Rich Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

I don't know about you but I think bananas are pretty much the greatest ever.  When bananas are ripe, they are just phenomenal.  They give smoothies the best creamy texture without adding dairy.  You can sub half a banana for an egg in so many recipes.  Do I even need to mention peanut butter banana sandwiches?



I have a lot of friends who stay away from bananas because of the old belief that bananas cause constipation. (Do I know how to start a post or what?)  A quick google search will give you source after source after source that will tell you that old tale about bananas is only half true.  When bananas are green and not fully ripe they're full of starch which can have very unpleasant effects on your digestion.  I mean, think about it - we use starch to thicken things in cooking.  Hmm...  However, when bananas are beautifully yellow and a touch spotty they're full of fiber and potassium and will not have the unpleasant effects green bananas have.

What am I trying to say?  Eat more bananas!  I don't know how long I have been making this banana ice cream, but I don't think I've bothered buying ice cream since I discovered it.  This recipe is everywhere, but I really want to share it with you in case you haven't experienced it yet.  You can make it with only bananas for a 1 ingredient ice cream, but I love that I can make a deep, rich, chocolate ice cream with no dietary damage.

I buy more than a dozen bananas a week, for smoothies, snacks and recipes, and I don't always get to them by the time I should.  If you've got beautifully browned bananas DON'T THROW THEM OUT!  Slice them up and put them in a ziplock bag and freeze them.  You'll thank me.

Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 3 very ripe bananas, sliced and frozen for several hours or overnight
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp peanut butter

Put all ingredients into a food processor or blender.  Process/Blend, stopping often to scrape the sides.  This is a several minute process of fighting with a crumbly mixture that wants to stay to one side.  Keep at it.

After a few minutes your crumbly mixture will start to become smooth and BAM, you have a gorgeous creamy, fluffy ice cream.

If your bananas were frozen for a long time when you started, at least 12 hours, you can probably eat it straight after mixing.  If not, you will want to put your ice cream into an airtight container and freeze for 30 minutes to an hour to let firm up.

Enjoy!  This is such an amazing dessert.  The hardest thing really is not eating all yourself!  I can't wait to try new flavor combinations...