I have loved ice cream for as long as I can remember. It has absolutely always been one of my favorite foods for taste, but not so much for health. That is, until I realized that ice cream can be both extremely tasty and healthy at the same time! Although this may seem a bit like a marketing trick, hear me out: frozen bananas + non-dairy milk + whatever other healthy ingredients you want = the best tasting ice cream in the world. For good measure, I'm going to put this special equation in bold (also because some people skim articles and this equation is super-duper important).
Frozen Bananas + Non-dairy Milk + Other healthy ingredients = Best tasting ice cream in the world
If you like good ice cream, memorize this equation. This recipe is completely vegan, free of added sugar, and gluten-free. I use this equation to make ice cream meals (yes, meals!) for myself everyday. Now, let's get into exactly how to make your ice cream.
What you will need:
1. A blender--preferably a NutriBullet, Magic Bullet, or another high speed blender
2. A mason jar (to put your lovely ice cream in)
3. Frozen bananas
4. Non-dairy milk
5. Any other healthy ingredients to add to your ice cream creation
These are the steps to follow so that you can be sure to get that perfect ice cream consistency:
1. Freeze approximately five bananas (depending on how much ice cream you want) overnight in the freezer. Tip: always use frozen bananas, unless you want a smoothie!
2. Add your non-dairy milk to your blender cup. This helps get the blades of your blender moving. Tip: always use some form of liquid when blending!
3. Add your frozen bananas and other ingredients
4. Start to blend and allow your blender a break every ten seconds or so to avoid it overheating. Sometimes, you will need to shake the blender cup or use a spoon to move the ingredients around so that the blending process goes smoothly.
5. Pour your mixture into your mason jar (or other cup/jar) and make it look pretty by swirling the different ice cream mixtures together, or by adding different toppings to it.
Recommendations:
-- For your non-dairy milk, I recommend using an unsweetened version, as the bananas and other fruits you use already will make your ice cream very sweet. Almond milk and cashew milk are my favorites, though there are so many non-dairy milks out there for you to use.
-- If your ice cream is still not sweet enough, add some dates. Dates are extremely sweet and are a natural alternative to processed sugars.
-- You may need to do two separate "blends" if you can't fit all of your ingredients in your blender at once. You can even make two separate types of ice cream and combine them for a "swirl".
-- For your "other healthy ingredients", I recommend any type of berry or fruit (preferably frozen), cocoa or cocao powder, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, or nuts. The possibilities are literally endless.
Ice cream really cannot get any better than this. Hopefully some of you out there have a giant sweet tooth like me...one that can only be satisfied by outrageous amounts of fruit. This recipe is truly a gift from heaven.
