Make an Ice Cream Banana Smoothie

Bananas and ice cream taste great in smoothies. Together, they create a perfect smoothie that is rich and creamy. Once you know how to make a basic banana smoothie, you can try making variations, such as adding nuts or yogurt for extra protein. You can even make a fancy, ice cream banana split smoothie!

Ingredients

Basic Smoothie[1]

  • 2 bananas, sliced
  • 3 scoops vanilla ice cream
  • 1/3 cup (75 milliliters) milk
  • 2 ice cubes
  • 1 to 3 teaspoons (5 to 15 grams) sugar or honey (optional)

Protein-Packed Smoothie[2]

  • 2 bananas, sliced
  • 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
  • 2½ cups (595 millimeters) milk
  • ½ cup (125 grams) vanilla yogurt
  • 4 to 5 ice cubes
  • 1 to 3 teaspoons (5 to 15 grams) sugar or honey (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) chopped cashew nuts

Banana Split Smoothie[3]

  • 1 banana, sliced
  • 2 cups (500 grams) vanilla ice cream (about 6 to 8 scoops)
  • ½ cup (120 millimeters) milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Hot fudge or chocolate sauce
  • Maraschino cherry
  • Whipped cream
  • Sprinkles

Steps

Making a Basic Smoothie

  1. Cut and peel 2 bananas. Try to use fresh, ripe bananas, if you can. If you like your smoothie extra thick, frozen bananas instead. Cutting the bananas up first will make it easier for them to blend.
  2. Put the bananas, ice, and milk into the blender. The ice cubes will help make your smoothie thicker. If you are using frozen bananas, you do not need to add the ice cubes.
  3. Add 2 to 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream. You can add all of the ice cream into the blender now, or save the last scoop to use as a topping later.[1]
  4. Add 1 to 3 teaspoons (5 to 15 grams) of sugar if you like your smoothies extra sweet. For a healthier option, consider using honey instead.
  5. Blend until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. There should be no chunks or lumps of banana or ice. From time to time, you may want to open the blender, and use a spatula to push the smoothie down the walls of the blender. This will help everything mix together more evenly.
  6. Pour the smoothie into 1 or 2 tall glasses and serve. If you saved the last scoop of ice cream, now is the time to add it.[1]

Making a Protein-Packed Smoothie

  1. Peel and slice 2 bananas. Try to use fresh, ripe bananas if you can. If you like your smoothies extra thick, use frozen bananas instead. Cutting the bananas up first will help make your smoothie smoother.
  2. Add the bananas, milk, and yogurt into the blender. Don't add the chopped nuts yet. You will be adding those last.
  3. Consider adding 1 to 3 teaspoons (5 to 15 grams) of sugar if you like your smoothies extra sweet. For a healthier option, use honey instead.
  4. Add the ice cubes and ice cream. The ice cubes will help thicken your smoothie. If you are using frozen bananas, you do not need to add the ice cubes.
  5. Blend until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Keep blending until there are no more lumps or chunks of banana or ice. From time to time, you may need to use a spatula to push the smoothie down the walls of the blender. This will help things mix together more evenly.
  6. Stir the chopped nuts into the blended smoothie.[2] You can use a spoon or spatula. Keep stirring until the nuts are distributed evenly throughout the smoothie.
  7. Pour the smoothie into 1 or 2 tall glasses, and serve. If you'd like, you can garnish it with a sprinkle of chopped up nuts.

Making a Banana Split Smoothie

  1. Peel and slice 1 banana. Try to use a fresh, ripe banana. You can also use a frozen banana instead for a thicker smoothie. Cutting the banana up first will give you a smoother drink in the end.
  2. Add the banana, milk, ice cream, and vanilla extract into the blender. Don't add the rest of the ingredients yet. Those are your garnishes, and will be added last.
  3. Blend until everything is smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. There should be no chunks of banana left when you are done. From time to time, you may need to push the smoothie down the walls of the blender. This will help things blend more evenly.
  4. Pour the smoothie into 1 or 2 tall glasses. For a fancier touch, consider using a fancy milkshake glass with a short stem and wide brim. If you need to, use a spatula to help guide the smoothie into the glasses.
  5. Garnish the smoothie. Add a swirl of whipped cream and a drizzle of hot fudge on top of the smoothie. Place a maraschino cherry on top of the whipped cream, then shake some sprinkles on top.[3]
  6. Serve and enjoy the smoothie. Stick a tall straw into each glass. If you have a long dessert spoon, you can use it to eat the garnish.
    • If you don't have a blender, try using a food processor fitted with metal blades instead.

Tips

  • For extra flavor, add a drizzle of chocolate sauce or caramel sauce. You can add it into the blender with the rest of the ingredients, or use it as a garnish instead.[4]
  • For a thicker, creamier smoothie, use frozen bananas.[4]
  • Try another type of ice cream, such as strawberry or chocolate.
  • If the smoothie is too thin, add more ice. If the smoothie is too thick, add more milk.[2]
  • Garnish your smoothie with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, a sprinkle of cocoa powder, whipped cream, or a banana slice.

Warnings

  • Ripe bananas are great for smoothies, but don't use bananas that are too ripe or mushy.

Things You'll Need

  • Knife
  • Cutting board
  • Ice cream scoop
  • Measuring cup
  • Blender
  • Spoon or spatula
  • 1 to 2 tall glasses

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.food.com/recipe/banana-milkshake-with-ice-cream-502639
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://foodviva.com/banana-recipes/banana-smoothie-recipe/
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://wishesndishes.com/banana-split-milkshake/
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/banana-caramel-milk-shake
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