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 am going to the store and stocking up on extra bananas to freeze-today!!! This will be the perfect treat for mu family tonight and I love that I will be keeping it healthy!! Definitely adding some peanut butter…yum!
My mother was making frozen banana ice cream twenty years ago and we didn’t know for the longest time that the only ingredient in what we thought was a normal ice cream was bananas. I love the idea of adding peanut butter and cocoa to the mix.
I love your blog! You make the best foods ever! It’s so hard to find fool proof vegan recipes.
Hi, Katie. I am new to your blog. I feel finally I found someone who write healthy dessert blog. I LOVE sweets, I can’t resist them, but I know I want to lose weight and they are not good for health. Most food bloggers write about high calories sweets, so I would be afraid to make them. I think I will confident to eat the sweet on your blog.
I was sitting waiting for a train to go by this morning. I read your post, made a u-turn and went back to the grocery store two blocks away to buy bananas for this recipe !! Thanks so much for all you do. I am making this here in just a few minutes and will link back to you from my WP site. And I love your nails too !!
I learned the trick from my raw vegan ex. I especially like to make banana ice cream with juicer. my variation was actually posted a few days ago: http://simplyevani.com/2012/07/15/simply-loving-hearting-handmades-better-than-ice-cream/ 🙂
I’ve been DYING to try banana soft serve but just haven’t gotten around to it! Do you know if a magic bullet would work for blending?
ps. your nails are SO cute!!!
xoxo
Haven’t tried it, but I’d think so if you make a small batch. Might need to thaw more, though.
I’m wondering if you can use chocolate whey protein as a replacement for the cocoa powder?
Katie, you have the best pictures… and recipes of course, but your pictures always make me want whatever you post! 🙂 I have a question, sort of unrelated, but how do you choose what links your photos link to? You seemed to link your 1st and 3rd photos to strawberry shortcake pancakes and pizza hummus, for any special reason or just for fun? 😉
See above answer 🙂
WHy do some photos link to random recipes?
see answer two comments above