A creamy chocolate peanut butter soft serve ice cream made with just 3 ingredients. All you need is peanut butter, cocoa powder and frozen bananas.
Back in 2016, when I started sharing food photos on Instagram, in the peak of smoothie bowls and energy bites, this was the recipe that got me started. This banana ice cream was the base of many of my posts, from loaded ice cream bowls to chia ice cream parfaits. At that point, I was making this banana ice cream every morning for breakfast.
I’ve made this recipe countless times now, but this was the original. At that time, I called it nice cream, as it was known as on social media back then, though I’ve since started using the term “banana ice cream” to avoid labeling food as morally “nice” or “good”. Either way, it continues to be a delicious and nutritious snack that I enjoy all year round.
Since then, I’ve also shared a version 2.0, which you can find here, along with better photography. If you’d like to try my original recipe, you can find it below.
Here are the steps to make a simple dairy-free chocolate peanut butter soft serve at home.
Start by slicing the bananas and freezing them in an airtight container overnight or for at least 12 hours. To prevent the banana slices from sticking together, you can place the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze them for about 1 hour, then transfer them to an airtight container. This is not necessary, but it can save you from needing to break up banana slice clumps the next day.
When the bananas are ready, place them in a food processor, along with the peanut butter and cocoa powder. Process until smooth. If you have a weaker blender or if it’s not blending properly, you can add a splash of your favorite plant-based milk.
Serve the banana ice cream immediately with toppings of choice.
For a nut-free option, you can replace the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter.
If you have a strong blender, you should be able to make this recipe. You might need to add a splash of plant-based milk to get it started, which might result in a softer ice cream. I found a strong food processor to be the best tool for this recipe.
For more banana ice cream recipes, you can try this oatmeal cookie dough banana ice cream and this peanut butter strawberry swirl ice cream with cookie dough crumble.
If you make this chocolate peanut butter soft serve, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys. And of course, if you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
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Hey Caroline, can you prepare this "Nice Cream" recipe with something else than using bananas?
Hi! Bananas will definitely give you the best results. It will be sweet, creamy and really similar to ice cream. If you can't eat bananas, I would try using frozen mangoes. It won't be as close to ice cream and it won't be as versatile (I don't suggest adding peanut butter and chocolate to mangoes! Haha), but it would make a good creamy sorbet! I would also try adding other fruits with the mangoes, like strawberries, raspberries or even pineapple! If it doesn't blend properly in the food processor, try adding a splash of juice or water. :)
Oh my wow! I'm just sitting here *drooling* over this pure deliciousness before me! I'm peanut obsessed and you're going to the next level! x
Thank you so much! Haha! I'm obsessed with peanut butter as well and this is my favorite way to use it. :)