2-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

The creamiest, 2-ingredient banana ice cream that feels just like the perfect soft serve. No ice cream maker required, no-churn, made in just 5 minutes, and super healthy with zero added sugar. Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.

The Simplest Ice Cream Ever

If you love ice cream but have never made your own ice cream because it just sounds impossible, or because you don’t own an ice cream maker, or simply because you never thought to try, I’m here to tell you it’s time we correct that!

This banana ice cream that you see before you is an ice cream lover’s bliss, that is if you like bananas, of course. I don’t think making any ice cream, or any recipe for that matter, can get any simpler than this, and once you make this, you’ll always have an ice cream recipe to pull out of your back pocket anytime.

Bananas + Vanilla Extract

Yep, you’ve read it right. The only TWO ingredients needed for this creamy banana ice cream are bananas and vanilla extract. No cream or milk is involved here, which is perfect for those with lactose intolerances!

Technically, you’ll need previously sliced and frozen bananas, but once the bananas are frozen (at least 4 hours in the freezer), all that’s needed is five minutes of hands-on time and you’re on your way to soft serve banana ice cream heaven!

TIP: Make sure to use ripe, spotty bananas (as seen in the picture below) because these are naturally sweet and have more sugars in them compared to unripe bananas. Since we are not using any additional sugars or sweeteners in the recipe, the riper your bananas, the naturally sweeter the ice cream will be.

Whip out your blender or food processor

To make this banana ice cream, you’ll require either an electric blender or a food processor.

Both will work fine, but a blender will take a little longer simply because blenders tend to have smaller capacities than food processors.

If you choose to use a blender because you don’t own a food processor (like me!), just bear in mind that you may need to put in smaller portions of bananas at a time, to prevent the motor of your blender from heating up too much.

Add 2 cups of frozen bananas and all the vanilla extract to the blender, blend it for a minute until the bananas are processed, then add the rest of the frozen bananas a bit at a time and blend until you get a creamy homogeneous mixture.

Best eaten immediately

Juan and I have come to the conclusion that this ice cream tastes best served directly from the blender.

It’s still icy cold, but oh so creamy and feels like the best dessert on earth.

Storing the ice cream

If you aren’t going to eat it immediately, I suggest transferring the ice cream to a loaf pan and covering it with plastic wrap and then freezing until ready to be eaten.

Before eating, allow ice cream to defrost slightly on the countertop for at least 15 minutes before scooping.

Top with fresh bananas and nuts for the perfect finish!

Now if you’re going to be making homemade ice cream, you’re going to also want to top this incredible soft serve with fresh sliced bananas and a sprinkle of chopped nuts.

The contrast in texture of crunchy nuts and smooth, creamy ice cream is just out of this world, and I highly recommend it. Now go make some of this incredible ice cream and indulge yourself. You deserve it!

If you enjoyed this recipe, you’ll also love these other recipes:

• Mixed Berry Coconut Yogurt Popsicles (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free)
• Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
• The Best Gluten-Free Banana Bread (Dairy-Free)
• 5-Ingredient Banana Flaxseed Waffles (Gluten-Free, Paleo)
• 2-Ingredient Banana Pancakes (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

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