Just 4 simple ingredients to make this:
Swirly chocolate soft-serve.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen the idea of whipping frozen banana in a vitamix or food processor until it resembles the exact texture of soft-serve ice cream. (If you add a fat source, like peanut butter, it tastes pretty similar to ice cream as well. Or leave the fat out for a refreshing sherbet-like taste.)
I first blogged about the idea back in 2009, and then again in the Vitamix ice cream post, and I’m sure others were making it even earlier than that. The best thing about the concept is its versatility; everyone gets to put his or her own spin on the basic recipe. One of my favorite variations: chocolate soft serve!
With sprinkles on top.
(Just in case you forgot whose blog you were reading.)
Chocolate Banana Soft Serve
(Serves 2-3)
Category: 50+ Healthy Banana Recipes
- 3 medium bananas, the riper the better (for substitutions, see nutrition link below)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/16 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp cocoa or cacao powder (15g)
- optional: sweetener of choice, depending on your tastebuds and ripeness of the bananas
- optional: 3-5 tbsp peanut butter or another nut butter of choice
Ahead of time: peel and slice the over-ripe bananas into chunks. Freeze in a Ziploc-type bag, then combine all ingredients in a Vita-Mix, food processor, or blender. (If not using a Vita-Mix, add 2-3 tsp milk of choice so it’ll blend more smoothly. You might also have to thaw the frozen bananas if your freezer is super-powerful.) If you want the look of ice cream, use an ice-cream scoop to serve! (If you scoop it all into a container and freeze about 10-15 minutes, the texture will also become a bit firmer like ice cream, as opposed to soft serve.) Don’t try to halve the recipe unless you have a tiny food processor, as it won’t blend as smoothly.
View Chocolate Banana Soft Serve Nutrition Facts
Have you ever tried banana “ice cream”?
Any favorite ways to eat it? I almost always add a ridiculous amount of peanut butter, even to this chocolate version. Peanut butter and banana belong together, and the added fat makes it taste more like ice cream than sherbet.
LINK OF THE DAY:
I make this all the time too – it’s amazing!
this is how i’ve been dealing with the summer heat! love love love it. i actually like when my food processor leaves some swirls of unmixed pb. its pb choc banana swirl soft serve 🙂 !
I use to make this all the time with just overripe frozen bananas and frozen blueberries and it was SO good! … Then I found out that I am intolerant to bananas. Seriously…who does that happen to?!
I absolutely love making this stuff; so easy and so yummy! But I was wondering how did you get it to do that swirly thing in the picture to make it look like it came out of a soft serve machine?!
I actually just swirled it onto the cone with a spoon, and it did that. You can see in the second photo that it didn’t stay super-swirly for long. Oh well, just another reason to eat it right away ;).
HAHA! What a co-inky-dink! This morning after I got back from my Bootcamp workout, I wanted a good recovery snack so I made this (but added a 1/2 c of pasteurized egg whites for a protein punch…I know, not vegan, sorry!) Talk about refreshing! Like a Wendy’s Frosty 🙂
I have been making banana soft serve for years. Every summer I eat it almost every day! So delicious.
I love banana ice cream! I think frozen bananas blended up can be eaten plain! They are super good on their own. This chocolate version looks extra delicious! And pretty nail polish! 🙂
Banana ice cream is the best idea ever! Whoever figured it out is a genius! I love to add greek yogurt and amp up the protein. Sometimes I’ll freeze this concoction in popsicle molds for my daughter.
OMG love that idea!
I totally just made this like 3 hours ago….only I used the recipe from this (amazing just like yours) site: rawfoodlove.blogspot.com. Her version had a bunch of other stuff added, namely a lot for liquid (milk) and I think I prefer it your, more basic way. Also, I don’t think I really blended it well enough either so…
Love the blog, love the banana “ice cream” !
I love doing peanut butter and banana…but chocolate sometimes makes an appearance in my soft serve 😀
Have you tried putting coconut butter in it? So tasty!
I was afraid it would harden because the soft serve is frozen. Does it not?
Or maybe that would be good anyway… like coconut chips!
It does a little bit, but it is tasty! Kind of like how they make carmel swirl ice cream…this is coconut swirl ice cream!
Now that is an idea I must try!!
I’ve yet to try banana ice cream. I love banana chocolate milkshakes and this reminds me of them! I’m going to have to try this soon!