One of the things I miss the most about not being able to eat dairy is that I no longer get to indulge in ice cream on a hot summer day. I have tried just about every dairy-free alternative on the market and, while some are absolutely delicious, they can be a bit pricey when you purchase them on a regular basis. I have been wanting to find a budget friendly option, preferably one that I can prepare myself, for quite a while. This vegan chocolate banana ice cream definitely fits the bill and makes for a refreshing and (relatively) healthy treat!
There are a lot of banana ice cream recipes available online and I started my experientation with the most basic of the basic out there, one that requires only two ingredients – bananas and cocoa powder!
I ultimately added in vanilla extract to cancel out a bit of the banana taste as well as vanilla coconut milk to make for a creamier consistency and was happy with both additions. They both gave the ice cream a more authentic and dairy-like taste and consistency. In the future I will always include the extra hits of vanilla. If you enjoy the taste of banana and are looking for a healthy alternative to ice cream I definitely recommend giving this a try!
Disclaimer: I feel like I need to include a note about this, and any, banana ice cream recipe. I read a lot of complaints on message boards about banana ice cream tasting too much like banana. It is impossible to completely cover up the taste of the banana and you should not expect to do so.
- 4 bananas very ripe!
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanille extract optional
- 1 splash vanilla coconut milk optional
- Peel and slice bananas, place slices in the freezer in an air-tight container or zip-lock.
- Freeze for a minimum of two hours.
- Place frozen bananas, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and coconut milk in a blender (or food processor) and blend until creamy.
- Scoop into a bowl, top to your preference and serve!