How To Make Creamy Ice Cream with Just One Ingredient! — Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn

A few years ago I shared my favorite magic trick in the kitchen: creamy ice cream made with just one ingredient. Yes, that’s right — just one ingredient, and no ice cream maker needed!

What is this one magic ingredient that can be whipped into rich and silky ice cream, with no additional dairy, sweeteners, or ingredients needed whatsoever?

One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream: Watch the Video

The Magic of Bananas

If you guessed BANANA, congratulations! You’re right! What? You didn’t know that bananas can make pretty fabulous ice cream, all by themselves? Well, I didn’t either until my sister mentioned that she had been freezing bananas and puréeing them into ice cream.

“That’s the sort of thing you discover,” she sighed, “when all your friends are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-allergic, and you’re on a no-added-sugar diet.”

Her discovery, it turned out, was one that has been known for a long time in health food circles (although still magically new to us). 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 custard ice cream.

I was surprised at this bit of kitchen wizardry; I assumed that a blended banana would be flaky or icy like other frozen fruit. But no — it makes creamy, rich ice cream, thanks to its high pectin content.

And That Was Only the Beginning

My sister has been experimenting with adding in another ingredient or two, like a tablespoon of peanut butter and another of honey, and since we first published this most basic of recipes, I’ve also played around with versions of banana ice cream that include Nutella, cocoa powder, and strawberry. (My favorite, though, has a touch of sweetened condensed milk and cinnamon.)

Have You Tried It Yet?

Have you ever tried frozen-banana ice cream? Has it entered your easy dessert repertoire since we first published it a few years ago? It’s an easy way to stay cool and use up overripe bananas at the same time.

In case you’re new to this really marvelous treat, here are step-by-step instructions to get you in on the banana ice cream secret. Isn’t it time you gave it a try?

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Start with a ripe banana. Make sure the banana is ripe, it should be sweet and soft.