Creamy Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream (vegan)

It’s not yet summer even though last week’s heat wave sure made it seem like it is. I can pretend that it’s summer though, can’t I? I’ll sit outside, soak up every bit of sunshine (vitamin D) that I can, and enjoy a small bowl of homemade healthy ice cream. That’s right, you heard me, healthy ice cream. Those two things aren’t usually directly correlated; however, they can be!

And I’m not talking about the ice cream that’s handed out at running expos: Arctic Zero, or all of the fat free ice creams lining the shelves of the freezers in grocery markets. Those, no matter how much they’re advertised as ‘healthy’ for you, aren’t. They’re fine to indulge in every now and then, but it’s probably not the best idea to incorporate them in your daily diet.

All of them contain preservatives, ‘natural flavors’ (which is pretty much equivalent to artificial flavors), other added chemicals, and sugars. It’s much healthier for you to eat whole foods that are less processed. Besides, does it even look any different from regular, store bought ice cream?

Maybe it looks a little different, but it tastes just as good and nourishes your body while at it. You can enjoy it knowing exactly what you’re putting into your body. If you have children, I’d recommend serving this to them after dinner instead of regular store bought ice cream. You’ll have a less hyper child, and they’ll be eating fruit without even being aware of it.

Just so you know, I’m about to digress here. Parents, it’s essential for children to receive proper nutrition, especially since their minds and bodies are growing. They won’t perform as well academically if they don’t and may even develop behavioral problems at home and in the classroom. Also, if children do not develop healthy eating habits while young, this may affect their diet as adults and they will be at a high risk of preventable diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, etc. Watch this video on how heart disease begins in childhood by Michael Greger. We all have tremendous power over our health, and in Greger’s words, “heart disease is a choice”.

Okay, now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Drum roll please! To make this ice cream, you’ll need a food processor or blender. It works much better in a food processor. Trust me!

This recipe is great to use when all of your bananas are ripe, browning, and ‘gross looking’ and you’re too lazy to bake banana bread.

Recipe is good for one serving. Use more banana and peanut butter if you want to serve more people.

Ingredients:

• 1 Frozen banana
• 2-3 Tbsp Unsalted all natural peanut butter (made of purely peanuts and no other added ingredients)

Instructions:

1. Chop your ripe bananas into chunks, place into a container, and freeze for at least 3 hours (until they are almost as firm as ice cubes)
2. Place bananas into food processor and pulse. The bananas will be chopped up into tiny little pieces. They’ll almost look like minced garlic!
3. Add 2-3 Tbsp of peanut butter and if you’d like, some cocoa powder or chocolate chips. Basically add whatever you’d like to flavor it. Some people add cinnamon, some add vanilla extract, etc. Continue to process until the ice cream is smooth and then serve and eat immediately!

Photos of the wonderful process of processing bananas in the food processor (say that 3 times fast!)

    

Then scoop the velvety ice cream out of the food processor and into a serving bowl of your choice.

Top the ice cream with sliced almonds, chocolate chips, pecans, chocolate syrup, anything that appeals to your taste buds! You’re not eating sugar with preservatives and added chemicals. You’re eating tasty bananas (potassium, fiber, and other vitamins) and peanut butter (healthy fats and protein), so stuff your face!

Note:

I’m not saying never eat ice cream. Life is about balance, and indulgence every once in a while should most definitely be welcomed.

Second Note:

I’ve also recently discovered Pinch of Yum‘s website which has a similar Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream recipe. Hers has a different flavoring, so if you want to try something different, head over there. I’m so drawn to her photographs of food. Plus, the fact that she used to be a fourth grade teacher earns her major points (because, you know, I’m a fourth grade teacher too!)

Vimeo of the Peanut Butter Ice Cream:

Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream from Hayley Diep on Vimeo.