Ice Cream You’ll Actually Want to Feed Your Kids (and Self!)

No matter the time of year, there seems to always be some excuse for dessert. If it isn’t pumpkin latte season, then it’s the winter holidays, or Easter, or Passover, or somebody’s birthday. Or maybe the first real warm days of the season have finally found you, letting you know that it is undeniably time to eat ice cream.

Thankfully, you can quickly (and relatively painlessly) make frozen desserts with clean, healthy ingredients – aaand enjoy them without having to come up with any silly excuses.

 

 

Bananas to the Rescue!

Thanks to their high pectin content, frozen bananas make a delightfully silky treat when blended. They can be added to smoothies or used in frozen desserts – like these “ice cream” recipes right here.

If you notice that a banana in your kitchen is getting brown or spotty, peel it and throw it in a sealed container in the freezer. (You can also put it in the freezer unpeeled, but it can be tough to wrangle a frozen peel off of a frozen banana later on.)

 

Banana Ice Cream

(Only One Ingredient!)

Yields 2 servings

Ingredient:

  • 1 large ripe (or overripe) banana – that’s it!

Directions:

  1. Peel banana and place in a sealed container in the freezer for 1-2 hours. (If you’re in a rush, slice the banana before freezing.)
  2. Place banana in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. (Warning: blending this part will be loud!)
  3. For soft, almost custard-like consistency, serve immediately. To make (very) hard ice cream, place the mixture in a bowl in the freezer for an hour (or longer) before serving. The mixture can also be placed in a popsicle tray or small paper cups with a stick placed in each and kept in the freezer for 2+ hours to make popsicles.

 

Nutty Banana Ice Cream

(Just 2 Ingredients!)

Yields 2 servings

Ingredients:

  • 3 ripe (or overripe) bananas
  • 3 tablespoons organic nut butter – peanut butter is a popular choice. Creamy texture is best.

Optional Ingredients:

  • 1-2 tablespoons organic, whole fat coconut milk
  • Dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Dash of cinnamon
  • Pinch of sea salt to taste
  • Roasted peanuts (or other nuts) for topping

Directions:

  1. Peel bananas and place them in a sealed container in the freezer. Freeze for 1-2 hours. (If you’re in a rush, slice them for faster freezing.)
  2. Place bananas in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. (Warning: blending frozen bananas will be loud!)
  3. Add in the nut butter and blend to combine.
  4. Optional: add in the coconut milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and/or salt and blend.
  5. For soft-serve consistency (the best, in my opinion!), serve immediately. To make popsicles, pour into a popsicle tray (or use small paper cups with wooden sticks) and place in the freezer for 3+ hours.
  6. Add optional toppings: chocolate chips, cacao nibs, or roasted nuts. (If making popsicles, add these ingredients to the banana – nutbutter mixture prior to freezing.

 

I first shared this recipe with my friends at Naturopathic Pediatrics. Check out their website for other handy resources for raising healthy kids!

 

Feature photo by Nick Fewings
Photo of child eating ice cream by Ross Sokolovski
Ice cream photo by Dovile Ramoskaite
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