Simple Summer Activities: Strawberry-Banana Ice Cream


As I have mentioned on this blog previously, I am always in search of simple summer activities for our girls to do.  And I have been waiting to make ice cream with the girls for quite some time.  But when I found this recipe for Strawberry-Banana Ice Cream that did not need an ice cream maker, I knew this would be easy and fun for us!  The girls loved making this ice cream almost as much as they loved eating it!

Throwing everything together took only a few minutes of prep before the girls got up.  If you have older tots, you can have them help you to cut the bananas and prep them for freezing, while you cut the strawberries.  Or you can have them help you with a tool like this one (affiliate link):

Note: I did have the strawberries and bananas pre-frozen before we began the recipe with the girls.

Here’s how we did it.

1. My 3-year-old was in charge of scooping out 1 cup of strawberries with a measuring cup and dropping them into the food processor.  This was her first time using a measuring cup, so I think we are going to have to practice using it because she was, shall we say, “generous” with her measurement.

Strawberry Banana Ice Cream - a simple summer treat kids can make

2. Both girls (2 and 3) were in charge of picking up frozen banana pieces off of the cookie sheet and dropping them into the food processor.

Strawberry Banana Ice Cream - a recipe to get kids in the kitchen this summer

3.  Mama was in charge of putting the lid on the food processor and opening the top chute to add the creamer and extracts.

Strawberry Banana Ice Cream - so simple and yummy recipe

4. The girls were in charge of taking turns pushing the button to process the strawberries and bananas.  The watched each other do it with their ears covered because the noise was “LOUD!”

Strawberry Banana Ice Cream - kids in the kitchen

 

I got this recipe from Pinterest (of. course.) and I knew that I didn’t have whipping cream on hand, so I substituted Coffee-mate unflavored creamer and it worked like a charm.  I also had some banana extract in the pantry, so I thought this would be a good place to use it.  So the adjusted ingredient list is:

2 bananas, sliced & frozen

1/2 c. strawberries, sliced & frozen

2 Tbsp. Coffee-mate Original creamer

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. banana extract

This is one of those “push-button recipes” that turn any kid into a chef, no matter what age they are.  All you do, is add the fruit to the bowl of a food processor and pulse it until it is crumbly.

simple summer treat for kids to make

Then add the creamer and extracts and process until smooth and creamy.

a tasty treat for summer, even kids can make

When the ice cream is finished, place it in a freezer safe container and freeze for a couple of hours.  It will be harder than typical ice cream (because it is no-churn), so you will have to leave it to rest and soften before scooping it.

We loved this recipe so much, I am already thinking of other ways I can change it up for us to make ice cream all summer!  Do you make ice cream in the summer?  What is your favorite flavor? 

Strawberry Banana Ice Cream - get kids in the kitchen to make this simple recipe


This Post Has One Comment

  1. Evonne Cordell

    Sounds delicious and fun! Glad the girls helped.

Leave a Reply