Pureed (IDDSI Level 4)
Completely smooth foods/extremely thick liquids with no lumps that hold their shape on a spoon and don’t require chewing.
This Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Nice Cream is a deliciously creamy, dairy-free treat made with frozen bananas, rich cocoa powder, and peanut butter. It’s naturally sweet, packed with flavor, and takes only minutes to prepare. Perfect for a healthy dessert or a cooling snack, this nice cream can also be adjusted to meet various IDDSI levels, making it accessible for everyone to enjoy.
Make this Recipe for Your IDDSI Level
As written, this recipes is at IDDSI Level 4 Pureed. This recipe can also be adapted for Level 3 Liquidized, Level 5 Minced and Moist, Level 6 Soft and Bite Sized, and Level 7 Easy to Chew. See the adaptation instructions below or if you are printing the recipe, they will be included in the notes section.
Level 3 Liquidized (Smooth enough to drink or pour; no chewing): Leave a small portion out of freezer to allow to thaw and test for flow testing. If if passes melted, it can be enjoyed frozen if wanted, or enjoy thawed.
Level 5 Minced and Moist (Soft pieces that fit between fork prongs in a puree; minimal chewing): Follow the recipe for the puree to avoid too thin of liquid as it melts, but you can keep half of the bananas at 4mm pieces.
Level 6 Soft and Bite Sized (Tender pieces smaller than the width of fork prongs): Cut the banana into medallions and then quarter (or further, must be under 15mm) the medallions and dip into the peanut butter cocoa mix and freeze, allowing a short thaw that passes fork pressure testing.
Level 7 Easy to Chew (Foods that are soft and easily bite into pieces): You can cut the bananas into medallions and then dip in a cocoa peanut butter and freeze for a tasty poppable snack. Thaw shortly to make sure it passes the fork pressure test.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Nice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place the frozen banana slices in a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend on high until the bananas begin to break down into a smooth, creamy consistency. If needed, add a bit of milk to help the blending process.
- Once the bananas are mostly smooth, add the cocoa powder and peanut butter. Blend until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed. Adjust the consistency with a bit more milk if desired. The nice cream should be thick, creamy, and scoopable.
- Serve the nice cream immediately for a soft-serve texture, or transfer it to an airtight container and freeze for 1-2 hours for a firmer, scoopable consistency. Top with an extra drizzle of peanut butter, if desired.
SLP Notes
IDDSI Texture Modifications:- Level 3 Liquidized: Leave a small portion out of freezer to allow to thaw and test for flow testing. If if passes melted, it can be enjoyed frozen if wanted, or enjoy thawed.
- Level 5 Minced and Moist: Follow the recipe for the puree to avoid too thin of liquid as it melts, but you can keep half of the bananas at 4mm pieces.
- Level 6 Soft and Bite Sized: Cut the banana into medallions and then quarter (or further, must be under 15mm) the medallions and dip into the peanut butter cocoa mix and freeze, allowing a short thaw that passes fork pressure testing.
- Level 7 Easy to Chew: You can cut the bananas into medallions and then dip in a cocoa peanut butter and freeze for a tasty poppable snack. Thaw shortly to make sure it passes the fork pressure test.
- Protein: Blend in Greek yogurt, high protein milk, or add a scoop of protein powder.
- Fats: Add or reduce peanut butter, select milk for fat content.
- Carbs: Use avocado in place of some banana for creaminess with fewer carbs.
- Gluten-free: There is naturally no gluten in this recipe.
- Dairy-free/Vegan: Opt for a plant based milk, everything else is vegan!
- You can just break up bananas and toss into blender, no cutting board.
- Forgot to freeze banana ahead? Use fresh and add 2-3 ice cubes to blender and freeze for 30-60 minutes for scoopable texture, stirring halfway through.
Tips for Perfect Nice Cream and Texture Adjustments
Blending for Smoothness: Frozen bananas can be tough to blend, so a high-speed blender works best for achieving a silky, smooth consistency. Add a splash of milk if needed to help it along.
Freezing for Firmer Texture: For a firmer, scoopable nice cream, freeze the mixture after blending. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping for easier serving.
Smooth Toppings for IDDSI Levels: For Levels 4 and 5, ensure that any toppings are smooth and blended in. For higher levels, choose soft toppings and chop them finely to maintain texture compliance.
Keep Reading
Either as a dip or as a sauce for a meal, the Baba Ghanoush is a flexible puree recipe to keep handy.
Every recipe here is designed for texture sensitive eaters: from dysphagia to dental issues to picky eaters. Get recipe roundups and practical tips by joining the mailing list.
