Peel Soft Serve Is Creating Miami’s Most Unique Dessert

Peel Soft Serve, a newly opened Miami Shores soft serve spot is putting a unique twist on soft serve: using bananas instead of cream as the base for its frozen creations.

Inspired by the breakfast culture of Indonesia, owner Valeria Alvarez started Peel with a focus on using “rescue bananas.” These are bananas that are perfectly fine for consumption but are often rejected by grocery stores for their cosmetic imperfections. By using blemished bananas, Peel gets a naturally sweet base for its soft serve and also contributes to reducing food waste.

The menu at Peel is short and concise with “OG Banana” serving as the constant base flavor made with just bananas and coconut milk. The rest of the menu gets a rotation of additional flavors— think mango or coffee — and a variety of toppings such as peanut butter and locally sourced honey. And even better, almost all items on the menu are vegan and gluten-free.

Alvarez initially introduced the Peel concept at a farmers market in MiMo, operating from a 10-by-10-foot tent with a single ice cream machine. Positive feedback led to her purchasing a small Italian Piaggio Ape for events, followed by a three-year run as a food truck. Now, Peel has transitioned to a permanent location, with plans for additional locations around the city in the pipeline.

Peel Soft Serve is now open at 75 NE 96 Street in Miami Shores. It is open Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.