Ice Cream and Sorbets

Banana Nice Cream

Frozen ripe banana, blitzed in a powerful processor, turns into something remarkably like soft-serve. No sugar needed: the sweetness comes from the fruit, so use the ripest, most freckled bananas you can find. Honestly, the texture is at its best in the first few minutes; left in the freezer for long, it turns hard and icy.

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Banana Nice Cream — the finished dish
Prep
10 min
Rest
6 h
Total
6 h 10 min
Servings
3
Level
Easy
Per serving
220 kcal

Ingredients

  • What to use instead

    Any plant milk works instead of almond: oat, soy or coconut.

Makes: about 500 g, 3 servings

Method

  1. Step 1: Slice and freeze

    Peel the bananas and slice into 1.5–2 cm rounds. Spread them in a single layer on a parchment-lined board or tray so they don’t stick together, and freeze for at least 6 hours until rock-hard.

  2. Step 2: Let them soften slightly

    Tip the frozen slices into a food processor or high-powered blender and leave for 3–5 minutes so the blades can cope and the motor doesn’t strain.

  3. Step 3: Blend

    Pulse a few times, then run continuously. The bananas will go from crumbs to clumps first — stop and scrape down the sides. If nothing moves, add a spoonful of the almond milk.

  4. Step 4: Blitz until creamy

    Add the peanut butter, remaining almond milk, vanilla and salt and blend for another 1–2 minutes, until the mixture suddenly turns smooth, glossy and creamy like soft-serve. Don’t overdo it — the motor’s heat will start to melt it.

  5. Step 5: Serve now or firm up

    Serve immediately for soft-serve texture. For scoopable balls, spread it in a container and freeze for 1 hour — no longer.

  6. Step 6: Finish

    Spoon into bowls and drizzle with a little peanut butter, softened slightly so it runs.

Tips & variations

  • Tip

    The bananas really must be ripe and freckled: greenish ones taste starchy and barely sweet.

  • Variation

    For a chocolate version swap the peanut butter for 1.5 tbsp cocoa; for berry, add 100 g frozen berries.

  • Swap

    Any plant milk works instead of almond: oat, soy or coconut.

  • Storage

    Frozen banana slices keep for 2 months in a bag. The finished nice cream turns icy after a day in the freezer — just blitz it again before serving.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per serving and for the whole dish
1 serving Whole dish 3 servings
Energy220 kcal660 kcal
Protein5 g15 g
Fat6 g18 g
Carbohydrates39 g117 g

Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.

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