This Chocolate Banana Ice Cream is an outrageously easy, 2-ingredient nice cream recipe that shows you how to make ice cream with bananas and cocoa! Creamy, delicious, and only 84 calories!
You knew this post had to happen since I shared my banana ice cream. It was pretty much inevitable.
To be honest, though, I feel kinda guilty even sharing this recipe because of how easy it is.
This is why I feel guilty...
Wait. So, Lacey, you took your 1 ingredient banana ice cream recipe and added cocoa powder and created a whole new post?
And then this is me...
Yup.
So, let me explain. I think I make this right.
Yes, the banana ice cream is amazeballs. Mind blowing, even. But you know what it isn't?
Chocolate ice cream.
Well, I mean the regular, store-bought kind. That stuff is full of saturated fats, refined sugar, and other additives our body doesn’t need.
This frozen banana chocolate ice cream, on the other hand, proves that you can have all that delicious chocolatey-ness, minus the calories and fat. This, my dear friends, is a nice cream.
Because we all need a go-to chocolate ice cream recipe. You need it, I need it. It's just like a necessary life thing.
And, if it's healthy and even clean eating, then THAT's worth sharing.
What Is a Nice Cream?
A "nice cream" is ice cream made of frozen bananas and other wholesome ingredients, like chocolate, dried fruit, or nuts. It’s no-churn, cleaner, healthier, and a dessert that will please just about everyone: vegans, paleo eaters, picky kids, and busy moms like me! The reason why it's called "nice" is because it contains no dairy or other ingredients considered to be vegan (i.e. causing harm or violating the rights of animals).
Is Ice Cream Made out of Bananas Good for You?
This banana and chocolate ice cream is made of just two ingredients: sliced, frozen bananas and dark cocoa powder, which means its low-fat, full of vitamins, and even counts as one of your five-a-day. The high pectin found in the bananas is what gives this frozen banana and chocolate ice cream that wonderful soft-serve, creamy texture.
P.S. You can totally have this ice cream for breakfast AND still be healthy. Just sayin'.
Okay, I'm glad we're all on the same page now. Few.
So I make this chocolate banana ice cream using my Cuisinart food processor, not an ice cream maker. You could also use a heavy-duty kitchen blender, like a Vitamix.
Speaking of, if you are not yet the proud owner of your very own food processor, it's a great investment in your healthy lifestyle. For example, it can make...
- cauliflower mashed potatoes
- homemade peanut butter
- sorbets --> like my cantaloupe sorbet and lemon blueberry sorbet
- ice creams --> like my banana ice cream and THIS chocolate banana ice cream
- frozen yogurts --> like my fresh peach frozen yogurt and strawberry frozen yogurt
- energy balls, bites and bars --> like my chocolate cherry bites, apricot and flaxseed bars, and chocolate peanut butter balls
- cauliflower rice --> like in my cauliflower pizza crust and slow cooker chicken burrito bowls
I think you get my point. Food processor = amazingly useful.
Okay. So let's talk about this chocolate ice cream right here.
It's creamy, rich and smooth, chocolatey and sweet, all with just 84 calories in a serving.
In other words, drop everything you're doing right now, go slice up those bananas you have sitting on the counter, and freeze them. 😉
Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
Equipment
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe bananas
- 2 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
Instructions
- Slice the bananas into approximately ¼ inch slices and place the on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, allowing the slices a little space in between so they don’t touch each other.
- Place them into the freezer and freeze for at least 3-4 hours to allow to fully harden.
- Place the frozen banana slices into the bowl of a food processor or a heavy duty blender.
- Process the banana, scraping the sides of the food processor as needed. After a few minutes, the mixture will resemble soft-serve ice cream.
- Add the dark cocoa powder at this time and blend again - you may need to use a spatula to help it along at this time.
- While you could eat the ice cream right now, it will be super soft, so I recommend transferring it to an airtight container and freezing until it’s a little more solid in about 1 hour.
Video
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.
Samantha
I made this and was delicious, big hit with the kids
Lindsay Ross
The description of the recipe at the top states that it is only 129 calories and the list says 84 calories. What is the calories per serving?
Azure
This is due to its serving size.
Sonja
This looks like an amazing substitute but I dont understand how its only 84 calories when a medium banana is around 100.
Jacquie
I made this yesterday and it is so beyond delicious! It took a while for the frozen bananas to resemble soft serve ice cream in my food processor so I added a splash of water like you suggested for the strawberry yogurt. Then it came together beautifully. Once I added the cocoa, it was heaven on a spoon!
Gail
This is crazy fantastic. I am just enjoying some now. I had been wondering what to do with my spotty bananas!!!
Kiley
Hello, I was wondering if the bananas have to be frozen if you don't plan on eating it right away?
Lacey Baier
You could use fresh, unfrozen bananas and then transfer to a freezer-safe container to freeze for later, yes. The texture wont be quite the same, even when frozen, but it would work.
Alicia
This is delicious. I love that it’s so easy to make!
Deborah Dowd
This looks so amazingly decadent and just two ingredients! I am pulling out my food processor for sure!
Lacey Baier
WOOOOOT! Enjoy 🙂
dev
This ice cream looks totally divine, I made cherry banana ice cream using my blender few days back and I think this is going to be my next shot. Thanks for sharing.
Lacey Baier
YUM! Love the idea of adding cherries!
Dawn Duffu
Unbelievable - I had somehow missed the banana ice cream and am now suitably amused with both recipes!!!
Lacey Baier
Awesome - I hope you love both recipes and your life is forever changed for the better 🙂