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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Healthy Strawberry Banana Ice Cream (No Machine!) - Step by Step

    Healthy Strawberry Banana Ice Cream (No Machine!) - Step by Step

    Published on Jun 22, 2018 · Last updated on Aug 24, 2021 ·

    4.7K shares
    Jump to Recipe
    Photo collage showing several strawberry banana ice cream scoops in a small bowl, and frozen strawberries and banana in the bowl of a food processor.

    2-ingredient ice cream (aka nice cream) made with delicious strawberries and bananas. No ice cream machine needed and ready in no time. So easy and healthy! The perfect spring and summer treat.

    Strawberry banana ice cream in a bowl, with a spoon, fresh strawberries, a napkin and the ice cream container is the background.

    You know the feeling when you want to eat "something good", a little treat BUT you don't feel like actually cooking or baking, are too lazy to go out and buy something AND, in addition to all these criteria, you also want this treat to be guilt free?

    I've been there – so.many.times! And my little finger tells me I'm not the only one 😉

    Luckily, I'm humbly presenting you with a solution to our struggle today. In the form of ice cream. Guilt-free, easy, 2-ingredient ice cream. Sounds nice, huh?

    Okay, let's see how it's done!

    How to make strawberry banana ice-cream – Step by step

    First, slice some ripe bananas (so they're sweet and full of flavor) and strawberries (step 1). 

    Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and pop them in the freezer for about 2 hours (step 2).

    Two Step by step photos showing a banana and banana slices on a cutting board, and banana and strawberry slices arranged on a baking sheet.

    Once they're frozen, place the fruits in your food processor (step 3) If the fruits are stuck on the sheet, let it sit on the counter for a couple of minutes before lifting the baking paper.

    Start the food processor and process until it's nice and smooth. The mixture will go through different stages: "crumbly" (step 4), part crumbly part smooth (step 5) and finally, smooth (step 6). 

    Two Step by step photos showing frozen strawberry and banana in the bowl of the food processor, and then being processed.

    Two Step by step photos showing the different steps to make strawberry banana ice cream in the food processor.

    At the end, it should have a smooth, soft-serve consistency (step 7). It takes a while to reach the perfect texture – don't worry, it's normal. Keep pulsing until you create ice cream magic!

    You can eat it straight away as a soft-serve, but if you want a firmer, more ice-cream like texture, transfer the mixture to a metal container – I used a loaf pan – and freeze for about 3 to 4 hours or until firm (step 8).  

    It will be hard straight out of the freezer so let it sit on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping and enjoying!

    Two Step by step photos showing just made strawberry and banana ice cream in the food processor and in a metal tin.

    Can you make banana ice cream aka nice cream in a blender?

    Well, yes and no. You can make banana ice cream in a high speed blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec but if you just have a basic blender, the frozen fruits will be too hard to process.

    I have this KitchenAid blender, which is pretty strong, and I still need to add a little bit of milk or another liquid to get it going. It's not smooth and easy as using a food processor.

    Unless you have a high speed blender, I would recommend using a powerful food processor instead. I have this Magimix one and I LOVE it.

    Strawberry banana ice cream in a metal tin being scooped with an ice cream scoop, with a spoon and fresh strawberries in the background.

    Banana Ice Cream / Nice Cream variations

    I love the strawberry/banana combo, but know that you can make hundreds of different flavor combo with the same frozen banana base! Here are a few idea for you to play around:

    • Very Berry: bananas + a mix of frozen berries
    • Peach: bananas + peach + a pinch a ginger
    • Pina Colada: bananas + coconut milk + pineapple
    • Chocolate Peanut Butter: bananas + peanut butter + cocoa powder

    A few last tips!

    • Make sure to use ripe bananas. Not ripe bananas won't be sweet enough and taste funky.
    • Next time you have a bunch of ripe bananas sitting on your counter, peel them, cut them and freeze them for a banana ice cream later!
    • This recipe is perfect to use strawberries that are past their prime and that you no longer want to eat "as is".
    • As mentioned above, make sure to use a powerful food processor that can handle frozen fruits (they are very hard).

    Several scoops of strawberry banana ice cream in a white and pink small bowl, being spooned with a metal spoon.

    If you tried this strawberry banana ice cream, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

    Strawberry banana ice cream in a bowl, with a spoon, fresh strawberries, a napkin and the ice cream container is the background.
    5 from 10 votes
    Print

    Healthy Strawberry Banana Ice Cream

    2-ingredient ice cream (aka nice cream) made with delicious strawberries and bananas. No ice cream machine needed and ready in no time. So easy and healthy! The perfect spring and summer treat.

    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Keyword healthy ice cream, nice cream, strawberry banana ice cream
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Freezing time 2 hours
    Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 94 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 4 bananas large and very ripe
    • 1 lb / 450 g fresh strawberries ripe

    Instructions

    1. Peel the bananas and cut them into slices. Hulled the strawberries and slice them as well. 

    2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (to prevent the fruits for sticking to the baking sheet). Arrange the fruits in a single layer. Place in the freezer and freeze for 2 hours or until fully frozen. 

    3. When the fruits are frozen, place them in the bowl of your food processor. Process until the mixture is creamy and smooth, scraping down the edges of the bowl as needed. It while take a while to reach the right consistency - don't worry, it's normal (see the different steps pictured above).

    4. Serve immediately for a soft-serve consistency (picture #7 above). If you prefer a harder, more ice-cream like consistency, transfer mixture into a 1.5-litre-capacity metal container (I used a loaf pan) and freeze for 3-4 hours or until firm. It will be hard straight out of the freezer so let it sit on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping and enjoying!

    5. If you're not eating everything, keep the leftovers in the freezer, covered with plastic wrap. 

    Nutrition Facts
    Healthy Strawberry Banana Ice Cream
    Amount Per Serving (1 /6th)
    Calories 94
    % Daily Value*
    Sodium 1mg0%
    Potassium 397mg11%
    Carbohydrates 23g8%
    Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 13g14%
    Protein 1g2%
    Vitamin A 60IU1%
    Vitamin C 51.3mg62%
    Calcium 16mg2%
    Iron 0.5mg3%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    More ice cream and popsicle recipes:

    • No-Churn Banana Cinnamon Ice Cream
    • Mixed Berry And Yogurt Popsicles
    • Skinny Lemon Curd And Raspberry Popsicles
    • Banana Peanut Butter Yogurt Popsicles
    • Coconut Berry Popsicles
    • Kiwi And Orange Popsicles
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lisa | Garlic & Zest

      June 22, 2018 at 2:03 pm

      This sounds like a light, refreshing dessert and I love the frozen fruit trick. My husband and I are trying to eat healthier and this fits right into that lifestyle! Great photos too!

      • Marie

        June 22, 2018 at 2:11 pm

        Thanks so much Lisa - I hope you and your husband will love it 🙂

    2. Shanika

      June 22, 2018 at 2:52 pm

      Wow, this ice cream looks so smooth and creamy! I definitely love the strawberry and banana flavors together! The perfect summer sweet treat!

      • Marie

        June 24, 2018 at 1:40 pm

        Right?! Thanks Shanika! 🙂

    3. Claudia Lamascolo

      June 22, 2018 at 3:00 pm

      I sure love all the flavors in this and it looks so creamy! I know my whole family will enjoy this ice cream..

      • Marie

        June 24, 2018 at 1:42 pm

        I hope you all love it!

    4. Beth

      June 22, 2018 at 4:14 pm

      This looks perfect for me as I can't enjoy "real" ice crream. I'm lactose intolerant so this is a perfect find! Thanks for sharing!

      • Marie

        June 24, 2018 at 1:36 pm

        I'm so glad I could help Beth! 🙂

    5. camila

      June 22, 2018 at 4:23 pm

      wow! amazing! Thats the definition of an easy and delicious recipe! Also wholesome because it doesn't involve any added sugar!! Amazing work! love your pics!

      • Marie

        June 24, 2018 at 1:37 pm

        Thanks so much Camila!

    6. Michaela Kenkel

      June 22, 2018 at 4:46 pm

      I can't wait to make this this weekend! There is nothing better than the combination of strawberries and bananas -- and this dessert virtually guilt free!

      • Marie

        June 24, 2018 at 1:38 pm

        I know, right?! Such a great combo! I hope you love it Michaela! 🙂

    7. Liz

      June 24, 2018 at 3:11 pm

      Hi Marie, this looks so delicious!!! If I were to add some coconut milk to this recipe how much would I add? Thanks for the recipe.

      • Marie

        June 24, 2018 at 3:18 pm

        Hi Liz! Thanks 🙂 It depends! Do you want to add coconut milk to get your food processor/blender going or to add a coconut taste? If it's only for the machine, about 1/4 cup should be enough. If it's for the taste, I would start with 1/4 cup, taste and add more as needed. You could also manually stir in some desiccated coconut at the end. Hope this helps!

    8. Terry C.

      April 19, 2020 at 7:04 am

      HI Marie,

      I have made this recipe twice now. Once with strawberries and once with raspberries. Immediately it is ready to eat, but your picture looks more set up rather than soft serve. When I freeze mine it is as hard as a rock and very much icy in texture, where yours looks so creamy. Also both mine have bee named on the tart side. Could I add stevia to sweeten?

      What am I doing wrong not to achieve your results? Please advise. Thank you.

      • Marie

        May 06, 2020 at 6:50 pm

        Hi Terry, Try and put it in the freezer for 3 hours, then it should be perfect for scooping. If it has been sitting in the freezer for longer, it does get quite solid. To make it easy to scoop place it in the fridge until it softens or let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes before scooping! Yes, stevia is a great addition if you feel it's not sweet enough or if your bananas were not that sweet. Hope this helps. Cheers

    9. A.H.

      August 18, 2020 at 11:30 pm

      It is a nice substitute for ice cream and so easy. Love it! I can't wait to try the variations.

      • Marie

        August 25, 2020 at 5:03 pm

        Thank you, I love it too! Glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂

    10. Ifeoma

      October 03, 2020 at 12:27 pm

      Looks very nice and creamy. I will give it a try. Many thanks!

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