When a sweet craving hits but you don't want to mess with an ice cream maker (or a bunch of heavy ingredients), this vegan banana ice cream is what you're looking for. It's creamy, dreamy, and ready in about 10 minutes. There's no dairy, no added sugar, and nothing complicated.
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After decades of experimenting with easy healthier desserts for my family, this has become one of our go-to treats, especially since we always have bananas in the freezer. Frozen bananas whip up into a silky base, and a quick homemade date caramel brings that sweet-salted flavor we all love. The result? A rich, scoopable ice cream that tastes every bit as indulgent as the classic version, just made with simple, real-food ingredients you can feel good about.
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Why You'll Love This Banana Nice Cream Recipe
- Creamy: bananas make the creamiest nice cream ever.
- No churn: no ice cream maker needed!
- Quick and easy: only 4 plant-based ingredients, and ready in 10 minutes.
- Freezing optional: salty, sweet, smooth yet chunky. Eat the vanilla nice cream right out of the blender for soft serve, or freeze for a few hours and enjoy.
- Wholesome Ingredients: A delightful treat made primarily with bananas and naturally sweetened with dates. It's completely dairy-free, gluten-free, and free of added sugars.
Serve a scoop of this vegan salted caramel nice cream with my coconut flour banana bread, low sugar carrot cake or alongside a piece of decadent flourless chocolate cake. For other ice cream recipes try my vegan pumpkin pie ice cream or this irresistible roasted banana ice cream.
Banana Nice Cream Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make salted caramel banana ice cream:
- Frozen bananas: provide the creamy base for the nice cream. Use ripe bananas for the best flavor and texture.
- Medjool dates: add natural sweetness and a caramel flavor.
- Vanilla extract: enhances the overall flavor.
- Sea salt: balances the sweetness and adds a salted caramel flavor. Adjust to taste.
See recipe card below for all ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Homemade Vegan Ice Cream
- Prepare ingredients: Slice and freeze ripe bananas for at least 2 hours, until they are frozen firm. Remove pit and soak dates in hot water for 10 minutes. Chop evenly.
- Blend: In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine frozen banana slices, Medjool dates, vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt.
- Process: Blend until smooth and creamy, with chunky bits of dates, scraping down the sides as needed. About 1-3 minutes.
- Serve: Scoop the nice cream into bowls and enjoy immediately or freeze for a firmer texture.
Note: For a really smooth nice cream base with bigger chunks of dates, add bananas and vanilla to the food processor and blend until thick and creamy. Then, add dates and sea salt and pulse until well combined and chopped dates are mostly intact.
Tips For Making Banana Date Ice Cream
- Freezing bananas: slice bananas before freezing for easier blending and a creamy texture.
- Sweet tooth: if you like your ice cream sweeter, add 2-3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup when blending.
- Hard ice cream: For a firmer texture, freeze the blended nice cream for 1-2 hours before serving.
- Creamy and chunky: blend the bananas first to achieve a custard-like consistency before adding the remaining ingredients. This method ensures the bananas become creamy while the dates stay slightly chunky.
- Add-Ins: customize with mix-ins like chocolate chips, cacao nibs, or chopped nuts for extra flavor and texture.
How to Store Vegan Banana Ice Cream
- Freezer: Store leftover nice cream in an airtight container, with a piece of parchment or plastic wrap pressed against the ice cream before adding the lid. Freeze for up to 2 weeks.
- Serving: Let the nice cream sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping to soften it slightly.Food processor or high-speed blender.
Banana Nice Cream Recipe FAQs
Yes, but it may take longer to achieve a smooth consistency if mashing and mixing the bananas by hand. Finely chop the dates before adding to the banana mixture.
Freeze it for an additional 1-2 hours for a firmer consistency.
More Banana Recipes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Caramel Nice Cream
Equipment
- 1 food processor or high-speed blender
Ingredients
- 5 large bananas peeled and sliced in coins and frozen
- 6 Medjool dates pitted, chopped and soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- sprinkle of flaky sea salt, optional
Instructions
- Slice and freeze ripe bananas for at least 2 hours, and remove pit and soak dates in hot water for 10 minutes.5 large bananas, 6 Medjool dates
- In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine frozen banana slices, Medjool dates, vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt.2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Blend until smooth and creamy, with chunky bits of dates, scraping down the sides as needed. About 1-3 minutes.
- Scoop the nice cream into bowls and enjoy immediately with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Or freeze for up to 2 hours for a firmer texture.sprinkle of flaky sea salt, optional
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Notes
- Note: For a really smooth nice cream base with bigger chunks of dates, add the bananas and vanilla to the food processor and blend until thick and creamy. Then, add the dates and sea salt and pulse until well combined and chopped dates are mostly intact.
- Freezer: Store leftover nice cream in an airtight container, with a piece of parchment or plastic wrap pressed against the ice cream before adding the lid. Freeze for up to 2 weeks.
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Serving: Let the nice cream sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping to soften it slightly.
Shopfordaype says
Superb
Jacqui Wilson says
Oh, I'm so glad you liked it!! Thank you for leaving a comment!
Olivia says
this looks tasty! i see that you suggest placing plastic wrap on top, would i just place it on or is there a certain way to do it? also if it because hard and icy is there a solution? thank you!
Jacqui Wilson says
Hi Olivia,
The nice cream is definitely tasty! You can use plastic wrap, parchment paper or wax paper cut to the size of your container. Smooth out your ice cream and place the wrap on top so that it covers the entire top of the ice cream, press down gently so contact is made with all the top of the ice cream, then put the lid on the container. This helps prevent freezer burn or ice crystals from forming on top. I hope you enjoy it!