Favorite Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
Ice cream is a favorite food at our house, and thankfully not one that we had to give up when we began eating plant-based. We did need to get good at making our own however, because the store bought plant-based ice creams tend to be super expensive and hardly any better for you (some are probably worse!) than traditional ice cream.
We have an ice cream maker that we love and use often–I’ve found that an ice cream based of cashews and dates works well for all kinds of flavors: we love Mint Moosetracks ice cream, chocolate, even these Reese’s Ice cream cups.
But I often don’t plan ahead, and as much as I love cashews, am looking for ways to eat less of them both to eat less fat (most plant-based experts agree that nuts have a lot of health benefits but that it’s best not to eat them in large quantities) and to save money as they can get pricey.
This chocolate banana-nice cream is rich and creamy and easy to whip up anytime we’re in the mood for a little something. We’ve had guests who went home raving about it and eager to get the recipe.
It’s remarkably simple with basic ingredients you likely already have on hand!
If you don’t already keep bananas in your freezer, you’ll want to start! When I go to Costco I often buy as many as 9 bunches of bananas. We enjoy them for snacks when they are at their prime, and then whatever is left becomes overripe and lands in the freezer.
I peel them and break them into 1 inch pieces and toss them in gallon size ziploc bags. That way we always have them at the ready for smoothies and of course, ice cream!
You can also freeze bananas for about 2 hours and make this ice cream. Blending can be a bit easier if the bananas are not rock hard, so if they’ve been in the freezer for more than a few hours it’s a good idea to allow them to thaw.
You may need to stop and scrape down the blender and add plant milk a couple tablespoons at a time to get things moving. But as soon as it seems to be smooth, you can turn off the blender and enjoy!
In this week’s podcast episode, Trish Braunersrither talked about how her kids choose nice cream over all kinds of other treats and snacks. It’s a big favorite at our house as well, and easy and healthy enough that I’ve made it for an after school snack!
If you’re ever frustrated with your family’s food choice (and who isn’t?) or struggling with moving your family towards eating more plants, When Your Kids Want to Eat Junk is for YOU!
| Prep Time | 10 |
| Servings |
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- 4 bananas frozen in 1 inch pieces, slightly thawed
- 1/4 cup nut or seed butter can be omitted
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt optional, omit if using salty nut butter
- 1-2 TBSP pure maple syrup optional to taste for a little extra sweetness
- 1/2-1 cup plant milk as needed to get things moving
Ingredients
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- Add bananas, nut/seed butter, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt if using to jar of high speed blender. Puree until smooth, scraping down sides and adding additional plant milk a couple tablespoons at a time as needed.
Use seed butter for nut-free