Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream (vegan) - Elavegan (2024)

This 2-ingredient peanut butter ice cream recipe is every peanut butter lover’s dream come true! It takes just minutes to prep and is vegan (dairy-free), gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and can be enjoyed immediately or frozen for later! Best of all, this banana nice cream is packed with creamy peanut butter flavor in a wonderful soft-serve consistency!

After posting my recipe for vegan caramel a few days ago, I couldn’t shake my craving for a big bowl of ice cream to drizzle the caramel all over. Peanut butter and caramel is a creamy, dreamy combination so it was settled. As it is, I’m off to Germany soon (In fact, I’m already here by the time you see this!). So, wanting something quick and simple to make with the ingredients in my kitchen brought me to this amazing two-ingredient peanut butter ice-cream!

So, what’s the secret to this homemade dairy-free ice cream? It’s bananas, of course! This recipe is actually for a peanut butter banana nice cream – and who can deny that peanut butter and bananas are a dream team combo.

I quite often serve my peanut butter mousse with banana slices. I also enjoy PB in this creamy banana milkshake, mixed into baked banana oatmeal, added to vegan banana pudding, and sometimes I’ll just slather slices of banana with peanut butter and some cacao nibs for a quick treat! Need I go on…

All you need is ripe bananas, creamy peanut butter, and a high-speed blender or food processor to create this soft-serve-style healthy ice cream recipe. Want it a little firmer? No problem, just stick it in the freezer until it’s firm and scoopable!

The Ingredients and Substitutions

• Peanut butter: I prefer to use all-natural, unsweetened peanut butter. However, any peanut butter should work for this recipe.
• Bananas: Make sure to use ripe, frozen bananas for sweet and creamy nice cream (the ones you haven’t already used for banana bread, that is!).
• Maple syrup: This is 100% optional for those of you with a sweet tooth. I found extra sugar wasn’t necessary, especially with the natural sweetness of the banana.

Optional Add-ins:

• Dairy-free chocolate chips: After blending the ingredients to creamy perfection, you can add a handful of chocolate chips and pulse just a few times to mix them into the ice cream without breaking them into pieces.
• Vegan caramel: I love to serve this homemade peanut butter ice cream with a good drizzle of caramel. However, you could also fold it into the ice cream before popping it into the freezer for scoops with a caramel swirl.
• For chocolate peanut butter banana nice cream: All you need to do for a delicious chocolate PB ice cream recipe is to add some cocoa powder. I recommend adding 1/4 cup, then increase to taste.

You could also add in extras like a dash of cinnamon, a pinch of sea salt, or a drizzle of vanilla extract to this dairy-free ice cream.

For thefull ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information, please read the recipe card below.

How to Make Peanut Butter Ice Cream

• First, if you don’t already have frozen bananas in your freezer, then you’ll need to freeze some. Peel and chop the bananas into 1-inch (2.5cm) large slices and add them to a freezer-safe container. Use parchment paper between layers of slices, so they don’t stick together while freezing.
• Freeze them until solid. This will take at least an hour but can also be done overnight. Then allow them to thaw for 20 minutes before continuing with the recipe.
• Add the frozen bananas, peanut butter, and (optional) maple syrup to a high-speed blender/processor. Blend until the mixture is creamy and lump-free. This may take several minutes.

If you have a lower-powered machine, then you might need to give it breaks while blending. Alternatively, allow the banana pieces to thaw for a few more minutes before trying again. Using the blender tamper (if it has one) also really helps.

• If you love the creamy soft-serve consistency, you can enjoy the banana peanut butter ice cream immediately. Otherwise, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze again until it’s a scoopable consistency (1-2 hours usually).

If you freeze the ice cream overnight (or longer), it will be pretty solid. Let it thaw for about 15-25 minutes before scooping.

How to Serve Peanut Butter Nice Cream?

Serve it up with a drizzle of caramel sauce, extra peanut butter, chocolate chips, or a bit of whipped coconut cream.

You could also top the ice cream with crushed cookies like these peanut butter cookies or snickerdoodles, or use the cookies to create an ice cream sandwich!

How to Store?

To Store: Once blended, you can enjoy this vegan low-calorie ice cream immediately or freeze for later. Store it wrapped up (in tin foil) or with a lid to avoid freezer burn. Store it for between 2-3 weeks in the freezer (if you don’t eat it all within 2-3 minutes.)

To prep this peanut butter ice cream in advance, you can store banana slices in the freezer at all times. That way, it’ll take just minutes to blend up and enjoy!

FAQs

Can I substitute the peanut butter?

Well, you obviously won’t have the delicious peanut butter flavor without the peanut butter. However, you could technically substitute it with another nut butter like almond butter instead for an equally delicious vegan ice cream recipe. Use sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version.

What is nice cream?

Whereas regular ice cream is loaded with heavy dairy and tons of sugars, nice cream (or nicecream) is a sugar-free, dairy-free ‘instant’ frozen dessert made by blending frozen fruit into a creamy, soft-serve consistency. Why is it called nicecream? Because it mocks ice cream but is nicer on our bodies (the few minutes prep is pretty nice, too!).

Recipe Notes

• Using pre-frozen banana: If you have banana already sitting in your freezer that’s not in coins, don’t worry. You can use halved or even whole frozen bananas for this method if you have a good blender/food processor. If not, then you’ll just need to allow for a little more thawing time. Or, add a little plant-based milk to the machine while blending to help it along.
• Soft serve vs. harder: I love the texture of this vegan ice cream when it’s freshly made and frozen just enough to be scoopable without becoming solid. When you save some for later, it slightly loses some of that soft, whippy texture (although it still tastes great!).
• Experiment with add-ins: There are several ways to adapt this recipe (some mentioned above), so experiment to find your best flavor combinations!

More Vegan Peanut Butter Recipes

• White chocolate peanut butter cups
• Peanut butter truffles
• 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies
• Peanut butter crunch bars
• Peanut butter chocolate cake
• Delicious peanut butter noodles

If you’re interested in other vegan ice cream recipes, you might like this healthy chocolate ice-cream.

If you try this banana peanut butter ice cream recipe, I’d love a comment and★★★★★recipe ratingbelow. Also, please don’t forget totag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebookwith@elavegan and #elavegan – I love seeing them.