It may be winter still, but we live in Florida where even in the midst of the coldest of seasons, we can eat ice cream in our shorts and flip-flops. While others are shoveling snow, it’s safe to say we’ve got it made.
You’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t like ice cream. But for those who are on lactose-free, gluten-free, low-fat diets, ice cream is often off limits.
This dairy-free, fat-free, gluten free, guiltless banana “ice cream” recipe is full of flavor and can be enjoyed by just about anyone … unless you’re allergic to bananas. If so, I’d probably skip this one. Below are four variations of one recipe, which can be tweaked depending on personal taste. It’s a choose-your-own vegan ice cream adventure.
Aside from being naturally delicious, bananas are full of potassium, fiber, vitamin C and B6. Perhaps more importantly, the fruit is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, making it a very healthy treat that tastes as good as its unhealthy counterpart. Considering all the benefits, make this dessert often and enjoy without worry.
Vanilla “Ice Cream”
Each recipe makes four servings of about two scoops each.
Ingredients
4 bananas
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Sweetened vanilla almond milk (optional: as needed for consistency)
Blackberry
Ingredients
4 bananas
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup of frozen blackberries (or fruit of your choice)
Sweetened vanilla almond milk (optional: as needed for consistency)
Peanut Butter Agave
Ingredients
4 bananas
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp. light agave
1 tsp. crushed peanuts (for garnish)
Sweetened vanilla almond milk (optional: as needed for consistency)
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Ingredients
4 bananas
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
Sweetened vanilla almond milk (optional: as needed for consistency)
Directions for all recipes
Slice bananas into half-inch chips and place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet or plate.
Put the bananas into the freezer for about two hours, or until frozen. Combine the frozen fruit and vanilla extract into your food processor (or other blending mechanism). Blend the ingredients on high until the bananas look crumbly. This is where things get interesting. The small amount of fat in the fruit will cause the mixture to become creamy as you continue to blend it.
At this point you may choose to add some of your vanilla almond milk to assist in the process. You will also want to scrape the sides of the processor with a plastic spatula to ensure that everything mixes evenly. Your “ice cream” is ready when it has the texture of soft serve.
Now add the additional ingredients mentioned above for the different variations on the vanilla staple.
If you want a regular ice cream consistency, place the mixture into an airtight container and put it in the freezer for about an hour. After that, your vegan ice cream will be ready for scooping. Store your delicious dairy-free creation in the freezer. The mixture will keep for at least 10 days. But considering the tastiness factor here, it may not make it that long without being devoured.
