Yonanas vs. VitaMix Frozen Dessert Maker Review

Are you curious about Yonanas Frozen Dessert Maker? Wonder if it will meet your needs for making easy, healthy soft-serve fruit based dessert?

As someone who has been using both my Vitamix to make one ingredient banana "ice cream" and nonfat frozen strawberry yogurt I was curious too, so I decided to do this side-by-side review and comparison of Yonanas Classic vs. VitaMix for making one ingredient banana ice cream.

Yonanas (affiliate link) is a highly regarded product on Amazon with over 2,000 comments/reviews and an average user rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars. It's sole purpose is to make frozen fruit desserts with the consistency of soft-serve ice cream.

By comparison, the Vitamix (affiliate link) 5200 over 900 comments/reviews with an average rating of 4.5 stars. It is a versatile high-powered blender (affiliate link) that costs 10 times more than the Yonanas (affiliate link).

And Yonanas is very popular in the Weight Watchers community:

I'm a Weight Watchers Leader in New York and just wanted to share with you how happy we all are with your wonderful product. I've been featuring it at my meetings because it's just that good!!!! And it's ZERO Points on our program!! Thanks again for making so many of us happy and helping us stay healthier and thinner!!! ~ Linda

Things to Know About Yonanas Classic

• ½ cup serving of Yonanas (simply frozen bananas) is about 100 calories and *0 WW Freestyle SmartPoints
• It is best to freeze peeled over-ripe cheetah-spotted bananas for making Yonanas because they are naturally sweeter (not green or yellow bananas)
• Allow your frozen fruit to thaw at room temperature for about 7-10 minutes before using - this will result in a creamy "ice cream like" texture
• When mixing fruit in Yonanas, alternate frozen banana with other fruit in the chute which allows it to blend
• Bananas are not required to make Yonanas, most any frozen fruit works well (mango, pineapple, strawberries, peaches, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.)
• Simple clean-up, rinse Yonanas parts (chute, plunger, blades, seal and screw cap) with warm soapy water or run through dishwasher

Yonanas Frequently Asked Questions

What do cheetah spotted bananas look like?
Ripened cheetah spotted bananas aren't completely over-ripe (where the skins are completely brown) - but rather speckled with brown spots, like a cheetah's coat. The brown spots a banana has, the sweeter it will taste. Ripe bananas with brown cheetah-like spots make the best Yonanas!

How long do I need to freeze my bananas before using?
When your bananas ripen (you will see the brown cheetah spots on the skins), they are ready to freeze. Simply peel the ripe bananas, break them into large pieces and place them on a sheet of plastic wrap (or in a ziplock freezer bag). Your bananas should be frozen in about 2 hours - but this will vary depending on your freezer.

Can I use frozen bananas right out of the freezer?
Your frozen fruit should sit out at room temperature for 7 - 10 minutes before using in your Yonanas machine. If you try to use frozen fruit just taken from the freezer, it will be too cold. If you thaw your frozen fruit for more than 12 - 15 minutes it will become a melted goo because it will be too soft.

How does Yonanas work? What does it do?
Yonanas processes slightly thawed, frozen fruit into a creamy, "ice cream" like soft serve dessert - without all the added milk/cream, sugars, colorings, flavorings and stabilizers found in traditional ice cream. It's the perfect solution if you love ice cream, but cannot digest dairy and/or want to avoid all the excess fat and calories.

How do I put my Yonanas machine together? And how do I take it apart?

This is how your Yonanas machine should look when it's all put together and ready for use...

Disassembling your Yonanas Machine: Step #1:

When the fruit chute is straight up and down, it is in the locked position. To take it apart, you must rotate the chute to the right - it will make a "clicking" sound and will then be unlocked and can be removed from the base...

Disassembling your Yonanas Machine Step #2:

Locate the cap with the ridges on the bottom end of the chute and turn cap to the left to unscrew it completely...

Disassembling your Yonanas Machine Step #3:

After unscrewing the cap, be careful when handling the metal blade assembly - the blades are extremely sharp and should be handled with care...

Disassembling your Yonanas Machine Step #4:

Carefully grasp the edges of the white blade assembly (being careful not to cut your fingers on the very sharp blades), and separate from the bottom cap...

Disassembling your Yonanas Machine Step #5:

Grab the edge of the rubber seal (as seen in image on the left), and pull up seal to completely remove from the bottom screw cap (as seen on the right)...

Your Yonanas machine is now fully disassembled and consists of five (5) dishwasher-safe parts: the plunger, the fruit chute, the blades, the rubber seal and the bottom screw cap.

How do I put my Yonanas machine back together?
To assemble your Yonanas machine:

1. Place the rubber seal on the screw cap.
2. Place the blade assembly on top of the rubber seal and push down to secure (being careful of the sharp blades).
3. Insert the bottom screw cap (with the rubber seal and blades already in place) into the bottom of the fruit chute. Turn the screw cap to the right until it is tightened.
4. Place the fruit chute on the base (slightly pointed to the right) so that the notches are aligned. Rotate the chute to the left until you hear a "click" and the chute is in the locked position.

Your Yonanas machine is now assembled and ready to be plugged in for use.

How do I use my Yonanas machine? (How do I make Yonanas Ice Cream?)
Simply plug the machine in and turn it on. Place your semi-thawed frozen fruit in the cute and push down with the plunger. Keep adding fruit until it comes out the bottom of the chute. If using a variety of fruit, be sure to alternate which fruit you are putting into the chute so it mixes well.

Can I make Yonanas without bananas?
Yes! You can make Yonanas with or without bananas. Frozen mango, peaches, strawberries, pineapple, raspberries, blueberries, etc. all work well.

Can I freeze Yonanas after I make it?
Yes! Just add any leftover Yonanas to a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer - just like ice cream. When ready to enjoy Yonanas that has been stored in the freezer, you may want to let it sit at room temperature to allow it to soften a bit before serving.

Can I use my Yonanas machine as a juicer?
Yonanas is not meant to be used as a juicer. It is intended to turn partially thawed frozen fruit into a creamy "ice cream" like dessert.

Can I make Yonanas in a blender?
Yes, but you will need a high-powered blender to process the frozen fruit. And depending on how thawed your fruit is, you may need to add a little non-fat Greek yogurt or unsweetened non-dairy milk beverage to achieve the desired consistency.

Does Yonanas work for Weight Watchers?
Yes! Yonanas is a great answer for ice cream loving Weight Watchers because you can now enjoy *0 SmartPoints frozen desserts with a creamy, ice cream like consistency. But be careful, just because fruit has Zero Freestyle SmartPoints, does not mean it's free because it still contains calories and you can easily eat too much, just like with ice cream.

How much does Yonanas cost?
Click here to see the pricing table and get current prices at Amazon

Which Yonanas machine should I buy?
Yonanas Classic is perfect for people living alone, couples, or very small families. It is lighter and a little louder than the Elite. Yonanas Elite is quieter and has a more powerful motor than the Classic. It is perfect for large families, parties and everyday use.

Things to Know About VitaMix

• Can quickly and easily make hot soups, baby food, flours and dough, nut butters, frozen desserts, batters, dressings and sauces, non-dairy milks, smoothies and juices, dips and spreads, food prep (think grated cheese, chopped herbs, bread crumbs, etc.)
• Chops (salsas, soups, chunky dips, etc.), Grinds (homemade nut butter, homemade gluten-free flours, etc.), Pure&eacutes (silky smooth soups and smoothies), Whole-Food Juicing (blends entire ingredients retaining all of its fiber and health benefits)
• Allow for a whole range of textures - from cream blends to chopping and grinding - with variable speed control
• Every VitaMix comes with a tamper (plunger) which allows continuous and efficient processing of even the thickest blends - like homemade peanut butter
• VitaMix machines are built to last, so that you don't have to replace your blender (affiliate link) every year or two
• VitaMix (affiliate link) blenders are self-cleaning - simply blend warm water with a drop of dish soap on the highest setting and watch it clean itself in 60 seconds or less

From another satisfied Vitamix customer...

I love that I can throw a bunch of things in the Vitamix and it purees it so wonderfully that my kids can't detect what is in the smoothie. The texture is amazing. Very powerful machine. I wish I had bought a Vitamix sooner. ~ Jane

My Assessment

If you already have a Vitamix you probably don't need a Yonanas for making frozen fruit desserts. But if you don't have a high powered blender like the Vitamix or a food processor and love the idea of soft-serve style fruit based desserts it may be just what you are looking for. Also, with no sharp blades, Yonanas is safer than a blender of food processor. So if you have kids this is another consideration.

Yonanas Recipes with Bananas

Note: Slightly thaw your frozen fruit prior to putting through your yonanas maker.

Cherry Chocolate Yonanas (Serves 2)

• 2 frozen over-ripe bananas
• ¾ cup frozen, pitted cherries
• 1 oz. dark chocolate (frozen or room temperature)

Mango Yonanas (Serves 2)

• 2 frozen over-ripe bananas
• ¾ cup frozen mangoes

Strawberry Banana Yonanas (Serves 2)

• 2 frozen over-ripe bananas
• ¾ cup frozen strawberries

More Banana Yonanas Recipes

Yonanas Recipes without Bananas

Note: Slightly thaw your frozen fruit prior to putting through your yonanas maker.

Apple Sorbet (Serves 2)

• ½ cup frozen pineapple chunks
• ½ cup frozen apple slices

Mango Raspberry Sorbet (Serves 2)

• ½ cup frozen mango
• ½ cup frozen raspberries

Peach Blueberry Sorbet (Serves 2)

• ½ cup frozen blueberries
• ½ cup frozen peaches

More No Banana Yonanas Recipes

History of Yonanas

Yonanas is the brainchild of Eileen McHale. She loves ice cream so much, she could it at every meal, but knows that's not practical.

Eileen's husband, Brian Machovina, created the first drawings of a Yonanas machine in 2004 using Adobe Illustrator. But being busy with other projects, this concept was placed on the back-burner.

In 2009, they gave Brian's drawings to a friend who had his engineers create the formal drawings needed to move the project forward. Yonanas' breakout year happened in 2011 and can now be found in most retail locations around the world.

Yonanas Elite was also selected by Oprah for her list of favorite things in 2016.

Yonana's and VitaMix Buyer's Guide
Yonanas Classic	see current price on Amazon*
Yonanas Elite	see current price on Amazon*
VitaMix 5200	see current price on Amazon*
VitaMix 7500	see current price on Amazon*
VitaMix E310	see current price on Amazon*
VitaMix A3500	see current price on Amazon*
*Amazon affiliate link

These assembly and disassembly instructions serve only as a guide - please consult your Yonanas owners manual for complete instructions. Simple Nourished Living is not responsible for any personal injuries that may occur from assembling or disassembling a Yonanas machine.