Ice cream. Who doesn't love it?
Maybe crazy people? But, hey, if you're reading this post then you fall into the non-crazy category at least when it comes to ice-cream.
This dessert, however, shouldn't *technically* be called "ice-cream" because there's absolutely no cream in it. In fact, there's no dairy in it at all. Its creaminess, which is utterly delicious, comes from the main ingredient...
Bananas.
Why Eat Banana Ice Cream?
Why would one want to consider eating banana ice-cream? Well, there are a lot of reasons. I personally wanted to try it for a long time because I wanted to have a dairy-free option for ice-cream. I also wanted to lower my sugar intake.
In addition, I wanted to have banana ice-cream in my food-making repertoire because it is included in the GAPS Diet. The GAPS Diet is divided into two sections: the introductory diet and the Full GAPS Diet, which usually follows the introductory diet. I'm doing the introductory diet at the moment and no sweets are allowed at this stage besides honey. I'll be able to enjoy this ice-cream recipe when I move on to the Full GAPS Diet. But, in the meantime? Boy, am I enjoying my ginger tea with honey.
In addition to GAPS, this dessert is also compatible with numerous other eating plans:
vegan
paleo
GAPS
SCD
AIP
vegetarian
dairy-free
Why Bananas Are Awesome
Bananas happen to be a terrific choice for ice-cream because they are inexpensive, abundant, and contain many essential nutrients our bodies need to function optimally. They also, when blended, make a creamy and delicious texture that is very reminiscent of real ice-cream.
Bananas have a well-deserved reputation for being a potassium powerhouse, but did you know that they contain even more vitamin B6 than they do potassium? It's true! We need our B-vitamins for energy production and B6, in particular, is responsible for the production of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine.
So, does that mean eating banana ice-cream quite literally will help to make us happy?! I have not completed a peer-reviewed study on the subject, but let's just say it does and move on. ;)
Creamy Banana Ice-Cream
Prep: You'll need frozen bananas to make this recipe so take 2 or 3 bananas and cut them into 1cm slices and freeze them overnight.
1 - 1/2 cups of frozen bananas
1/8 tsp of salt (sea or Himalayan)
1/2 tsp of vanilla (omit if doing AIP)
1-2 tbsp of cashew milk or other non-dairy milk
*Note that this ice-cream can be prepared in a food processor or blender. It's your choice. I, personally use a Nutribullet, but have also made it with our food processor quite easily.
Add all the ingredients together in either a blender or food processor. Blend or pulse until you see the bananas taking on a smooth and creamy (ice-cream like!) consistency. This can take some patience depending on your appliance. It will come out in a soft-serve consistency. If you would like it to be a bit more like ice-cream, put the mixture into the freezer for a couple of hours or until firm - but not completely frozen - and scoop out like ice-cream.
We make this ice-cream several times a week. It's extremely versatile. You can add chocolate sauce, nuts, or fresh berries. Our youngest prefers it with raw cacao nibs. It's delicious!
If you try this recipe, please let me know how it turns out! I'd love to see it. Feel free to tag me at @consciouslivingtoday on Instagram or on Facebook if you happen to give it a go!