Ice cream recipe: Banana “Ice Cream”
Often times, the New Year starts with a good detox. Many people feel horrible after all the holiday goodies they’ve consumed over the last few months. Except, wait, those holiday treats are soooo good!
I know I’m not the only person who misses them when January starts, I also know it’s hard not to slip up on the sweets when you’re trying to make a change in your diet. If you feel this way, then this “ice cream,” (or nice cream, as many people like to call it) is the answer for you.
Nice cream is an extremely healthy alternative to regular ice cream that won’t leave you feeling bad about all the sugar you just consumed, or just overall bad if dairy and sugar makes your body scream at you like me. Honestly, nice cream might actually make you feel great.
This recipe is flourless, gluten free, dairy free, and vegan. Nice cream typically has a frozen banana base, and frozen bananas blend into an ice cream texture like a dream. Then, it can be flavored any way you like. Anyone can do it, and you can get creative with nice cream and experiment with your favorite flavors.
I call this one the Chunky Monkey “ice cream,” like the Ben & Jerry’s kind. But not horrible. Enjoy!
-Jenna Del Pozzo
Recipe:
- 4 frozen bananas
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder(you could even use chocolate protein powder if you really want to get fancy)
- 1/4 cup oat flour (simply blend oats into powder if you don’t have oat flour on hand)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of your favorite non dairy milk (start small, and add as you need. Keep an eye on the texture because you want it to stay like ice cream, not turn into a smoothie)
- 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/2 cup of your favorite nuts, chopped or sliced
Directions:
- In a food processor or high powered blender, pulse the dates, cocoa powder, half of vanilla, applesauce, oat flour, and salt, until it becomes a dough like texture.
- Pinch off little pieces of the dough and place onto a baking sheet or plate, until there is no “dough” remaining. Place into the freezer for 15 minutes. The dough is meant to imitate brownie or chocolate cookie pieces. In the food processor it may already come out in little bits instead of formed. This is okay, it just means less work for you!
- Clean and dry your food processor or blender.
- While the dough is in the freezer, place your frozen bananas, other half of vanilla, cinnamon, and your non dairy milk into your now clean food processor, and pulse until it becomes a smooth ice-cream-like texture. Remember to add the milk a little bit at a time until you achieve this texture.
- Add your dough bits from the freezer and preferred nuts into the ice cream mixture, and stir by hand until combined.
- Pour your nice cream into a container or loaf pan, and freeze for 20 minutes.
- Then scoop and enjoy! 🙂
