The genius 60 second recipe that turns fruit into ice cream.
If you’re looking for a healthier way to satisfy your sweet tooth, you have to try banana ice cream, sometimes also called nana ice cream or n’ice cream.
It is so rich, creamy, sweet, and decadent, you seriously won’t even realize there’s no dairy or added sugar. Shhh don’t tell anyone…it’s simply just frozen bananas.
I’ve been making it for years, and it was one of the recipes that helped me get over my sugar addiction.
Flavors
Banana ice cream is extremely versatile. You can use the frozen banana base (with just a touch of vanilla) to make any flavor you like: chocolate (cacao powder), carob (carob powder) strawberry and mint, blueberry, almond butter ginger…the combinations and varieties are endless.
(If making fruit flavors, always use frozen fruit).
Appliances
All you need to make banana ice cream is a high speed blender, like a Vitamix. Unfortunately, regular blenders don’t work as well for this, and you may burn out the motor.
Photo credits: Styling: Maria Marlowe / Photography: Irina Smirnova
Servings |
- 2 bananas frozen*
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- cacao powder 2 -3 tsp. cacao powder
- almond butter 1 Tbsp. almond butter
- carob powder 2-3 tsp. carob powder
- dates 3-4 pitted dates + 1/4 tsp.cinnamon
- frozen strawberries 1 cup frozen strawberries + 6 mint leaves
- shredded coconut 1 Tbsp. coconut butter or shredded coconut
- ginger 1 Tbsp. almond butter or 1 Tbsp. almonds + 1/2 inch piece peeled ginger
Ingredients Banana Ice Cream Base
Add-Ins: Choose your favorite(s)
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- Place all ingredients (banana base plus the add in ingredients of your choice) into a high speed blender and blend on high until soft serve ice cream consistency is reached, which should be about 30-60 seconds.
- Taste to determine if you want to add more of any add ins, and re-blend if needed. Otherwise, simply spoon out and serve!
*Peel overripe bananas, break in half, and put in a zip top freezer bag. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight. It's a good idea to leave a big batch of frozen bananas in your freezer, so you have some on hand when the mood strikes.

Maria Marlowe
Maria Marlowe is a holistic nutrition and wellness coach who uses real food to help her clients improve their health, weight, and skin. She offers a 28-day healthy eating meal plan that teaches you how to batch cook, as well as one to clear up acne. Her most popular program is EatSLIM, a 10-week online group glass that guides participants to develop healthy eating habits that stick – and lose weight, boost their metabolism, improve their digestion, and quit sugar.
She writes healthy and delicious plant-based recipes for her popular blog. She is also the author of the #1 New Release on Amazon, The Real Food Grocery Guide, the most practical guide to selecting the healthiest foods, without going broke, which has been praised by Dr. Oz and InStyle magazines. You can find her on instagram @mariamarlowe.
Hi Maria,
What is “Banana N’ice Cream Base” is this a product or the frozen banana? Googled it and a product did not come up, just not sure what this is.
Hi Molly! Sorry that wasn’t clear enough… that’s just the frozen bananas. You can use them as a base to make any flavor “n’ice” cream you like.
I caught Ms. Marlowe on CBS Saturday 10/15 morning show and although Cindy Hsu stated for recipes log on to CBSNY there is not one word mentioned! It took me hours to find Ms. Marlowe and, hence, this Web site. Ms. Marlowe needs more marketing as what she states is so true. Without the long story, I have almost healed myself thru a change of diet. If I wasn’t so lazy and poor, I would do her recipes. GREAT WORK… YOU HAVE TO BE PROUD. NOW GET THE WORD OUT THERE. PEOPLE ARE MAKING THEMSELVES SICK ESP WITH ALL THE PRESERVATIVES THEY’RE EATING.
HI Christine, Thanks for the encouragement! Sorry you had trouble finding the site, it should have been more clear. It’s wonderful you are healing your body with a change of diet. I wish you continued success with it!