Ninja Creami Banana Ice Cream
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When trying to think of new flavors to create in our Ninja Creami, one of the first things I did was search for "most popular ice cream flavors" on Google. Give the people what they want, right?
Most of the flavors in the list didn't surprise me: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, Oreo, cookie dough, etc. But one flavor did stand out to me that I did not expect to be on the list: banana ice cream.
Maybe the reason I didn't think it would show up on the list is because I'm not the world's biggest banana fan. Eating a fresh banana isn't bad, but most food items I've had that are banana-flavored just don't do it for me. They typically end up tasting artificial and have too strong of a flavor.
So when Alex and I decided to make banana ice cream, we made sure it had a natural banana flavor and didn't taste too fake or artificial.
To accomplish that, we used ripe bananas and only a bit of banana extract. The result was a fantastic, creamy banana ice cream that we'll be making again and again! It's converted me into a banana ice cream believer, and after you try it, you might be converted to!
So grab your bananas and other ice cream ingredients and get ready to make one of the best Ninja Creami recipes!
To Make Dairy-Free Banana Ice Cream, Use the Following:
- 1 tbsp vegan cream cheese for 1 tbsp cream cheese
- 1 cup oat milk for 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup cream of coconut for 3/4 cup heavy cream
First Time Using the Ninja Creami or Looking for Tips?
While the Ninja Creami is a machine with only 7 (or 11) buttons, it can still be intimidating! Here are a few tips and tricks Alex and I have picked up since beginning our ice cream journey with the Ninja Creami!
- Is the banana ice cream smooth, or does it have small banana chunks throughout? We used ripe bananas and pureed them in the food processor. Adding these in gave us a smooth banana consistency throughout the ice cream with no chunkiness. However, if you do want some chunky banana pieces, simply hand mash the bananas instead of using a food processor!
- Any suggested mix-ins? My favorite mix-in is caramel sauce (or just a topping of caramel sauce)! Caramel and banana go so well together!
- If I put the pint back into the freezer, do I need to mix the ice cream up again before enjoying? Surprisingly, no! When using the typical base ingredients (whole milk, heavy cream), re-spinning is probably best to get the ice cream back to its original creamy consistency after freezing. However, we have found when using oat milk and cream of coconut, our first spin leaves the ice cream very creamy (almost like a soft-serve texture). After putting it in the freezer for 24 hours after this original spin, the ice cream is the perfect texture to enjoy without re-spinning! My suggestion is see how the texture is without a re-spin, and re-spin only as necessary!
- What button should I use to spin my ice cream? This all depends on the consistency you’re going for! Each button operates the machine at varying speeds. For thicker concoctions (like ice cream), the ice cream button is best. However, if using eggs in the recipe (like a gelato), use the gelato button! The sorbet button is best used with fruit mixtures. For example, if mixing a can of pineapples in heavy syrup, use the sorbet button to make a delicious fruity creation! Overall, it’s something you can experiment with to find your personal preference for your ice cream consistency.
Looking for More Ninja Creami Recipes?
If you’re on the hunt for more Ninja Creami recipes, be sure to grab one of our recipe e-books, Top 25 Ninja Creami Recipes ($2.99), or the great value of over 50 recipes in Ninja Creami Cookbook: Ice Cream & Gelato Edition! Each includes favorites such as cake batter gelato, red velvet ice cream, Shirley Temple ice cream, and many more!
If you’re like us and are running out of ice cream storage containers, grab a two-pack of Ninja Creami pints to keep your freezer full with all of your ice cream creations!
Or if you don't have a Ninja Creami and are on the fence about getting one, check out my honest review!
Do You Want to Make Your Own Ninja Creami Cookbook?
If you want to make your own version of a Ninja Creami cookbook, check out our Ninja Creami Recipe Page Template! Besides the fun design, it has space to write the spin setting, number of servings, ingredients, directions, and notes (everything a Creami recipe needs)!
Banana ice cream uses banana extract and ripe bananas to bring a natural banana flavor to this delicious treat!
To make this recipe in the Ninja Creami Deluxe, multiply all ingredients by 1.5
Note: 1 serving = 1 pint
- 1 tbsp Cream Cheese
- 1/2 tsp Banana Extract
- 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 1/2 cup Ripe, Pureed Banana
Place 1 tbsp cream cheese in a medium bowl and microwave for 5-10 seconds. If the cream cheese was in the fridge, these 5-10 seconds in the microwave will help soften it up to mix well with the other ingredients.
Combine cream cheese with 1/2 tsp banana extract and 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Whisk until the ingredients are mixed together.
In a food processor, puree 2 ripe bananas. Note: If you want chunkier ice cream, hand mash the bananas instead of using a food processor.
Measure 1/2 cup pureed bananas and whisk into the cream cheese/extract/sugar mixture.
Slowly whisk in 1 cup whole milk and 3/4 cup heavy cream.
Pour the mixture into a Ninja Creami pint container, ensuring it does not go over the max fill line.
Freeze the pint for 24 hours, ensuring it is placed on a flat surface in the freezer.
After 24 hours, remove the pint from the freezer, and plug in your Ninja Creami machine! Time for the magic.
Remove the lid from the pint and grab the Ninja Creami outer bowl. Place the pint securely into the outer bowl and cover with the lid. Once the lid is on, place the outer bowl into the machine, twisting to the right until it locks into place. Press the "Ice Cream" button and (try to) wait patiently for the creamy treat coming your way.
Once the process is finished, press and hold the button on the left side of the Creami to twist the bowl to the left and remove it from the machine. Twist the lid off of the outer bowl and remove the pint.
Now your banana ice cream is ready to enjoy!
If you don't like following recipes, don't worry - you can customize it however you want! We personally use oat milk and coconut cream to avoid most of the dairy, and it's some of the best ice cream we've ever had.
If you liked this recipe, check out our recipe for strawberry ice cream here.
Thank you for using the recipe!