
This was actually made in a Ninja blender. We have also made this in a Vitamix and it is awesome! Hope that helps. If you are worried, you can use a food processor too.
Enjoy!
I have a very old blender, but if I freeze the bananas cut into inch or less chunks, my blender handles it better. I have also done this with smoothies and not had to use ice to make them cold. They are a Godsend for creaminess.
I make a banana/cocoa/PB version of this, and I LOVE it! Going to make strawberry banana for my family tomorrow! You can't beat tasty and healthy!
Yum! This looks absolutely delicious! I love ice-cream but it's not always such a healthy option… so I'll definitely be making this instead! 🙂 Lucy from Bake Play Smile
I love ice-cream, but always feel guilty with the calories. Especially since I like to buy the organic and real cream is used. My theory is that real stuff is better than chemicals. That's why this recipe is so perfect. All natural AND no cream. I guess I better get myself a blender so I can try this. Ha
I love that I know
exactly what's in what I'm eating, and I can add what I want.
I love knowing that there aren't all the additives in what we are eating, just what I want in it.
I love that I know
exactly what's in what I'm eating, and I can add what I want.
Can this be done with an immersion blender since I don't have a blender?
You could try it, but the mixture is really so thick you would need a high powered blender or a food processor. What you could so is use fresh fruit, make the mixture and freeze it and stir the mixture every hour until it is frozen. Let us know how it goes! Enjoy.
Wow awesome! Would love to try it, however can't find bananas anywhere, any recommended replacement?
Thanks
Honestly the bananas give it the creamy texture. You could try substituting frozen mango for a scrumptious strawberry mango 'ice cream'. Enjoy and let us know how it goes.