Strawberry nicecream with the Thermomix® only works when bananas do the structural job. Without them, frozen strawberries produce a grainy, splintery sorbet instead of creamy ice cream. Here is how it comes together in 5 minutes without any sugar: place 250 g of frozen strawberries and 3 frozen bananas, completely solid, into the mixing bowl, chop for 15 seconds at speed 8, scrape the mixture down with the spatula, then blend for 20 seconds at speed 4 until creamy and serve immediately.
We make this nicecream regularly as a quick dessert whenever overripe bananas are sitting in the freezer. The ratio is fixed: 3 bananas to 250 g of strawberries. Less banana makes the mixture watery; more drowns out the strawberry flavour. Each serving comes to just 99 calories, with no added sugar at all. If you are looking for more ice cream without an ice cream maker, we also have a quick fruit ice cream made with the Thermomix®.
Quick Strawberry Nicecream with the Thermomix® (No Sugar)
Ingredients 0 / 2 ✓
- 250 g strawberries frozen
- 3 bananas frozen, cut into pieces
Instructions 0 / 3
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1
Chop the fruit.
Add the fruit to the mixing bowl and chop for 15 seconds / speed 8.
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2
Blend the mixture.
Push the mixture down from the sides using the spatula, then blend for 20 seconds / speed 4 until creamy.
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3
Serve the nicecream.
Divide the nicecream among small bowls and serve immediately.
Tip: You can vary your nicecream with a splash of coconut milk or almond cream.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why banana starch turns berries into ice cream
The one reason bananas make all the difference: they bring starch and pectin, which bind the water from the strawberries. That binding power is exactly what plain berries lack. If you blend only 250 g of frozen strawberries, you end up with a splintery, grainy sorbet because the icy water stays free. The 3 bananas transform those same berries into a velvety soft-serve texture.
Ripeness is equally important. We only use overripe bananas with brown patches on the skin. Those brown spots show that the starch in the flesh has converted to sugar, which provides the natural sweetness that keeps this recipe sugar-free. Bananas that are still yellow or slightly green taste starchy and floury rather than sweet.
Completely frozen into the mixing bowl, no thawing
Here we deliberately go against what many Thermomix® sites recommend. You often read that you should let the fruit thaw briefly so the pieces separate. We do the exact opposite. The fruit must go into the mixing bowl completely solid, straight from the freezer. The moment the fruit starts to thaw, the icy water is released and the nicecream turns liquid instead of creamy.
The Thermomix® breaks down the frozen fruit at speed 8 in 15 seconds to a fine granule. That is the step no ice cream maker can replicate: the sharp blades shatter the solid fruit in seconds without anything needing to thaw first. It is only the second blend at speed 4 for 20 seconds that turns the granule into a velvety texture, and only for as long as the mixture stays cold.
Between the two blending passes, the spatula is essential, not optional. After the 15 seconds at speed 8, we push the entire mixture completely down from the sides of the mixing bowl. Any pieces that remain stuck at the top will never become creamy: below you get cream, above you are left with chunks of ice.
The three common pitfalls with strawberry nicecream
The nicecream stays grainy instead of creamy
If the mixture tastes splintery and granular after blending, the banana was usually missing or used in too small a quantity. Plain berries provide no binding, the icy water stays free and crystallises.
Our fix: Stick to the ratio of 3 bananas to 250 g of strawberries, and after the first chop really push everything down with the spatula before the 20 seconds at speed 4 begin. If it is still grainy, blend for another 10 seconds at speed 6.
The mixture turns runny instead of firm
If the nicecream becomes soupy during blending, the fruit was not frozen solid enough or it ran on speed 4 for too long. Every extra second at speed 4 adds more heat to the mixture and costs it firmness.
Our fix: Use fruit straight from the freezer and keep to the 20 seconds at speed 4, do not extend it. If it is already too soft, pop it back in the freezer for 30 minutes and give it a quick blend before serving.
It tastes floury instead of sweet
A starchy, floury note almost always comes from bananas that are not ripe enough. Without brown patches the starch has not converted to sugar yet, so the natural sweetness is completely absent.
Our fix: Only freeze overripe bananas with clearly brown skin. If you want extra sweetness, add a few fresh strawberries as a topping just before serving. With ripe bananas, we never need to add any sugar.
Other fruits and creamier variations
Other berries: Raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries work with the same ratio of 3 bananas to 250 g of fruit. For mango or peach we use 300 g instead of 250 g because those fruits contain less water.
Berry mix: 150 g of strawberries plus 100 g of blueberries give a deep, fruity nicecream. The 3 bananas as the base always stay the same.
Extra creamy: A splash of coconut milk or almond cream (around 30 to 50 g) makes the mixture softer and rounder. More than 50 g makes it too soft, so pop it back in the freezer for 30 minutes instead.
As a bowl: Instead of serving in small bowls, we love to serve the nicecream as a cold bowl topped with nuts, coconut flakes, and fresh strawberries. That turns the dessert into a proper summer snack.
Which accessories make the nicecream easier
This recipe does not need much equipment, but two things make a real difference. The spatula is essential for scraping the mixture down from the sides between blending passes. And good-quality frozen fruit is half the battle: we freeze overripe bananas ourselves, cut into bite-sized pieces, and use frozen strawberries without added sugar for the berries. To stop the banana pieces sticking together in the freezer, we pre-freeze them individually on a plate first and then transfer them to a freezer bag.
What goes well with our strawberry nicecream
We love serving the nicecream plain, straight from the mixing bowl while it still has a soft-serve consistency. If you want to make more of it, pair it with warm or fruity accompaniments. A scoop on a slice of strawberry cake made with the Thermomix® brings together warm and cold. Or use it as a topping over our homemade yoghurt from the Thermomix® for a quick breakfast boost. If you prefer something classic, serve it with a few fresh strawberries and a waffle cone.
How long the nicecream keeps
Right after blending the nicecream has a soft-serve consistency and is at its best for immediate serving. That is exactly what it is made for. We transfer any leftovers into a shallow, well-sealed container and put it back in the freezer. It keeps for around 2 weeks there, but will freeze solid.
Before the next serving, leave the container at room temperature for 10 minutes, break the mixture into pieces, and blend it once more for 10 seconds at speed 6. That brings the creamy texture back, as if it were freshly made. Do not leave it in the freezer for longer than 2 to 3 weeks, as ice crystals will form and the nicecream will turn grainy.
Common questions about strawberry nicecream with the Thermomix®
Goes well with: Waffles and brownies.
