If you're looking for a snack (or breakfast) that feels like a treat but is made with everyday ingredients, this peanut butter banana ice cream is one of my go-to recipes! It’s creamy, naturally sweet, and made with just frozen bananas, peanut butter, plain yogurt, and a splash of milk. No added sugar, no ice cream maker! Just blend, freeze, and scoop. The next time your toddler asks for ice cream in the morning, just hand them this!
Why You and Your Toddler Will Love This Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
- it feels like a treat but it's actually nourishing - your toddler thinks they’re getting ice cream, but you know it’s just bananas, peanut butter, yogurt, and milk blended together (yay for no sugar crash)
- wholesome ingredients - no added sugar and just 4 simple foods you probably already have on hand
- quick and easy - toss everything in the blender, freeze, and scoop (use less liquid to make it thicker and skip the freezing!)
- nutrient-packed - bananas add fiber and potassium, peanut butter brings protein and healthy fats, yogurt adds probiotics for little bellies, and hemp hearts sneak in extra iron and omega-3s
- totally customizable - this can be made dairy-free and nut-free by just a couple swaps!
Your toddler would also love my frozen yogurt bark or banana avocado popsicles!
Jump to:
- Why You and Your Toddler Will Love This Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
- Ingredients You'll Need
- How To Make Your Peanut Banana Ice Cream
- Hint For Prepping Banana Ice Cream
- Substitutions
- Variations
- Equipment
- Storing Your Banana Ice Cream
- Tiff's Dietitian Tip
- FAQ
- Related
- Pairing
- Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream (5 ingredients, no added sugar)
Ingredients You'll Need
Here's what you'll need for this simple peanut butter banana ice cream:
- bananas (frozen): naturally sweet, creamy base with fiber and potassium.
- peanut butter: adds richness, protein, and healthy fats
- plain yogurt: boosts creaminess and probiotics for gut health (can omit if desired)
- milk of choice: helps blend into a silky texture
- hemp hearts: tiny but mighty seeds with protein, iron, and omega-3s
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Your Peanut Banana Ice Cream
- Step 1: Slice ripe bananas and spread out on parchment paper. Freeze until solid.
- Step 2: Add frozen bananas, peanut butter, yogurt, milk, and hemp hearts into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping sides as needed.
- Step 3: Transfer mixture into a loaf pan or freezer-safe container, smooth the top, cover, and freeze 2–3 hours.
- Step 4: Let sit on the counter for 5 minutes, then scoop and enjoy!
Hint For Prepping Banana Ice Cream
Slice and freeze your bananas ahead of time in single layers on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer bag. This way they don’t totally stick together, and you’ll always have the perfect base ready for quick peanut butter banana ice cream whenever your toddler asks for a treat.
Substitutions
This peanut butter banana ice cream is already naturally gluten-free and can easily be adjusted to fit any dietary need!
- dairy-free - use dairy-free yogurt (or skip) and swap the milk for any dairy-free milk of choice (coconut, soy, almond, oat, etc)
- nut-free - omit peanut butter or swap for sunflower seed butter
Variations
You can totally add different mix-ins to add more flavor to this peanut butter banana ice cream!
- chocolate chip banana ice cream - blend or stir in some mini chocolate chips
- chunky monkey banana ice cream - add 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder and chocolate chips for a double whammy of chocolate peanut butter!
- strawberry banana - add some frozen strawberries into this and swap the peanut butter for almond or cashew butter for a strawberry banana version
Want this to be extra creamy? Use full fat yogurt and milk, or swap the milk out for coconut cream!
Equipment
All you really need to make this peanut butter banana ice cream is a good blender or food processor to blend everything smooth and creamy. A freezer-safe container or loaf pan works perfectly for storing the ice cream, and an ice cream scoop makes serving easier once it’s set. That’s it, no fancy ice cream maker required!
Storing Your Banana Ice Cream
This ice cream is best enjoyed within 1 week for the creamiest texture. After that, it may get a little icy, but it’s still safe to eat for up to 2–3 months if kept in a tightly sealed, freezer-safe container. For easier scooping, let it thaw on the counter for 5–10 minutes before serving. Pro tip: freeze in smaller portions (like silicone molds or popsicle trays) so you can grab just what you need without defrosting the whole batch!
Tiff's Dietitian Tip
Bananas are a great source of natural sweetness, fiber, and potassium. But the real boost in this recipe comes from the hemp hearts! They’re packed with protein, iron, and omega-3s which can sometimes be tricky for toddlers to get enough of. Blending them right into the ice cream means your little one won’t even notice, but you’ll know every bite is giving them a little extra nutrition. Plus, they bonus as *sprinkles* on top!
FAQ
Yes! As long as they've been introduced to the allergens (peanuts and dairy) prior. If you want to do just banana + yogurt or milk, you totally can!
Yes! Fresh berries, granola, crushed graham crackers, dye-free sprinkles or even a drizzle of nut butter make fun, toddler-friendly toppings. Just keep mix-ins soft and small for little eaters.
Yes. The yogurt adds extra creaminess and probiotics, but you can skip it if you need the recipe to be dairy-free. Just add a splash more milk to help everything blend smoothly.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with peanut butter banana ice cream:
Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream (5 ingredients, no added sugar)
Equipment
- ice cream scoop
- parchment paper for freezing banana slices
- baking sheet for freezing banana slices
Ingredients
- 3 large ripe bananas sliced and frozen
- 2 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
- ¼ cup plain yogurt Greek or regular
- ¼-½ cup milk of choice start with less, add more as needed
- 2 tablespoon hemp hearts
Instructions
- Slice bananas and lay out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid.
- Add frozen banana slices, peanut butter, yogurt, milk, and hemp hearts to a blender or food processor.
- Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Transfer mixture into a freezer-safe container or loaf pan, cover, and freeze for 2–3 hours.
- Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping and serving.
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