Sarah and I love ice cream. However, we are trying to avoid too much dairy and added sugar, so we were cutting back on our cold summer treats. Luckily for us we discovered a replacement dessert that is cheap, tasty, and healthier, but still gives us that ice cream experience. Enter frozen banana ice cream.
This recipe is so easy you will think you missed a step. It is flexible, accommodates a variety of favors, and you can go from “I want ice cream” to enjoying a frozen treat in just a few minutes. All it takes is some frozen bananas and a food processor!
Frozen banana “ice cream” recipe (serves 1-2 depending on banana size):
Ingredients:
1 medium bananas frozen when overly ripe
(Ideally the bananas should have been frozen for at least 12 hours prior to making the dish. The easiest way to do this is peel and freeze bananas as they go brown and soft, then grab them as needed.)
If the bananas were frozen whole, break them in half or quarters. Put them in a food processor. Blend in the food processor until the bananas have broken down to a smooth, soft-serve ice cream texture. Scoop into bowls and serve.
Alternate flavors besides plain: cocoa powder; lime and honey; various fruits; nut butters; flavor extracts and more! Have fun and be creative! This is a great dessert, or even a pre-workout snack on a hot day.
Need a food processor? Here are two models we use: Mini-prep and Classic 7-Cup Food Processor
Last month I had some bananas that were going super-ripe and would have gone bad before I could eat them – so I had heard about freezing them, so I peeled and froze. Then I pulled them out ate – it was an amazingly sweet, cool and delicious treat!
Wait until you add cocoa powder and toss them in a food processor.
Heaven.
I don’t do this with Bananas (one or 2 bananas every few months is all I eat before I don’t want them for a long time!) but I do have a habit of eating frozen berries with a tiny bit of sugar on top (sometimes) instead of buying sorbet or frozen fruit bars. Mmmm.
As I really hate banana, I’m sticking to Baskin Robbins, and likely my worst nemesis, the ice cream truck that drives down my block a few times a day that has soft serve ice cream right at the foot of my driveway. 😛
I’ll suggest it to my wife though, as she actually likes those yucky banana’s. 😉