Banana and Strawberries Yonana Dessert
If you’ve been spying the swank little Yonanas Maker taking the media world by storm and wondering (1) if it works, (2) if it fits into your whole-foods lifestyle, and (3) if is it affordable, the answer is a resounding yes, yes…and yes.
Even though the machine churns out beautiful, creamy frozen desserts from frozen bananas and sorbets from frozen melons and other fruits (and all without dairy or added sugars/sweeteners), there’s no end to what you can use to make wholesome desserts for yourself and for your entire family.
The machine in its glory, ready to bring the magic.
My family ad I are impressed with how creamy the machine renders the fruit and how the natural sweetness was so wonderful, my 18 year-old sat down and ate the entire bowl (2 bananas + 8 strawberries). I know I had so much fun, I even incorporated some spinach (results below).
More reasons to try and buy:
1. Ease of use and clean-up. The machine is easy to use, quick to disassemble, clean, and re-assemble. I love that the machine’s removable parts are also top rack dishwasher machine washable, which makes cleanup a cinch. I’ve had more trouble assembling my juicer than this little beauty.
2. Little waste. I expected to see globs of stuck banana and fruit still jammed in the machine when I disassembled the device, but what was left was pulverized into frozen, smooth dessert, so simply scraping out the contents ensured we enjoyed every bite. And because the machine has a terrific, flexible gasket, you don’t leak fruit juices anywhere; it’s all contained in the neat little unit.
3. Use what you love. I love that you can make what amounts to fresh-churned ice cream comprised almost entirely of fruits, vegetables and other healthy additives–and without any fuss. I even threw spinach into the machine between the frozen raspberries.
4. Compact and Powerful. I didn’t expect the machine to have so much power, but its strong motor coupled with it cone blades process frozen foods to a spoon-licking, creamy consistency. And because of it’s small size, its footprint in your kitchen is minimal.
I love this little dynamo of a machine, and while I typically don’t buy single-use appliances, I highly recommend this powerful purveyor of perfect desserts for people who want to make frozen ice creams sans the dairy eggs, and who don’t want to store an ice-cream maker.
Raspberry and Spinach Yonanas
Simply Yonanas and Berries
2 frozen, over-ripe bananas
6 frozen, large strawberries
Insert one frozen banana. Insert second frozen banana. Stir in the bowl to combine. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/4 cup powdered sweetener (if desired. I added them because the berries were so tart). Serve.
Coffee Chocolate Chip
2 frozen, over-ripe bananas
1 oz frozen dark chocolate infused with coffee or espresso
Insert one frozen banana. Add 1 ounce coffee-infused or espresso-infused dark chocolate chunks. Insert second frozen banana. Stir in bowl to combine. Serve.
Jamie’s Raspberry Spinach Sorbet
16 frozen raspberries
a fistful of fresh spinach, wadded into a ball
Insert 8 frozen raspberries. Add spinach. Insert 8 more frozen raspberries. Stir in bowl to combine. Serve.
Note: The spinach will leave flecks, since I didn’t pulverize and freeze first. For a creamier product, buy frozen spinach or process your own and freeze in small chunks.
Ten Yonananas Tips:
1. Try adding a couple of small cubes of frozen cream cheese between the fruit for your own “frozen cheesecake” desserts.
2. Use frozen fruits and vegetables for the best results. The machine will grind through spinach, but it’s not as pretty as if it was processed and frozen into little clumps.
3. The dessert comes out more solid, like ice cream. Stir with a spoon to incorporate the flavors uniformly and to serve.
4. You can also go slightly less ripe for more fiber/less sweet bananas and then add your own sweetener (honey, etc).
5. An ice cube tray is amazing for freezing pumpkin puree for a terrific treat.
6. Use blueberries + spinach + raspberries for a blue drink that will put some zip in your bip.
7. Add these frozen chocolate chips (recipe in the link) to incorporate chocolate.
8. Add nut butters, nuts, seeds, and mix-ins to the bowl at the end of the process for even more variety.
9. For melon sorbets, thaw fruit cubes slightly before feeding through the machine.
10. Feed banana halves through instead of large bananas for an easier machine feed.
Yonanas Maker
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Cost: $49.99
Usefulness: Anywhere you would typically use sweetener
Found at: Where to Buy
Website: YoNanas
Disclosure: Yonanas provided this appliance free of charge for review, but this has not in any way affected my review of the item.
My Mom bought a Yonana’s machine in the spring thinking it might be fun for an upcoming family gathering. Everyone was sitting around on the deck at the cabin on a beautiful hot summer day. She brought the machine out and set it on the table, along with a cooler filled with all kinds of frozen fruits. Everyone had an absolute ball creating their own designer frozen dessert! The machine worked like a charm, even after being used constantly by 30+ people!! Definitely a product worth having!!!
I am so glad you guys had so much fun! I was rooting around in the fridge and freezer for things to try. I even loved adding spinach to my raspberries! Thank you so much for sharing your experience, too. I really love how intuitive this machine is, and how simple it is to use.
Out of my own curiosity, how does this compare to using my Ninja for the same end product? I have a postage stamp sized kitchen, so I’m trying to decide if the machine is worth the space, or if your results across the two products are similar enough.
Hi there! The Ninja won’t produce the same effects. I liken this more to a juicer/grinder for frozen goods. It looks like a juicer, but it pulverizes everything together into a creamy product. I don’t think I could achieve the same effect with the Ninja Kitchenmaster. That said, I haven’t tried it, either… I just think it might hurt the blades/motor to put frozen fruit only in my Ninja.
Another food blogger I follow makes the frozen banana dessert in her Ninja and said it works fine. She also has a Yonanas machine – but that’s because someone bought it for her as a gift. I think with the Ninja you have to stop and stir to be sure it’s all mixed – which is probably not the case with the Yonanas machine.
I’m with you ThriftyNYMama, I have limited space for appliances.
I do need clarification, please!
What is this? I have never heard of this machine! Nor do I knownwhat it looks like!
I am lost!
More info please!
Regards,
Glad
I can’t believe I forgot to add a picture of the machine. *sigh*… I added it! Hope that helps!
Thank you! Looks neat! I am no longer confused or from another planet!
Regards,
Glad
I meant to add the picture, too… Thanks for the reminder!
I’ve been looking at this since I first saw it on HSN – thought it was way too good to be true. But based on your review and armed with the ever-useful Bed Bath & Beyond 20% coupon – I just ordered one so it was only $39.00 with the coupon. Can’t wait to try it after I pick it up at the store. Thanks for the review!
That’s a really good price with the coupon! I think you’re going to have a lot of fun with it! I know I’m still thinking of new and different things to make with it.
Everyone , this little machine is fantastic. I too love the results. The only problem you might have, it is loud. Put some ear plugs in. I attend Weight Watchers. This frozen dessert is
. 0 pts. So enjoy your guilt free dessert.
Sounds great for the kids, but I’ve been avoiding fruit on my low-carb diet. How do you incorporate this or other fruits in your typical low-carb day?
Sally, I went with frozen raspberries and spinach! It sounds weird, but it was nice. I also wouldn’t be afraid to try strawberries with cubed, frozen cream cheese.
I was thinking of this for Low-carb stuff and I was thinking of mixing frozen raspberries and/or blackberries (I believe they are th e lowest carb fruits) with either frozen greek yougurt or frozen heavy cream and sweetener. I haven’t tried yet though. Also thought to try freezing cottage or ricotta cheese, peanut butter or ccream cheese in cube trays to experiment with!
I just ordered mine this morning Jamie..give us some wonder LC ideas with this!! Merry Christmas Friend!
Hey there! You are going to love it so hard! I love that you can even freeze chocolate chips and use those, too! It will come with a recipe book, but their site has even more ideas as well. You aren’t going to run out of ways to use it any time soon.
Have had a Yonana’s in my cupboard untouched for over a year now. Anxious to get it out & try some of your recipes!! I love that you’ve given us much more options to incorporate in a healthy diet. Hope other subscribers will share more ideas, as ice cream is my favorite 🙂
Hi, Lori! I wonder what some diced, frozen cucumber and melon might bring! It just feels really refreshing.
I have a question I’m new to using the yonanas machine but I was wondering how long do you let your frozen fruits thaw before putting them in machine cuz when I did it it didn’t come out creamy like ice cream and I want it to be creamy