This dairy-free, kid-friendly recipe for healthy berry banana ice cream is made with whole foods and wholesome ingredients. Naturally sweet, it’s a deliciously creamy surprisingly healthy dessert that tastes like a treat!
All summer long, we’ve been on a huge homemade popsicle kick in our house. Chase LOVES popsicles and thinks they’re such a treat and I love making them at home so I know exactly what’s going in them.
Homemade popsicles are such a great way to get fruits and veggies into Chase’s diet in a fun way and he also loves being a part of the popsicle-making process so it’s a win-win. (We use this popsicle mold I bought off Amazon several years ago.) We’ve made everything from coconut popsicles and orange creamsicles to strawberry banana popsicles and chocolate peanut butter pops.
And now in a blog post that talks about popsicle making and happy summertime memories, I’m going to shatter that image and say that one day last week I was practically in tears by the end of the day after dealing with a baby who wouldn’t nap and wanted to be held all day long and a threenager who seemed to only be able to communicate via the whiniest voice in all the land. I got nothing done, our house was a disaster and I’m pretty sure countless spoonfuls of peanut butter counted as my “meals” for the day.
So at the end of the day, I turned to Daniel Tiger for help.
We try to limit television in our house for the sole reason that it usually results in a very fussy child and a kid who then asks for television over and over again but sometimes Mama needs Daniel Tiger’s assistance. And sometimes Daniel Tiger hits the ball out of the park and manages to make a positive impact on Chase and I want to call up the producers of the show and say BLESS YOU wonderful people.
I let Chase watch two different Daniel Tiger episodes last week that centered around eating vegetables and trying new foods and by the end of the show he was snacking on red peppers and requesting “banana swirl” for dessert, aka Daniel Tiger’s banana-only pseudo ice cream. (By the way, Chase has tried red peppers at least 10 times in the past and hated them. Daniel Tiger is magic.)
After making countless popsicles this summer I’m not sure why I never thought to make a healthy version of homemade ice cream but sometimes inspiration strikes me in the form of a musical tiger with a gift for entertaining children.
I promised Chase we’d make Daniel Tiger’s “banana swirl” together the next day so we got to work in the kitchen and made some healthy “ice cream” that’s kid-friendly, dairy-free and made solely with frozen fruit, MCT oil, maple syrup and coconut milk. Not only did Chase LOVE it — especially when we topped his ice cream with sprinkles — but Ryan and I did, too! It was so darn tasty and perfect for a healthy dessert or a mid-day snack that tastes like a treat.
Thank you, Daniel Tiger.
Healthy Berry Banana Ice Cream
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Healthy Berry Banana Ice Cream
Description
A dairy-free, kid-friendly recipe for berry banana ice cream made with whole foods and healthy ingredients that’s deliciously sweet and perfectly creamy.
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries
- 3 cups frozen banana cut into thick chunks
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 cup MCT oil
- 1/4 cup coconut milk (or preferred non-dairy milk)
Instructions
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. You may need to stop the blender and periodically stir the ingredients as they blend and thicken to allow everything to blend properly and to eliminate any chunks of frozen fruit.
- Using a spatula, pour berry banana ice cream out of the blender and into a loaf pan. Cover and freeze for at least two hours. Scoop and enjoy!
Notes
Important note: If you wait to enjoy this ice cream after it’s been in the freezer for more than two hours, you may need to let it thaw a bit in the refrigerator for 10-30 minutes before scooping.
Question of the Day
What TV shows do your little ones love? What is their current favorite movie?
We don’t have cable so most of Chase’s shows can be found on Netflix or random DVDs but he loves Super Wings, Daniel Tiger, Chuggington, Paw Patrol and Little Baby Bum. His favorite movie is, without a doubt, How to Train Your Dragon.
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Okay, so my 2.5 year old loves John Wayne. His dad loves it and Henry followed suit. Especially the black and white ones. He likes the horses/animals and he can kindof follow what the people are doing. He loves it! We don’t watch much either – maybe an hour or so a week but that’s always his pick! Hope you have a great day!
Oh yum!
How did I not know there was a Daniel tiger episode about eating vegetables!! We’ve used his show to help teach sharing, being scared, brushing teeth, going to bed, etc. it’s magical what Daniel can do. Can’t wait to find that episode and make this “pink icecream” that I know my daughter will love.
He is a genius, I’m telling you!! The episode calls it “banana swirl” and it’s made solely with bananas but we added the berries so it was pink! Hope you and your daughter love it if you give it a try!!
Also, have you tackled potty training with your daughter yet? If not, the potty training episode is fantastic, too!! We actually bought the book about it as well. Chase still sings the Daniel Tiger potty song almost every day when he has to go!
Oh my goodness! I loved this post, who new a recipe blog post could make me laugh out loud multiple times 🙂
Definitely putting this in the memory banks for when I have kiddos!
Julie,what is MCT oil?
Thank you
MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides and MCT oil is a great source of healthy fats that are easily digested. you can read a lot more about the benefits here if you are interested: https://draxe.com/mct-oil/ i buy our MCT oil through thrive market and love using it in coffee and smoothies, too!
Do you have to use the MCT oil?
I think you could omit it but would likely need more liquid of another kind (like more almond milk) to get everything to blend together properly. 🙂
I really relaxed my ideas around technology and tv when we added a newborn to the family. We watched A LOT of tv during the 4th trimester, and it really saved everyone’s sanity. The 2 year old was content, I was able to focus on nursing, and we could all quietly sit together (or it allowed me to accomplish some tasks while the baby slept). I was worried the toddler would get accustomed to the new routine, but once the baby was older, the toddler happily went back to playing without additional tv time. Give yourself permission to do whatever you need to do while you’re in survival mode and know that your family’s new routine will come in time, but there is no rush. We discovered the show Creative Galaxy on Amazon Prime and it REALLY sparked my daughters interest in creating her own crafts and projects that she could do independently. We even stole the concept of the “Idea Box” which is just shoe box filled with random items that can be used for crafts. She loves it!
thank you for sharing this!! we’ve definitely done more TV since ryder was born because i swear sometimes it is the only way i can nurse ryder and make chase happy on the days when chase is needier/fussier than usual. and thanks for the TV show recommendation! we’ll check it out!
My 3 year old looooves Creative Galaxy. Apparently the other day at daycare she made a Mr. Potato head creation that she declared (while holding it above her head) was her masterpiece. I agree- great show!
I saw this on your story and got really excited. We’ve never attempted homemade ice cream (not sure why because it’s my favorite food group), but this seems totally doable.
I saw this on your story and got really excited. We’ve never attempted homemade ice cream (not sure why because it’s my favorite food group), but this seems totally doable.
What brand of MCT oil do you use?
we’re currently using Now Sports MCT oil and i order it through thrive market!
Why not just give him ice cream? Does he have a dairy allergy? He is very small, as you have said in the past. Some ice cream may help him gain weight! Not being critical here, genuinely curious!
Oh gets gets plenty of the real stuff!! This was just prompted by Daniel Tiger and a fun way to get some healthy fruit into him that he was excited about eating.
Question: I’ve noticed you use maple syrup in place of sugar in desserts a lot. I’m wondering, does it make the desserts taste maple-y? I’m the giant weirdo who does not like maple syrup! (Not even on pancakes. I know, I know, I know I’m the odd one out.)
Sorry you had such a rough time last week, but I truly believe in the creators of art (in all forms) for children and adults, and love that Daniel the Tiger contributes in a great way. (Backstory: I used to do children’s book illustrations. And probably will again someday.)
For the most part I don’t think the maple syrup makes the recipes taste syrupy but if you’re really sensitive to maple flavor, honey is often a good swap!!
And I had no idea you did children’s illustrations! That’s so neat!!
Thanks! It was and is a lot of fun.
I think I’m going to brave it and try maple syrup on something baked (like muffins), to see what happens. And thanks for the honey tip, if it’s too maple-y, I’ll make the swap.
I’ve never made ice cream at home, but these flavors look right up my alley. Plus it looks fairly simple. I’ll definitely have to try it out. Thanks, Julie!
Thanks for this recipe, Julie!! I am going to have to make this and share it with my nephews as well They would love this!! 🙂 Hope you’re having a great week! Xoxo
Daniel Tiger has a potty song?! We’ve been struggling with the potty training and Daniel Tiger might save me! We have a Kindle Fire that we let my son use. It has the PBS Kids Apps: PBS Kids Games, PBS Kids Videos, and a PBS Kids Learning Games. They are a life saver and I know everything is educational and will help him. It just gives us the time to get something done that he can’t be underfoot for.
Is the coconut flavor strong in the coconut milk? My husband doesn’t like coconut, but I’d love to try this recipe.
The potty episode is prob my favorite Daniel Tiger episode! Such a help!!!
And to can definitely swap out the coconut milk for almond milk or whatever kind of non-dairy milk you prefer and it should be just fine!
Can the MCT oil be replaced with something else? I don’t have any, but have all of the other ingredients 🙂
Oh my gosh – Daniel Tiger is soo magical! When my oldest was about 2, we had her evaluated by a team of speech therapists. They basically just watched her play for a while. And then when it was time to go, I sang a couple little Daniel Tiger songs and she easily complied with picking up and leaving. The evaluators were like, “wow! That was really impressive how you communicated with her.” I just laughed and informed them that I know nothing unless I’ve learned it from Daniel!
Nowadays (she’s 4.5), she loves PJ Masks. It’s pretty simple, but not too bad. And it helps her to be a little braver.
“You gotta try new foods cause they might taste good, go-oo-ood!” Sorry, had to, now it’s stuck in my head 🙂 We sang that to my daughter all. the. time. when she was going through a picky eater phase!
My 2.5 year old loves curious George! And I am right there with you with a 5 month old and wanting to limit tv time but sometimes it’s the only way to keep everyone safe and nurse the baby or get dinner made! It’s all about survival mama!
Ooh I’m going to try this for my toddler and myself! Real ice cream hurts my stomach. ☹️
My daughter (almost 2.5) is currently obsessed with Finding Dory and Trolls. Shows she likes are Super Why (it’s on Netflix) Daniel Tiger and Fancy Nancy.
Yum, this sounds great and I love how how healthy and easy it is to make! Definitely would be a refreshing treat!
Trolls. All day. Every day. (She’s a month older than Chase.) Thankfully, it’s actually pretty cute so I don’t go too far off the deep end every time. 🙂
Oh and the Bubble Guppies have definitely helped get her to do things without a fuss that would have otherwise been a struggle (e.g. getting her first haircut, putting on sunscreen, etc.). The creators of these shows are lifesavers!!
I am going to have to google who Daniel Tiger is but this looks amazing. Going on my weekend food prep schedule, thank you!
My son loves DT. That is the only show we let him watch. Could I sub something else for MCT oil?
You could likely just use more almond milk and completely omit it if it’s not something you have on hand!
I just want to say my kiddo is eight and we still ugga mugga. Daniel really IS magic because I can’t even get a hug right now because it’s embarrassing.
I love simple desserts like these! Frozen blueberries, a little almond milk, cacao powder, and some Stevia seriously makes the best dessert. Tastes like chocolate sorbet! I prefer scoopable ice cream over popsicles any day, so this recipe is perfect too!
thank you for the wow receipe…and looks delicious ..but do we have to use MCT oil?.thanks for the ppost.
Hi Olive! I think you could probably omit the MCT oil but just use more almond milk in its place to keep enough liquid in the recipe so everything blends together well!
I’m going to be the third person asking if you have to add the MCT oil. Can it be substituted or omitted entirely? I really hope I can get an answer seeing as the other two didn’t. This looks really good and easy but I have had MCT oil in the past and it didn’t agree with me. I use coconut oil for things like my coffee but I don’t think that would work because it would harden.
Hi Julie! I think you could omit the MCT oil but may want to add more almond milk/non-dairy milk in its place so there is enough liquid to get everything in the recipe to blend together! If you give it a try, please let me know how it goes!
I have been addicted to ice cream since my childhood. Now, i know it is good for health. Great !
This healthy berry banana ice cream looks really delicious. I’m craving for something sweet these days but I’m worried about my blood sugar levels spiking. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt a little for me to try this.