Ice Cream With Just One Ingredient

Faith Durand

How to Make Ice Cream With Just One Ingredient

Here's how you can make creamy, soft-serve style ice cream with just one ingredient -- bananas -- and no ice cream maker is needed!

You didn't know that simple bananas can make some of the best ice cream? Well, I didn't either until recently, when my sister called me up and mentioned that she's been freezing bananas and then pureeing them into ice cream.

"That's the sort of thing you discover," she sighed, "when all your friends are vegan, gluten-free and dairy-allergic, and you're on a sugar-free diet." I'd deal with a list of dietary restrictions twice as long, though, if it meant discovering more treats like this one.

It turns out that frozen bananas are good for more than just dipping in chocolate. If you freeze a banana until solid, then whiz it up in a blender or food processor, it gets creamy and a little gooey, just like good custard ice cream. I was surprised at this bit of kitchen wizardry; I had assumed that a blended banana would be flaky or icy. But no -- the smidgen of fat in bananas makes creamy, rich texture.

Some bananas, depending on their ripeness, have a bit of that green aftertaste. My sister has been experimenting with adding in another ingredient or two, like a tablespoon of peanut butter and another of honey. The results are delicious.

One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

Prep Time: 15 minutes (Plus 1 to 2 hours for bananas to freeze).

Yield: Makes 4 servings

One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream Ingredients

4 ripe bananas

One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream Recipe Instructions

Peel bananas first and cut them into small pieces.

Freeze for 1 to 2 hours on a plate.

Remove from freezer and blend, blend, blend - scraping down the bowl when they stick.

Enjoy the magic moment when they turn into ice cream!

Subscribe to Receive our Gourmet Recipes

FOOD, DRINK & RECIPES [...]

How to Make Ice Cream with Just One Ingredient - One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream Recipe