Wholesome Ice Cream (Dairy Free!)

Mulberry Ice Cream
banana and mulberry ice cream with a raspberry garnish

 

A lifesaver in the whole food world has been our improvised ice cream.  It’s almost too good to be true, because of its simplicity.

Wholesome Ice Cream

Ingredients:
frozen ripe banana chunks

(optional:  other frozen fruit, vanilla, cocoa powder, nut butters, etc.)
(optional parent add in:  liquors of any sort)

Peel, slice, and freeze banana chunks on cookie sheet.  Remove from freezer and set on counter for 10 minutes.  Add bananas and any optional add ins to blender or food processor.  Process until creamy.  Serve and enjoy!

 

We have made this a million ways, and it’s always good.  The kids didn’t love the texture of adding pineapple, but the flavor was still lovely.  Watermelon, berries– the possibilities are endless.

Ripe Bananas

Our grocery store marks down ripe-ripe bananas, and I get a cartful when that happens.  “You makin’ banana bread?” the clerk asks with a mixture of horror and awe.  “Nope.  Ice cream.”  This conversation happens almost every week.

We freeze the banana chunks right away so that they don’t get too mushy.  Extra banana chunks go in a freezer bag.

I had spent my life up until this point thinking that bananas that looked like this were gross or going bad.  Turns out I was wrong!  They are perfect for ice cream.

We used to use our 10-year-old blender (complete with dangerously shoving the banana chunks down to the blades with the end of a spatula).  The blender has gotten louder and louder over the years.  I never really noticed, though until we had my brother over for dinner one night.  As I blended the “ice cream” for dessert, the look on his face made me realize it sounded like an airplane was taking off in our kitchen.  I told him that it was a wedding gift as way of explanation, and left it at that.

The next time my brother came over, he brought this guy.  The Big Boss Swirlio.

Swirlio

The Big Boss has improved our ice cream experience because it gets those little ridges.  It looks lovely.  It’s easy to use (my brother brought the Swirlio but not the directions.  We figured it out.).

The best part:  there are no sharp parts.  No blades.  No chance of hurting yourself when you wash all the pieces by hand.  The bananas or other fruit are crushed by a spinning arm-y thing.  Sweet.

So we’ve tried an ancient blender and the Big Boss Swirlio for this recipe, but I’m sure fancier processors would work as well.  If you have a vitamix or something nutri bullety, you’ll have to let me know how it works.

Oh, I mentioned optional parent add ins above in the recipe, right?  After we give the kids their “ice cream,” occasionally David and I will make a batch with a little amaretto or rum in it for ourselves.  Double yummo.

Ice Cream

I promise that Elle did not have some optional parent add in ice cream.  🙂

The kids adore this simple, tasty recipe, and I’m glad it’s free of added sugar and artificial ingredients.  It’s been made all the sweeter because my brother introduced us to the Big Boss.  (But don’t say anything to him about it.  We wouldn’t want to damage his tough guy reputation.)
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