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Craving sweets on a diet? This Low Calorie Ice Cream recipe will satisfy your cravings with no guilt. It’s quick and easy with just 2 ingredients, and it doesn’t even require an ice cream maker. Check out the 9 flavor ideas below!
I’m Matteo and I make all your favorite treats healthier and high protein. Summer’s around the corner and the weather starts getting hotter in Spain. Looking for alternatives to cottage cheese ice cream, frozen yogurt and low calorie smoothies, I came up with a simple recipe.
It’s perfect to satisfy my sweet tooth with little calories and no added sugar. Especially when I don’t feel like spending a fortune on other skinny ice creams like Halo Top, Breyers & co.
The best diet ice cream recipe
- Quick and easy – Making low calorie ice cream requires just 5 minutes and 2 ingredients. No gums, artificial sweeteners or other nasties.
- Low calorie and high protein – Clocking at 129 calorie per serving, it’s the perfect summer treat for your diet. Greek yogurt makes it naturally high in protein.
- Sweet and creamy – Frozen bananas make it naturally sweet, rich and extra creamy.
- Easy to customize – I’ll give you a base for endless customizations. If you’re not into chocolate, try one of the 9 flavor ideas below.
Ingredients
The base recipe for low calorie ice cream has just 2 ingredients: frozen bananas and Greek yogurt. Here are all details along with replacements. You can find precise measurements in the recipe card at the bottom.
- Frozen bananas – They’re the secret behind its sweet and creamy healthy base. Use frozen bananas cut in chunks, not fresh ones. Or swap for frozen mango, frozen strawberries, or blueberries.
- Greek yogurt – It adds creaminess and protein. For a richer taste, I recommend full fat Greek yogurt, plain and unsweetened. Whipped cottage cheese, skyr, quark, or dairy-free options work as well.
Dietary adaptations
- Dairy-free and vegan – Use nondairy yogurt. For more protein, I recommend GMO-free soy yogurt.
- Higher in protein – Blend in a scoop (30 g) of your favorite protein powder, I love vanilla whey. Or try my high protein ice cream recipe.
- Lower in carbs – Swap 1 banana for frozen strawberries or frozen blueberries. For even fewer carbs, use cottage cheese instead of Greek yogurt
How to make low calorie ice cream
I’ve included below step-by-step pictures and directions. You can find the printable recipe card with more details at the end of this blog post.
- Prep – Add frozen bananas and Greek yogurt into a high speed blender or food processor. Optionally, you can add cocoa powder.
- Blend – Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed. It should take around 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve – Scoop the mixture into a bowl and serve right away with your favorite toppings. Or pour it into a loaf pan lined with parchment and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Recipe tips
- Use frozen ripe bananas – Besides providing natural sweetness, they blend into a smooth and creamy ice cream base. Replacing bananas is not recommended.
- Sweeten to taste – After blending, taste a bit of the mixture. If it’s too plain for you, sweeten with a touch honey or maple syrup. Monk fruit and stevia work too.
- Customize with mix-ins – Make it more fun with cocoa powder, vanilla extract, or peanut butter. Or throw in a scoop of protein powder for better macros.
- Use a powerful food processor and mix at high speed – This ensures that all ingredients get smoothly combined. No chunks left.
- Serve immediately – For a soft serve consistency, do not freeze it after blending. Scoop it out of the blender into a bowl and enjoy as a low calorie treat for hot days.
Flavor ideas
- Vanilla – Blend in ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, or use vanilla flavored Greek yogurt, preferably sugar-free.
- Chocolate – Add to the base 1 to 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder. Optionally, serve with diet chocolate chips.
- Coffee – Add ½ teaspoon of instant coffee powder. As an alternative, quickly stir Greek yogurt with 3 tablespoons of cold brew or espresso.
- Peanut butter – Blend bananas and Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. For the lowest calories, use powdered peanut butter such as PBfit or PB2.
- Strawberry cheesecake – Replace 1 banana with 1 cup of frozen strawberries, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and then serve with calorie-free strawberry syrup.
- Mint chocolate – Add 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract. After blending, stir in a handful of dark chocolate chips.
- Chewy oatmeal cookies – Once blended, stir into the mixture pieces of cookies. You can try my oatmeal protein cookies that fit your macros.
- Sea salt caramel – Enjoy drizzled with low cal caramel or keto caramel sauce, and add a sprinkle of salt for that extra kick.
- Cookies and cream – Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and, after blending, fold through pieces of Oreos.
Storage directions
After blending, you can store leftovers in the freezer for up to one month. To preserve taste and texture, pour the mixture into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper and cover well to prevent freezer burns. Freeze for up to 1 month. Remove it from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely! Blend in 1 scoop (30 g) of your favorite protein powder, I recommend vanilla whey. Or check out my high protein ice cream recipe, instead.
Anything can be part of a weight loss diet, if in the right amounts. But unlike regular ice cream which is high in sugars and fats, this recipe is high volume and low calorie. Meaning you can eat a lot without breaking the diet.
A serving provides approximately 129 calories, 5.4 g of protein, 28 g of carbohydrates and 0.5 grams of fats. Please note that precise nutritional values may slightly change based on the ingredients used.
More low calorie desserts
- Greek yogurt protein pudding
- Frozen yogurt bars
- Easy frozen yogurt
- Homemade protein ice cream
- Cottage cheese ice cream
- Low calorie banana bread
- Protein cheesecake
Low Calorie Ice Cream
Equipment
- blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 2 frozen bananas, sliced or in chunks
- ⅓ cup (80 g) Greek yogurt, minimum 5% fat
- 1 ½ tbsp cocoa powder, optional for chocolate flavor
Instructions
- Add frozen bananas and Greek yogurt into a high speed blender or food processor. Optionally, add cocoa powder.
- Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed. It should take around 3 to 5 minutes.
- Scoop the low calorie mixture into a bowl and serve right away with your favorite toppings. Or pour it into a loaf pan lined with parchment and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Freeze leftovers in a parchment-lined loaf pan, covered tightly to prevent freezer burns. It can be frozen for up to 1 month.
- Let thaw 10–15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
- Nutritional facts are approximations only, and they are calculated for the base recipe without extra ingredients.
- Precise calories and macros may vary, based on brands, quantities and mix-ins added. For accuracy, I recommend calculating your own.
Looks so delicious and refreshing this ice cream! ??
Hey dear Liza
thank you so so much. I completely agree, this low calorie high protein ice cream is perfect for the diet on Summer 😉
Have a great Sunday,
Matteo