Banana Nice Cream

Steps

1. Slice ripe bananas into coins and spread them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for at least 4 hours or until completely solid.

2. Add the frozen banana slices to a high-speed blender or food processor. Pulse several times to break them into small chunks.

3. Blend continuously, scraping down the sides every 30 seconds. The mixture will go from crumbly to a thick, creamy soft-serve consistency — be patient and resist adding liquid.

4. Add the cacao powder and sea salt. Blend again until the color is uniform and everything is well combined.

5. Serve immediately for a soft-serve texture, or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 30 minutes for a firmer scoop.

Why It Works

Bananas are naturally high in pectin and starch, which give them a creamy, ice-cream-like texture when frozen and blended. The cacao powder adds rich chocolate flavor without any refined sugar, while the sea salt amplifies sweetness and rounds out the bitterness of the cacao.

Tips

• Use overripe bananas. The browner the banana, the sweeter your nice cream will be — no sweetener needed.
• Don’t add liquid too soon. It’s tempting to add milk when the mixture looks crumbly, but keep blending. It will come together into a smooth, thick cream on its own.
• Freeze in portions. If you freeze leftovers, let them sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before scooping — they set harder than regular ice cream.