The easiest Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream Bars! Just 5 ingredients (plus salt) and ridiculously easy to make. No molds or churning required.
When the sun is shining, easy Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream Bars are where it's at. I mean, is there anything better than the classic peanut-butter-banana combo?
And when I say easy I really do mean easy. No churning and no fancy molds are required for this vegan ice cream recipe. Is there anything better than the classic peanut-butter-banana combo?
Recipe video
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With one of these and an Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso, you'll be cooling down in very tasty style this summer!
Ingredients & Equipment
To make this recipe you will be needing:
You can use a food processor or a blender to make these bars, and it doesn't need to be high-powered because the bananas are not frozen like most nice-cream recipes. You will also need an 8 x 8-inch inch freezer-safe pan/dish.
Success tip - In this recipe, it's important not to reduce the sugar. It's there for sweetness and caramel flavour, but also works to stop the ice cream from freezing too hard.
How to make Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream Bars
You are just a few simple steps away from enjoying a ridiculously delicious, peanut buttery, chocolatey, frozen dessert treat. Here's how it's done:
- Add the ripe bananas and other ice cream ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until the texture is completely smooth.
- Pour into a lined 8 x 8-inch pan and freeze.
- Cut into bars with a sharp knife.
- Melt some chocolate and coconut oil together and drop the bars in to coat, then set on parchment paper before freezing again to set the chocolate.
Success tip - Coconut oil is important. It helps the chocolate coat the bars easily and smoothly. Without it, you will find this task a real struggle, and the chocolate will end up very thick, hard, and uneven.
Variations
A handful of chopped nuts or chocolate chips stirred through the banana nice cream mixture before freezing are really nice additions. Or you can stir nuts through the melted chocolate for a nutty, crunchy chocolate exterior. A pinch of salt (good quality sea salt not table salt) on the top of each bar before the chocolate sets is incredible too!
Recipe FAQs
Any nut butter or seed butter works in this recipe. They are particularly tasty made with almond butter. If you are nut-free use tahini, pumpkin seed or sunflower seed butter.
Not long if you're anything like us! If you don't eat them all at once though they will be fine for up to 3 months if stored in a sealed container.
Coconut oil is important. It helps the chocolate coat the bars easily and smoothly. Without it, you will find this task a real struggle, and the chocolate will end up very thick, hard, and uneven.
Hungry for more?
More overripe bananas to use up? You might enjoy these recipes too:
If you tried this recipe, let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!
📖 Recipe
Easy Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream Bars
Author:Ingredients
- 6 medium bananas , NOT frozen or previously frozen bananas
- 1½ cups (380 grams) peanut butter , (smooth or crunchy)
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar , DO NOT reduce this amount
- ½ teaspoon salt , (omit if the peanut butter is salted)
- 2 cups (350 grams) dairy-free chocolate chips
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil , (If you prefer no coconut flavour use refined coconut oil. DO NOT be tempted to omit the coconut oil).
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Line an 8 x 8 square pan with one complete square of parchment paper. You'll find it won't stay in properly and keeps popping out. Don't worry too much for now.
- Discard the peel, then break up the bananas into chunks and add them to the bowl of a food processor or blender.
- Add the peanut butter, sugar and salt and blend until completely smooth. You will need to scrape the bowl down half way through.
- Pour the mixture into the pan, allowing the weight of it to push the parchment paper down. Gently straighten the paper around the edges so there aren't any big creases, then place in the freezer, preferably overnight or for several hours until solid.
- Place a baking sheet into the freezer to chill.
- Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together over a pan of simmering water or gently in a microwave. Then allow to cool completely to room temperature, stirring occasionally. It MUST be cool. (DO NOT be tempted to omit the coconut oil. Coating the ice cream bars does not work well without it.)
- While the chocolate mixture is cooling, remove the pan from the freezer and turn out the frozen mixture onto a cutting board. If you want them to be perfectly shaped, trim around the edges first to neaten the square up, then cut into 14 bars (or smaller pieces if you prefer). Place the piece of parchment paper you used to line your 8x8 pan on the chilled baking sheet and put the cut bars on the paper. Pop in the freezer for a few minutes while the chocolate finishes cooling. They must be completely solid with no melty bits when you coat them.
- When the chocolate is at room temperature, remove the bars from the freezer. Leave the paper on the tray because we'll reuse it, unless it's too messy. In that case replace with a fresh piece.
- Drop each bar, one by one into the melted chocolate. Spoon over chocolate to coat it, then using 2 forks, pick up each bar and place carefully on the parchment paper on the baking sheet. Repeat until they are all coated then pop the tray in the freezer to set the chocolate for a few minutes.
- Once they are set you can transfer the bars to a freezer safe container or freezer bag.
NOTES
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
Originally published August 14th 2017. Updated and republished on June 10th 2022.
Robyn Ballantyne says
These are soooo good. I love the creamy texture and flavour of the banana peanut butter combo. They weren’t too sweet either which is great. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. I’d be really interested to see how these worked with white chocolate or caramelized white chocolate (like Caramac). Great dessert to have on hand!
Anne says
These are decadent and absolutely delicious. What a brilliant recipe. Thank you very much!