I tested Yonanas' frozen dessert maker after seeing so many glowing reviews. Here's what I thought

CNN

a day ago

Like the Ninja Creami, the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker is another kitchen appliance you may have seen online. Praised by reviewers for its ability to turn frozen fruit into delicious soft-serve-like treats, this lightweight gadget also comes with a very budget-friendly price tag, and because I'm always up for testing new products, I knew I had to see for myself how the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker managed to rack up more than 3,000 5-star reviews on Amazon.
Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker
This frozen dessert maker is the perfect way to make good use of your ripe bananas and frozen fruit. Easy to assemble and even easier to use, it's also one of the lightest appliances I own, making it easy to pick up, move around and tuck away on a shelf. It's easy to assemble and disassemble
The appliance comprises two main parts: a surprisingly lightweight motor base and a chute that houses the blade cone. Before using it for the first time, you'll want to disassemble the chute so you can wash the individual parts (they're dishwasher-safe), according to the instruction manual that comes with the Yonanas. I chose to handwash the parts and it took me just a few minutes to do this, reassemble the chute, then attach it to the base (it clicks into place). Disassembling the appliance can get a little messy (more on that later), but it's just as simple as assembling it.
It's straightforward to use
What I appreciate most about the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker is how foolproof and simple it is. There's no control panel to worry about or complicated steps to follow to create a satisfying frozen treat every single time.
Since it shaves slightly thawed frozen fruit into soft-serve-like desserts, you'll need to have frozen fruit on hand. You can choose to slice and freeze fruits you have lying around, or you can purchase bags of frozen fruit from the store; I decided to go both routes. The instructions recommend freezing your fruits for 24 hours, but from personal experience you may be able to get away with freezing them overnight, depending on how cold your freezer gets.
Before you can start feeding your fruits through the chute, Yonanas recommends letting them defrost for seven to 10 minutes to ensure you get that ideal soft-serve consistency. The first time around, I let my fruits defrost for too long, so my dessert had a consistency similar to traditional soft-serve that's already begun to melt. For that reason, I recommend keeping a close eye on the time so it doesn't turn out too soft. If your recipe calls for bananas, the brand recommends alternating between frozen banana halves and any other fruits you're using. The appliance comes with a pusher that allows you to feed the fruits through the chute, so there's little risk of cutting your hands on the blades. I noticed it takes a minute for it to start dispensing, but as you continue to add fruits, it forces what's already gone through to come out.
There are lots of recipes to try
The frozen dessert maker comes with a recipe book that includes plenty of fruit sorbet recipes in addition to recipes for other desserts, such as cookies and cream, which you can make by alternating frozen bananas and chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos. The first sorbet I made was a banana and berry cherry one I created using banana halves I'd frozen, plus a bag of frozen berries and cherries from my local grocery store. I used two bananas and 3/4 cup of the berries- and- cherries mix, and I found that this made more than enough sorbet for one person. The result? A refreshing frozen mixture you could easily eat in the morning for breakfast, as a midday snack or as a post-workout treat.
Though many recipes include bananas, there are also banana-free recipes you can follow. I'm not a huge fan of bananas myself, so unsurprisingly, my favorite recipe was one I made with strawberries and mangoes. It's worth keeping in mind you'll need to de-pit fruits with pits before using them with the Yonanas. Though I only used fruit in my recipes, as mentioned above, you're also able to use cookies, muffins and ingredients like chocolate bars, peanut butter and avocado slices.
It's messy
Handling defrosting fruit can get messy, and unfortunately, the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker doesn't come with tongs, so you'll have to use your hands or utilize one of your own kitchen utensils. It also doesn't come with a drip tray. Because fruit bits get left behind in the chute, you'll definitely want to have your sink stopper in place to prevent food waste from going down the drain if your sink doesn't have a garbage disposal.
I also couldn't help but notice large pieces of cherry skin throughout my otherwise delicious banana and berry cherry frozen mixture that the blades had missed. Though I expected to come across some fruit skin, I expected those pieces to be smaller and better incorporated into the rest of the mixture than they actually were. I also noticed a decent amount of mixture that needed to be cleaned out of the chute itself, which contributed to the overall messy cleanup process.
After each use, I made sure to thoroughly wash the chute, the blade cone and the gasket. If you're going to make two different sorbets consecutively, I suggest quickly disassembling the chute and giving it a quick rinse to avoid any flavor transfer.
I'll be the first to admit how disappointing it is when a dessert doesn't come out as expected, which is why I love how easy the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker makes creating frozen treats. Turning fruits into frozen desserts is a creative way to use them before they go bad, not to mention the Yonanas is lightweight and easy to use, providing countless flavor combinations to experiment with. If you're looking for a quick way to make a healthier-for-you treat that also tastes delicious, the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker is definitely worth considering.
Can you use frozen fruit in the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker?
Can you use frozen fruit in the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker?
Yes, frozen fruit needs to be used in the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker.
Can the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker make ice cream?
Can the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker make ice cream?
While the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker can't be used to make traditional ice cream, it can make delicious vegan-friendly desserts using frozen fruit.
What's the difference between the Yonanas Soft-Serve Maker and Ninja Creami?
What's the difference between the Yonanas Soft-Serve Maker and Ninja Creami?
The Ninja Creami can also make fruit sorbets, but you need to add a liquid, like fruit juice, to the container before freezing, while the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker requires freezing individual pieces of fruit. Even though both appliances use a blade to create frozen treats, I felt the Ninja Creami produced sorbets that had a smoother consistency than the ones made with the Yonanas, though the desserts are equally as tasty.
CNN Underscored has a team of skilled writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when applicable to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. For this story, associate editor Rachel Dennis made several frozen desserts with bananas, strawberries, mangoes and more using the Yonanas Classic Frozen Fruit Soft-Serve Maker.