Creamy Banana Nice Cream

Name: Creamy Banana Nice Cream
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 medium (about 3 cups sliced) (360 g) ripe bananas, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) slices, weighed after peeling; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) milk of choice (dairy, oat, almond or soy), cold, plus up to 2 more tablespoons (30 ml) only if the blender stalls; ½ teaspoon (2½ ml) pure vanilla extract; ⅛ teaspoon (¾ g) fine sea salt, a small pinch; 1 tablespoon (20 g) maple syrup (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A dairy-free, soft-serve-style frozen dessert made from frozen ripe bananas, a splash of milk, vanilla and a pinch of salt. It blends silky and scoopable in about five minutes, once the bananas are frozen.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: —
Wait: 4 hr 5 min
Total: 4 hr 20 min
Makes: About 2 cups (2 generous servings)

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Steps

Before you start

Plan ahead: the bananas must freeze solid for at least 4 hours (overnight is fine), so the active work is only about 15 minutes.
Use bananas that are yellow with plenty of brown freckles. They are sweeter and blend creamier than green-tipped ones.
Keep the milk cold and measure it out before you start. Add it a little at a time so the nice cream doesn't turn runny.
Make room in the freezer for a flat baking sheet.

1
Peel and slice bananas
- Peel the bananas and cut them crosswise into ½-inch (1 cm) slices.
- Slices this size are small enough for the blades to break down without straining the motor.
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Ready when: Slices are even, about ½ inch (1 cm) thick.
Tip: Peel before freezing. A frozen banana peel is very hard to remove.
2
Freeze the slices
- Arrange the slices in a single layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet, not touching.
- Slide the sheet into the freezer, level, and freeze for at least 4 hours.
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Ready when: Slices are hard as stone and lift off the parchment without sticking.
Tip: Spreading them out stops them freezing into one clump that is hard to blend.
3
Let slices soften slightly
- Take the sheet out of the freezer and let the slices sit on the counter for 5 minutes.
- They should be frozen but no longer rock-hard, which helps the blender catch them without stalling.
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Ready when: A slice gives a tiny bit when pressed hard with a fingernail, with a thin frosty surface.
Tip: Don't leave them longer than 10 minutes or the result will be soupy.
4
Load the blender
- Add 3 tablespoons (45 ml) cold milk, the vanilla and the pinch of salt to the blender first, then tip in all the frozen banana slices (about 3 cups).
- Add the maple syrup now if you like it sweeter.
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Tip: Liquid in the bottom helps the blades grab the fruit. Skip the maple if the bananas are very ripe, as they're already sweet.
5
Pulse and scrape
- Start on low speed, then increase to medium-high, using the tamper if your blender has one.
- The mixture will first look like crumbly, dry crumbs.
- Stop, scrape down the sides with the spatula and blend again for 20 to 30 seconds.
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Ready when: Crumbs start clumping into a thick, mostly smooth paste around the blades.
Tip: If the blades spin without catching, add 1 more tablespoon (15 ml) milk. Add no more than 2 extra tablespoons in total, or it will be runny.
6
Blend until silky
- Blend on high for 30 to 60 more seconds, stopping once to scrape down the sides.
- Stop as soon as it looks like soft-serve.
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Ready when: Completely smooth, thick and creamy with no banana lumps, holding a peak when lifted with the spatula.
Tip: Over-blending warms the mixture and makes it melt, so stop once it's smooth.
7
Serve or firm up
- Scoop into bowls right away for soft-serve texture.
- For firmer, scoopable ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container, press a piece of parchment onto the surface and freeze for 30 minutes to 1 hour before scooping.
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Ready when: Soft-serve holds its shape on a spoon; firmed-up nice cream scoops cleanly in curls.
Tip: Banana nice cream freezes hard after a few hours. Let it sit out for 10 minutes before scooping.

Good to know

Tips

Ripeness matters most: banana with brown freckles gives sweeter, more flavorful nice cream than a plain yellow or green one.
Add milk gradually. Too much turns it into a smoothie, and you can always add more but not take it out.
For add-ins like peanut butter, cocoa powder (1 tablespoon / 7 g) or berries (½ cup / 75 g frozen), add them in step 4 and add 1 extra tablespoon of milk.
A food processor gives a thicker, ice-creamier texture than a blender. Scrape the bowl often.

Make ahead

"Slice and freeze the bananas up to 3 months ahead in a zip-top freezer bag once the slices are frozen solid on the tray. Blend straight from the freezer after a 5-minute rest."

Storage & reheating

Best eaten right away. Freeze leftovers in an airtight container with parchment pressed on the surface for up to 1 week. Don't store at room temperature. To serve, let it sit on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes, or re-blend briefly with a splash of milk for soft-serve texture.

Substitutions

milk of choice (dairy, oat, almond or soy) → Canned coconut milk or cream. Gives a richer, more coconutty result. Use the same amount.
maple syrup → Honey or agave. Use the same amount. Honey is not vegan.
pure vanilla extract → Vanilla bean paste. Use ½ teaspoon for a more intense vanilla flavor with visible specks.
fine sea salt → Omit the salt. The flavor will be slightly flatter but still good.