Banana Soft Serve: This Post Will Change Your Life
4.36 from 17 votes

This vegan banana soft serve is a creamy, delicious frozen treat! Made with only one ingredient, it’s plant-based, dairy free, and refined sugar free. It’s also totally kid friendly.

Banana Soft Serve | The Full Helping

One of the things I delight in most is to create vegan alternatives to beloved and familiar treats. Nothing embodies this process more than the following recipe for life-changing vegan banana soft serve. I hesitate to call it a recipe, even, because it’s so ridiculously simple!

Back in my pre-vegan days, I was obsessed with low-calorie soft-serve ice creams—Tasti-D-Lite, Crema Lita, etc. (I’m sure that if I would have loved Pinkberry, too, but it appeared on the scene long after I went vegan). I’m now thankfully past the point of insisting on low calorie treats, but I’ve kept my love of soft serve ice cream. I prefer it, honestly, to traditional, firmer scoops.

If you happen to share my weakness for this type of froyo, then this is the treat for you. It’s raw, vegan, made from fresh fruit, and 100% delicious. It’s also kid-friendly and ridiculously simple to make. And, while I’m a big believer that desserts don’t have to be nutritious in order to be worthy, this one happens to be.

Friends, behold banana soft serve.

That’s right. Who knew that frozen bananas could, if given a spin in the food processor, rival the best frozen yogurt in town? Believe me, they do. Once you try this recipe, I guarantee you’ll crave it as often as conventional frozen treats. Maybe even more often. And you won’t believe how straightforward it is to make. See for yourself!

Making banana soft serve

Food processor

There are two ways to make banana soft serve: with a food processor, or in a blender. I’m devoted to using a food processor. I think it gives the soft serve the richest, creamiest texture. If you’re willing to be patient, you won’t need to add any milk to get a beautiful, whipped, smooth texture. The downside of this method is that it can be noisy and dramatic (more on this below). And of course, you’ll need a powerful food processor (at least 7 cups) to do it.

Blender

You can also use a blender to make your banana soft serve. If you do, you’ll probably need to add some non-dairy milk to get things blending. How much milk you add will depend on the blender you use: the more powerful, the less milk you’ll need to add. If you have a blender with a tamper, you can use that to keep the bananas blending without using a lot of liquid.

Tips for perfect banana ice cream

Be patient

If you use a food processor to make your banana soft serve, you’ll need to be patient. It takes a few minutes (about 5) for the bananas to reach a good consistency. The process is a lot like making homemade nut butter. There will be a moment when it seems as though the bananas will never turn into ice cream, but if you allow them to do their thing, they will.

Add liquid slowly

If you use a blender (or a Nutribullet), start with a small amount of non-dairy milk and add more slowly. I recommend one tablespoon at a time. If you add a lot of liquid at once, you’ll end up with something that’s more of a smoothie than ice cream. And while that’s lovely, it’s not the goal!

Use your tamper tool

This applies only to blender banana soft serve, but use your tamper tool if you have one. Using the tamper as you go will ensure that the soft serve can blend into creamy goodness without the need for a lot of non-dairy milk.

Adding mix-ins

Once your soft serve is ready, you can jazz it up with the addition of favorite mix-ins! Mine include melted vegan chocolate, peanut butter, vegan chocolate chips, cinnamon, and toasted coconut flakes. You can either sprinkle these add-ins on top, or you can quickly pulse or blend them into the soft serve to distribute them. A little dollop of raw, vegan whipped cream is also a nice treat.

Banana Soft Serve | The Full Helping
4.36 from 17 votes

Banana Soft Serve

Author – Gena Hamshaw
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 large or 3 medium ripe bananas, peeled, sliced, and then frozen
  • 2-6 tablespoons non-dairy milk (as needed; see instructions)
  • optional: vegan chocolate chips or roughly chopped chocolate, peanut butter, frozen blueberries, pinch of cinnamon, toasted coconut flakes, melted vegan chocolate, or any other toppings of choice

Instructions

  • If using a food processor: Place the bananas in a food processor fitted with the S blade. Turn the machine on. The bananas will get knocked around and make a lot of noise. This is normal! Keep processing until the bananas start to develop a whipped, light, creamy texture; stop when they resemble frozen yogurt. This will take 4-5 minutes. Patience is key. If your bananas are still not getting whipped up by the processor after 4 minutes, add 1-2 tablespoons nondairy milk to get things moving. When the mixture is creamy, with a rich, whipped texture, add chocolate chips, coconut, or any other mix-ins you like. Pulse to combine. Serve immediately.
  • If using a blender: Place the bananas in a blender, along with 1/4 cup milk. Blend till they have a creamy, frozen yogurt consistency. If your blender has a tamper tool, use it to facilitate blending. Add extra non-dairy milk as needed to help the bananas blend. Serve immediately with mix-ins of choice.
Banana Soft Serve | The Full Helping

Storing banana soft serve

I think that this vegan soft serve is best enjoyed when it’s just been made. However, you can re-freeze it once if you end up with extra on your hands. If you do this, you can actually return it to your blender or food processor when you’re ready to eat the leftovers. This will help you to get a creamy, whipped texture once again.

Adding other fruits

Readers often ask whether you can create fruit ice cream with other fruits. The short answer is yes, of course! Frozen cherries and mango also make wonderful fruit ice creams. When it comes to texture, though, I think bananas can’t be beat. No other fruit has given me the same smooth, creamy consistency that bananas do.

If you’d like to add another fruit, I recommend starting with a base of at least 2 bananas and adding one cup of another fruit. This will ensure that your ice cream still has that lovely, frozen yogurt consistency. My favorite fruit additions are blueberries, cherries, and peaches. If you’d like more tips (and a great recipe that includes peaches), you can check out this article.

I can’t begin to do justice to how delicious this is! So what are you waiting for? Stop reading, and start freezing those bananas you’ve got sitting on the counter. You can thank me later 😉

Have a beautiful, sunny Saturday.

xo

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    439 Comments
  1. Um… WOW! Saw this made on a few other blogs and had to make it myself within the hour.

    YUM! I had mine with PB and Co. White Chocolate PB on top. Delicious!

  2. Okay, I just made this and I was SHOCKED at how good it was! Totally tasted like ice cream or frozen yogurt! So creamy!!!

    Thanks for a nice, healthy, dairy free dessert! 🙂

  3. Yes! This post did change my life!!!! I had high hopes for this little treat and we were all amazed! Me and the kids cannot stop talking about it! Thank you for sharing! It is absolutely amazing!

  4. Hi Gena, i’ve been reading your blog for a while and really love it!!! And this recipe really rocks and I feel I need to tell you that! hahaha….. 😀
    do you live in NYC? I’m heading to NY in about 2 hours….. any suggestion of what to do/eat? or probably a meetup? I’m so curious about all the raw food revolution!!! 🙂

  5. Ok, I have been seeing this RAVED over everywhere. I have TONS of bananas in the freezer. I will definitely be making it in the near future!

  6. I tried your ice cream this morning…it was so good I had to blog about it! I added blueberry sauce to mine and felt like I was having a rich dessert!

  7. O my gosh; I am trying this tonight…this banana with cocoa looks unreal…this is going to be my dessert this evening…
    Have a great day and keep up the great posts! Thanks for this yummy ‘treat’ idea…hehe…Hope to see you soon.

    Best,

    Amie

    The Healthy Apple

  8. Yes Yes Yes! I do love the simplicity and deliciousness of frozen banana raw ice cream. In fact, I am looking forward to simplicity when I return to AZ. Goodness I need it after my foodie safari in NY! 🙂

    XOXO,
    Kristen

  9. Gena,
    I found your site from Sarah lovinmytummy. She referenced your blog when she made the banana ice cream. When I read it this morning I immediately threw to bananas in the freezer. I made it tonight for after dinner treat. Oh was it fabulous I also made the chocolate syrup. I split the serving in half and plan on eating the other half tomorrow. Since reading your blog I am very curious about incorporating some raw meals into my diet. I started a vegetarian diet in April and have enjoy it. Would you recommend incorporating raw or going vegan?
    I look forward to reading your blog from now on.

    • Hi Kathi!

      So glad you’re interested! I am vegan first and foremost, and raw second. And I think that any raw transition is much easier when you’ve gotten more accustomed to a totally plant-based diet. So perhaps some vegan steps is the best way to go.

      That said, everyone is different, and every transition is different! If you’d like some more guidance, please feel to shoot me an email and inquire about my coaching.

      Gena

  10. I make this all the time!! It’s a great treat.

    I love reading your blog. We have similar outlooks on cleansing and raw foods. I have tried to go raw cold turkey a few times, but have come to the conclusion that slowly easing into it is a better option for me. I also love colonics. Never been to see Gil (but obviously have heard of him). I usually go to LYT NYC on 5th ave. I have just started reading Natalia Rose’s Raw Detox Diet and plan on using most of the techniques I learned once I finish the book. I look forward to keeping up with your posts!

  11. I’ve been eating frozen bananas (picture 2) forever, and putting them in smoothies, but I haven’t tried blending them alone yet- I’ll be trying that asap! Red Mango is one of my guilty pleasures and I’d love to have it even less. It occurred to me that for the food-combiners out there, this is one ice cream that is perfectly fine to eat with loads of berries on top! That’s pretty awesome!
    (oh- and check out my post on Natalia’s blog about my Saturday!) 🙂

  12. Oh my gosh Gena, you did it! You’re fantastic darling, this sounds sooo good and I have so many bananas at the moment 🙂 I wonder if it were possible to alter it slightly for that yogurt-consistency I’ve been longing.

  13. This sounds so delicious! I’ve got a few near-overripe bananas on the counter right now. Going to put them in the freezer right now. Can’t wait to try this dessert. Yummo!

  14. I’ve used banana to make raw ice creams before, but never just by itself. Sounds delicious!! And the pics of that chocolate sauce look too good to be true! Mmmmmmmmmm

  15. So this definitely won’t work in a regular blender, correct? I don’t want to spend the money on a food processor, but it looks so good. Are there any affordable, good quality food processors that you recommend?

    • Hey Roxy —

      My friend Sarah (Lovinmytummy) tried it in a magic bullet and it worked, so a blender might be ok — though I really think the food processor results will be shorter and better. I recommend a cuisinart 7 cup. It’s an invaluable investment for so many reasons, and will last forever.

      Gena

  16. I actually got my mom into this last summer and despite her skepticism she ended up loving it. I’m about to expose my inner nerd here….the best part is you can have it after avos OR nuts. Amazing 🙂

  17. wow you dedicated your post to my favorite food in the world! htanks! i guess i need a food processor. I have always heard frozen bananas in the juicer taste like Mr. Softee!

  18. Gena!! Hi sweetie 🙂
    I loved the photos from your last post. Liz was so excited to have the chance to meet up with you, so glad you had a nice time together.
    And don’t you know this is my all time favorite dessert. Could it be any easier? Nope. When I’m feeling sassy I sprinkle raw cacao nibs or some maca on top too. Or try adding half frozen mango half frozen banana. Boo ya! Yum diddly um!
    Hope you are doing wonderfully!

  19. Love this recipe! They actually have a store in Ocean City, NJ where they make this! They have all kinds of vegan toppings too! I get it every time I am there! I need to try it at home but I only have a blender!

    • You can try it with a blender, Missy! But food processors are better for this stuff, and worthy investments.

  20. Great post Gena! In my early detox days I lived off of avo salads and chocolate banana ice cream. It really is amazing how creamy dreamy and fluffy it gets in the food processor!

  21. I ate a frozen banana out of the fridge yesterday and it was delicious, but I was wishing I could make it creamier. This is genius, Gina! I don’t have a food processor, but I’m going to give it a try in my blender.

  22. Oh my word! That looks incredible. I’ve had frozen bananas before, but I’ve never thought of blending them like that. LOVE the idea! Thanks so much 🙂

  23. So, my husband and I decided to try to go raw until dinner about a month ago. We bought a book and started to adjust our diet accordingly. We have been vegetarians for 11 years, but are trying to refine our diets even more. I love your site and blog and wanted to let you know that this recipe was a huge success tonight! The bananas…? Wow, what a surprise! Thanks for the realistic approach and fantastic recipes. I look to see what you have posted daily…it is my little escape from reality! Thanks so much!!!

  24. I love frozen bananas! I usually eat them plain or make them into a shake with some almond milk, but I think “ice cream” would be even better. Thanks for the food processor tip, too! 🙂

  25. i just got busted by the pilot for licking the screen. i have nanners in the freezer that are taking their SWEET time freezing… i can’t wait to try this!
    hope you had a wonderful weekend!
    i’m thinking you need a break from all of that work you’ve been doing to come to disney!
    xoxo

  26. amazing! i am trying this asap. the only thing is that i am wishing I had a bigger food processor rather than my teeny two cup one. : )

    Michal (lilearthmuffin)

  27. I’ve never posted a comment before and still a relatively new reader of yours, but had to comment because I made this tonight and am still wiping away the tears of joy over how amazingly delicious this was. Thank you THANK YOU for bringing frozen banana whip into our lives!

  28. Awesome recipe! I’m not on a raw diet but I want to slowly incorporate more raw/clean foods into my diet and yesterday and today I’ve been eating the chocomole.. It is heaven on earth!! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  29. Ah, so simple! I’m making this tonight – my 2 year old would live on bananas alone if we let him. What a nice treat this will be for my dairy-free kiddo (ok, and me, too).

  30. WOW! That’s so simple, and it sounds delicious!! I could eat my body weight in ice cream during the summer (or any season actually…), and this sounds like a great substitute!

  31. This is one of my favorite ways to have bananas! I always keep them frozen for smoothies, but I while back I started just blending the bananas with vanilla bean and topping with bee pollen, gojis, or pecans…whatever the mood. Sometimes I’ll add coconut or almond cream and it gives even another layer of richness. So fabulous! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  32. I don’t keep much in my freezer these days, but ALWAYS have frozen bananas on hand for just this reason. Sometimes I’ll scrape out a fresh vanilla bean and add it in as well.

    Okay. Now I’m not going to be able to stop thinking about it… Guess it’s time for an lil’ afternoon snack. 😀

  33. One of my all-time favorite desserts! If you have a twin-gear juicer, you can simply run the frozen banana through it with the blank filter as well–same result! 🙂

  34. I made this for “breakfast ice cream” this morning for Ryan (formerly “Chase Daylight” — new blog coming soon) and I. Absolutely delicious and amazing. I added plenty of agave / cocoa powder syrup. Very good, filling, and satisfying. Thank you!

  35. I read this just in time! My sister called me last night and told me to do the exact same thing, only she mixes in cinnamon and vanilla. My bananas are in the freezer right now! I’m going to make my ice cream tonight. 🙂 I’ll let you know how I like it!

  36. I apologize that I am commenting twice, but I just made the frozen banana ice cream and it was INCREDIBLE!!! Thank you soooo much. I have been trying to wean myself off of Tasti D-Lite and this will definitely help 🙂

  37. Thanks Gena! I am definitely going to make this soon! I never thought to use my food processor for “ice cream!”

    • Hey Christy!

      No, you don’t, but they’re sweeter when ripe or over ripe, and I much prefer them that way for desserts.

      G

  38. Oh wow! This looks great! I actually tried my own little version of this a couple nights ago to disastrous results (which of course, I embarrassingly posted on the blog)–I will definitely try your version next time!

  39. oh yes yes yes.
    i discovered this probably like a month or so ago.
    it is totallyyy is awesome. no soy taste, no perservatives, no added sugar, no nothing!! but banana of course 🙂
    ive thought about creating a post dedicated to using foods in altered states and such[frozed melt, etc of course melted would be pretty much irrelevent to you…but yeah]

  40. I still am marveling at the fact that both you and Chris came up with “raw” banana frozen desserts on the same day! Yours looks awesome. We are trying it for sure!!!

    Thanks Gena love!

  41. Ahhh no! The one day we don’t have bananas you post this! I’m not a big fan of bananas, but I love ice cream so I will definitely be trying this ASAP.

    The only appeal of frozen yogurt, to me at least, is because everyone else eats it. I’m vegan but I always feel a little tempted to if my friends are. I wish some kind of vegan “fro yo” would become mainstream!

  42. I LOVE frozen bananas with chocolate… I’ve never blended them, though, but you can bet I’ll be doing that soon!

  43. Mmmmmm, that is one of my favorite snacks ever! I also love adding some almond milk and making a milkshake. I could drink that everyday!

  44. I’m so glad you posted this! I actually heard about this years ago and was absolutely astounded by the results. And so were my college roommates! I forgot about how incredible it was though. I so needed the reminder.
    No one will believe how ice cream like it is until they try it!

  45. Genius Gena, that’s your new nickname. I’ll be trying this out in the next few days. So much yum!!! (And frozen yogurt is one of the non-vegan things I actually miss more than anything else in the world.)

  46. ive done this SO many times, i love it! i started it back in my jamba juice days (it was my first job when i was 16, what can i say?). since then, frozen bananas are one of my fave treats, and then once i got to college, i used to chop them and freeze them so often, my sorority “mom” just started doing it for me. she’d keep the freezer FULLY stocked…ahhh, those were the days. i wasnt old enough to drink, but damn if i ever ran out of frozen treats!

  47. That is such a great idea! I’m going to try it and see how it compares to ice cream. I was just having a client today tell me how much she’s been wanting ice cream in the warm weather. This could be a healthy alternative!

    And just today I told a client to try trading her gatorade for coconut water…I thought it might be a little far fetched, but I’m glad you had the same idea.

  48. WOOOT NATURE’S ICE CREAM, nothing can beat that, EVER!! It’s scary how your recipes always come at the right time, my mum just bought TWO huge bags of bananas recently, YAY…..

  49. I use frozen bananas all the time in smoothies, which I love, but even so, I have really missed a good bowl of ice cream – the thickness and creaminess. I am newly vegan but have been dairy free for 7 months. I admit, I MISS my ice cream and now I don’t have too. I went and made this as soon as I finished reading your post. A perfect treat for a warm day. Instead of chocolate sauce, I made a simple strawberry topping by slicing fresh strawberries and mixing a touch of raw agave nectar. Delicious! I might try adding a couple of frozen berries in next time too. Thank you! Now summer won’t be so dreaded since I still get a frozen treat! I can’t wait to make this for the kids – they will flip as they are dairy free too.

  50. wow that does look really really awesome and easy…easy is my favorite! I have been slowly trying new raw foods and really enjoying them. I can tell it still freaks out my parents and others though, it seems so strange to them…any advice?

  51. I just tried a single serve batch in my mini-chopper…wonderful! Have you ever tried making more than one serving at a time and then refreezing it for later? I’m thinking this would be nice to have on hand for an easy-grab scoop every now and then…

  52. OH MY GOODNESS..I’M BACK AND I TRYED IT…
    it was OH SO GOOD I wish i had someone take a picture of my face while I was eating it ..

    I used 1.5 frozen bananas, cinnamon and a drizzle of agave..process for 5 minutes..it was sooooooooooooooooooooooooo GOOD I’m gonna blog about this and link back to this post! 😀

  53. love this!!!!!!! if I wasn’t cold all the time, I’d be chuckin my naners in the freezer right now!! comon summer weather!! maybe I shouldn’t complain though- it’s much better than 95 and humid!! yuck!

    Thanks again for another wonderful recipe Gena!!!

  54. oh my goodness..I will have to try this..are you serious it comes out like THAT!?!?!? ahh…I just put 3 nanners in the freezer…must taste it to believe lol

    • frozen bananas are a MUST HAVE in my freezer at all times!!! this sounds wonderful!!! all the raw happenings, not to mention amazing social gatherings seem to happen in the big apple…what in the heck am i doing in NC where they fry every veggie they get their hands on :p

  55. Oh. My. God. I can’t wait to try this.

    I am not ashamed to admit that I will be licking the bowl clean after I make this. Like, with my face in the actual bowl and frozen banana smeared on my face.

    Whoa, did I just say “like?” Apparently I did. I’m betraying my California coast upbringing. 🙂

    • Briana, believe me, I like the bowl clean every single time this gets made at my house. I am in love with the stuff.

      Happy weekend!!

  56. What a great idea – I often blend up a few frozen bananas and a dash of soy milk, but have never tried it w/o the milk. I hope it works in a regular blender since my food processor is broken!

    No, if you can only make a healthy, vegan substitute for 1) Nutella and 2) cheese, I will be a happy girl!

  57. Aww, I wish I could eat bananas. They upset my tummy though. Maybe I could eat them blended? I wonder if it would be easier to digest =/

    • Hey Shelby!

      Bananas are already on the mushy side, so I don’t know if blending will help — especially since this is all banana 🙁 But I think you could probably enjoy it in small amounts!

  58. ::sprints to kitchen to freeze the bananas in fact sitting on counter::

    What I want to know is how you figured out that there are ripe, neglected bananas in my kitchen begging to be made into this.

  59. Sounds so fabulous, Gena! I have a bunch of frozen bananas in my freezer (for green monsters ;)), so I am ready to go. Hope you have a lovely Saturday!

  60. Gena!!

    Hi sweetie! I LOVE your blog and this post…. oh my heavens. I am in love with frozen bananers! I usually use them in my green smoothies, but… you got me intrigued to try this. SO WONDERFUL you got to meet Veggie girl. I hope to do the same, someday.

    Have a wonderful Saturday. Love your, sorta raw yoga buddy, Pol. 🙂

    XOXO

    p.s. My supper?

    Half avocado wrapped in go-juss organic romaine leaves, 2 boiled eggs (okay, not raw 😉 ) but dessert was big bowl raspberries dipped in tons of raw almond butter. Can it get any better? mmmm

    • Oh my gosh, Polly! I think we are food siblings, separated at birth!!! I love your simple food approach — it’s so frighteningly like my own.

      Love having you as a commenter, always. Big hug! xoxo

  61. I ate this treat a ton when I had my wisdom teeth taken out! I haven’t had it since then though. I must make it!

  62. i think i just died when i saw the chocolate sauce addition. how do you think this would work in a regular old blender? my food processor is currently out of commission (which put a serious damper on my life), but i would still love to try this!

    • Alas, Leslie, I don’t think that will work!! Regular blenders tend to be pretty useless unless you’re adding liquid. Try it, though — and let me know if it works!!

  63. I’ve had great results using frozen bananas in smoothies, and I can’t believe I never thought to process them into soft serve – brilliant! I will definitely be trying this idea.

  64. Ooooohh…Aaaahhhh….

    I just love it. Thanks for this. I bet a strawberry sauce would also be fantastic on top. Or blueberries! I just swooned.

  65. LOVE this. Banana soft serve has saved my butt so many times. Adding a date or two really masks the banana flavour if you want a more “authentic” vanilla. In fact, I think I could go for a bit of ice cream right now. 😉 Maybe with cinnamon…