Single-Ingredient Mango or Banana Ice Cream Recipe

About ten years ago my dad and stepmom, Val, gave us a seriously powerful juicer — a Champion. It’s loud, relentless, and built to juice everything. For a while I used it mainly for juices for the kids (real juice, not sugary soda substitutes). But there’s a limit to how much juice a family can drink.

One day we were hovering in Val’s kitchen, expertly arranging our hopeful faces, and she offered to make a snack. She pulled frozen mango strips and bananas from the freezer, set up the juicer and fed the frozen fruit into it. The motor spun and out came something unexpected: a velvety, creamy substance that looked and tasted like ice cream.

It tasted unbelievably rich — like indulgent soft-serve. We couldn’t wait for a bowl of our own; spoons kept darting to the bowl beneath the juicer. The kids gave it a name that stuck: “Fruit Poop.” Yes, we all giggled, and yes, even my grown husband calls it that now. But what mattered was the taste.

That summer it became our go-to dessert. For years I kept bags of mango strips, banana chunks, and other frozen fruit in the freezer. The only annoyance was flimsy containers whose lids would sometimes break when prying them open. Freezer bags slid between other frozen items, which was inconvenient.

I recently switched to Glad Freezerware and it solved those problems. The containers are designed for the freezer, microwave- and dishwasher-safe, and hold up well. They make storing frozen fruit easier, and the lids stay intact when you open them — a small but meaningful win for busy families.

Here’s how I prepare the one-ingredient ice cream. Slice ripe mangoes or bananas into strips or one-inch chunks. Lay the pieces in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Freezing them individually prevents one giant lump of fruit; even the strongest juicer or food processor can’t turn lump-o-fruit into smooth ice cream.

Once frozen, transfer the pieces to freezer-safe containers so they’re ready whenever the craving hits. Try not to nibble at this stage — frozen fruit tastes good on its own, but it becomes magical when blitzed into “ice cream.”

The lids didn’t shatter — hooray!

Resist sneaking bites of the frozen fruit if you can. You want enough to make this silky treat.

This really is some of the best-tasting food I’ve had. Look at the banana “ice cream” — it’s practically indistinguishable from vanilla ice cream in texture and flavor.

I love it plain, but a little drizzle of chocolate syrup is a delicious indulgence if you want to dress it up.

We also enjoy combinations: mango and banana is a favorite, and blueberry and banana is fantastic too. Experiment with different fruits — you’ll be surprised how creamy and custard-like frozen fruit becomes when processed. It tastes like soft-serve frozen custard, but it’s real fruit and much healthier.

One Ingredient Mango (or Banana) Ice Cream

Rebecca Lindamood

You’ll have to taste it to believe it: super-creamy, luscious “ice cream” made from just frozen fruit. Whether you use mango, banana, or another fruit, the result is rich, soft-serve–like and perfect for cooling off on hot days.

Ingredients

For Mango ‘Ice Cream’:

Strips or small chunks of frozen mango
About 1 to 1½ mangos yields one very generous or two medium servings

For Banana ‘Ice Cream’ (tastes like vanilla ice cream):

Strips or small chunks of frozen banana
About 1½ bananas equals one very generous or two smaller servings

Instructions

For Either Flavor Using a Juicer:

Use the blank plate attachment on a juicer designed for whole fruit. Add frozen fruit pieces to the hopper and press down gently until the fruit is extruded into a creamy texture.
Serve immediately for a soft-serve texture, or pack into freezer-safe containers, cover and freeze until firm. Best the day it’s made, but you can store it longer and allow it to soften slightly before serving.

For Either Flavor Using a Food Processor:

Place frozen fruit pieces in the food processor bowl fitted with the metal blade. Process until a soft-serve consistency forms, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
Serve immediately or pack into freezerware containers, cover and freeze until solid. Best eaten the day it’s made, but can be stored and slightly softened before serving.

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the ingredients you use with your preferred nutrition calculator.