About a month ago, I got a super cool Yonanas Maker for review and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since. Guys, I tell you, I don’t think I’ve ever bought this many bananas. I’m practically supporting the entire industry! When I’m done sharing a few of my favorite recipes with you, you’ll be obsessed too!
I have a thing for kitchen gadgets. I get it from my grandmother. She was the kitchen gadget queen! It makes sense, since she spent half of her life in the kitchen. She had 5 kids and nine grand kids, plus she baked and decorated cakes on the side when I was little. I loved cake baking day, I got to lick the beaters (I used to call them batters, because she’d say “do you want to lick the batter?”). I can’t help but think that my gran would have LOVED the Yonanas Maker. Especially if it meant getting my Pop to eat healthier “ice-cream” treats!
Why I’m Obsessed with Yonanas
About a year ago, I first discovered the whole “bananas as an ice-cream alternative” craze and immediately fell in love. I would spend an inordinate amount of time freezing my bananas, chopping them up, then trying to get them to the right consistency in a food processor. It got to be a pain in the butt, so I kind of fell out of love with the craze. Don’t get me wrong, I still wanted banana ice-cream, I just didn’t want to deal with all of the steps! I’d seen the Yonanas makers in stores, but for some reason, I thought the process would be just as complicated. Then I got the chance to review one.
Now, I’m making banana ice-cream at least three times a week! The hardest part is waiting for the bananas to get ripe enough. I usually put them in a paper bag in my cabinet to speed up the process. It’s so easy to use: just add your ingredients, turn on the power, and press down a bit to feed your ingredients through. Your creamy, delicious frozen concoction comes out the other end with a soft-serve consistency. It’s even easy to clean. You can pop all the parts in the dishwasher.
I’m not the only one who is obsessed with Yonanas. My dogs love it, too! All I have to do is say “I’m making Yonanas” and they come running. I make them their own peanut butter Yonanas before I make mine. Like them, I’m all about the PBYos! It’s fast, easy, and delicious. Just use two bananas and about a tablespoon of peanut butter to make it. I actually add a bit more PB to mine, but start there and add more if you want. Of course, you don’t HAVE to use bananas. My mom is allergic to them, so I was worried that she wouldn’t be able to have any fun with your Yonanas Maker. Fortunately, there are plenty of nonana recipes that we can make, too.
Five Delicious Yonanas Recipes to Try
I’m still experimenting with my Yonanas Maker, but here are a few of my favorite recipes so far. The pictures are courtesy of Yonanas because even though I’ve got the taste down, I haven’t figured out how to make mine look as pretty as theirs yet. I don’t want to turn anyone off with my horrible photos!
Kiwi Pineapple Strawberry YoPops
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Make all three Yonanas recipes: Strawberry Yonanas, Pineapple Yonanas & Kiwi Sorbet
- Pipe Strawberry Yonanas into popsicle molds filling 1/3 of the mold
- Fill second layer 1/3 full with Pineapple Yonanas
- Top with Kiwi Yonanas to fill the rest of the molds
- Gently tap filled popsicle molds on counter tip to the release the air bubbles
- Place tops securely into molds & freeze overnight
- To release YoPops, tip the molds on its side and run the molds under warm water for 10 seconds and they should slide out easily.
Watermelon YoPops
Ingredients:
· 1 c. frozen seedless watermelon chunks
Directions:
1. Insert frozen watermelon into Yonanas machine
2. Pipe watermelon sorbet into Popsicle molds. Then gently tap the filled Popsicle molds on the counter top to release air bubbles
3. Place tops securely into molds & freeze overnight
4. To release YoPops, tip the molds on their sides and run them under warm water for 10 seconds. They should slide out easily, and they’re ready to eat!
Chocolate Chip Yonanas
Ingredients:
- 2 frozen ripe bananas
- 2 oz dark chocolate
Directions:
- Slightly thaw your frozen fruit prior to putting through your yonanas maker.
- Insert one frozen banana
- Add 2 oz dark chocolate
- Insert second frozen banana
Chocolate Hazelnut Yonanas
Ingredients:
- 2 frozen over-ripe bananas
- 2 Tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread (OR 1 oz. hazelnut chocolate bar)
Directions:
- Slightly thaw your frozen fruit prior to putting through your yonanas maker.
- Insert one frozen banana
- Add 1 Tablespoon chocolate hazelnut spread (or 1 oz. of hazelnut chocolate bar)
- Alternate remaining ingredients
I also added strawberries to this recipe and it came out great!
Mixed Berry Sorbet
Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries)
Directions:
- Slightly thaw your frozen fruit prior to putting through your yonanas maker.
- Insert frozen mixed berries
If you look through the recipes, you’ll soon learn that it’s super easy to come up with your own flavors. Just start with a banana (or other frozen fruit) and go from there! You really can’t go wrong. Well, maybe if you started adding spinach or something to it, you could, but seriously, you can put just about anything logical in your Yonanas. If you need ideas, check out the recipe section on their website. Ready to buy? Head to the Shop and choose from the Yonanas Classic or Elite. I have the Classic, but if you need something more powerful or prefer a quieter machine (the Classic isn’t deafening, but it’s kind of loud), go for the Elite. It comes with a fab recipe book. You can also buy replacement parts as needed in the shop. I love that they sell a whole bundle of chute replacement parts. I’m thinking about getting a second set just so I can make my dogs’ Yonanas, then make my random concoction without having to wash out the chute in between. Yes, I am THAT lazy sometimes!
Do you have a Yonanas maker? Tell me your favorite recipes!
Those pictures look amazing. I especially want to try the
Kiwi Pineapple Strawberry YoPops (so pretty!) & the watermelon yopops.
oh wow, I don’t have a Yonanas, but now I want one! I love making homemade popsicles and healthy ice cream. I had no idea this works so good!
I have always wanted to try one of these machines. I like banana ice cream and I think this would be really good. I also like how it is good for the dog, I am sure our Odin would appreciate it!
can xscinily use on of these.
this is what we need a healthy way to make a great snack espically in the summer time
Thank you so much for such great recipes!