This healthy protein ice cream uses frozen bananas as the base and can easily be made into two different flavors – chocolate and/or vanilla. It’s vegan and you’ll love how creamy and delicious it is!

If you’re someone who loves having a protein shake or protein bar for breakfast, have you ever thought about swapping that with ice cream? Ice cream for breakfast?! You heard that right!

Before you judge me for adding protein to ice cream… promise me you’ll try this recipe! It’s so creamy and delicious, no one will ever know that it’s a healthy recipe.

And yes, it can be served for breakfast or dessert!!

I’m sharing two flavor variations which make great bases. From there, feel free to customize to your liking! When it comes to the toppings, I usually top mine with nuts, chocolate, berries – the works, but the options are endless.

Is This Ice Cream Healthy?

You better believe it! This ice cream is made with minimal, good-for-you ingredients and has no refined sugar or artificial preservatives. It has more fiber and less sugar than traditional ice cream, but is still absolutely delicious.

With 11 grams of protein per serving it can help balance your blood sugar and leave you feeling satisfied instead of hungry for more. If you’re someone like me who could easily eat a whole pint of ice cream in one sitting, this recipe is definitely for you!

Here’s What You Need

We’re using my banana ice cream as the base for both recipes. The two ingredients you need are:

• frozen bananas – I peel and slice the bananas before freezing so they’re easier to process!
• dairy-free milk – any dairy-free milk works. I typically use unsweetened almond milk but use whatever you have on hand!

Additional Ingredients Chocolate Protein Ice Cream

• almond butter or peanut butter – look for nut butter that doesn’t have any added ingredients. I usually go for the store brand and read the label to make sure it’s just one or two ingredients, the nuts and salt. If you need a nut-free option, sunflower butter or tahini would be great substitutions.
• chocolate protein powder – chocolate protein powder gives this ice cream a ton of chocolate flavor! I personally love the chocolate Nuzest protein powder. It’s plant-based, has a minimal, clean ingredient list and is delicious. You can use my code eatingbirdfood for 15% off your order.
• cocoa powder – add a little bit of extra chocolate flavor with the cocoa powder. Cacao works as well.
• chocolate chips or cacao nibs – for added crunch and flavor! I like using Lily’s chocolate chips because they are dairy-free, low in calories and sweetened with stevia so there’s zero sugar added.

Additional Ingredients for Vanilla Protein Ice Cream

• vanilla protein powder – get your protein and flavor in with this vanilla protein powder! I personally recommend Nuzest protein powder. It’s plant-based, has a minimal, clean ingredient list and is delicious. You can use my code eatingbirdfood for 15% off your order.
• vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste – either works to add a delicious vanilla flavor! I prefer vanilla bean paste but I don’t always have that on hand and vanilla extract is still delicious.
• cinnamon – this adds the the perfect amount of spice to the ice cream.

How to Make Protein Ice Cream

To make either flavor, you simply add all of the ingredients into your food processor and blend! It’s that easy.

When to Eat Protein Ice Cream

You might be thinking… this is ice cream so should I have it as dessert? But it also has protein so should I be eating it around a workout? My answer: yes and yes!

This protein ice cream is healthy enough to enjoy after a workout or as an afternoon snack to curb those mid-day cravings, but delicious enough to satisfy your ice cream craving and enjoy as an after-dinner treat.

How to Serve

There are two ways to serve this protein ice cream – as soft serve or a scoop-able ice cream. I personally like eating it right away as soft serve, but it’s also delicious frozen and served more like traditional ice cream.

Soft Serve: For soft serve consistency, you can spoon the mixture into one or two bowls and serve immediately after processing with your desired toppings.

Frozen: For a scoop-able ice cream, transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe dish (I like using a loaf pan lined with parchment paper) and freeze for at least 2 hours. Once ready to enjoy, pull the ice cream from the freezer, scoop and serve with your favorite toppings. If the ice cream gets too hard in the freezer, just let it thaw on the counter for 5-10 minutes before diving in!

How to Store Leftovers

This protein ice cream stores really well in the freezer. Just place leftovers in a freezer-safe container that’s covered completely and store for up to one month in the freezer.

tip!
Make sure your ice cream is tightly covered to prevent freezer burn!

Everything You Need to Make Protein Ice Cream

Nuzest Protein Powder

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Cuisinart 9-Cup Food Processor

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Rachael Ray Nonstick Loaf Pan, 9-Inch by 5-Inch

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Popular Protein Snacks

• Protein Balls
• No Bake Protein Cookies
• Protein Brownies
• Protein Pudding (3 Ways)
• Protein Chia Pudding
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Ice Cream

More Frozen Treats to Try

• Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
• Cookie Dough “Ice Cream”
• Chocolate Strawberry Banana Yogurt Clusters
• Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream Bars
• Strawberry Coconut Milk Sorbet
• Blueberry Frozen Yogurt