Stay Cool with Healthy Ice Cream Treats

As summer sneaks up on us, the days are getting longer, and warm days are on the way. I remember when I grew up ice cream was a regular summer treat in our family, we enjoyed it so much that we often carried it into the winter months. There has always been something about a sweet, cold and creamy dessert that has felt so comforting and delicious.

If you are someone that enjoys ice cream and frozen treats, I’d like to share a couple of recipe ideas that can offer you a healthier substitute to traditional ice cream and still deliver the creaminess, sweetness, and temperature that’s cold and refreshing. I’ll also share a couple ways to enjoy frozen treats if you don’t have a blender at the end of this article.

The ice cream substitutes below use frozen bananas as their base. As a tip to prepare for these recipes, peel bananas that have ripened and started turning brown. Slice them up and put them in the freezer for at least a couple of hours (though they can stay in there for days and even a week and still work fine.) To freeze them you can either place the slices individually on a tray or put them in baggies.

For the banana ice cream treats, you will need a blender or food processor and they are best eaten right after they are blended if you enjoy a soft-serve texture. The recipes below can serve a couple of people, so if you are making them for one, feel free to experiment with cutting the recipe in half.

Two-Ingredient Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 4 large very ripe bananas

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter

Instructions:

• Place the banana slices in a food processor or blender. Puree banana slices, scraping down the bowl as needed until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Add the peanut butter to combine.

• If you have a hard time creating a creamy consistency, you can add 1- 2 tablespoons of a non-dairy milk to help puree the banana slices and create your desired consistency.

Cherry Soft-Serve Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 4 medium-sized bananas cut into 1-inch pieces and frozen

• 1 cup frozen cherries

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, as needed

• 2 tablespoons mini vegan chocolate chips

Instructions:

• In a food processor, combine the frozen banana pieces, cherries, and vanilla extract.

• Process until creamy, adding almond milk one tablespoon at a time as necessary.

• Pulse in the chocolate chips. Serve immediately.

If you enjoy the recipes above, you can play with adding in other ingredients with the banana base such as frozen strawberries or mango. You could also play with adding cocoa powder and different kinds of nut butters to explore different flavors.

If you feel like you aren’t up for taking out the blender, you can always enjoy the frozen bananas on their own. Some other frozen fruits that I’ve enjoyed as treats include pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, and mango. Just take them right out of the bag and pop them in your mouth. If that’s too cold for you, but you enjoy the flavor, try using those frozen fruits to flavor and cool down your water.

To check out photos and more detailed notes regarding the recipes, check out the links below:

Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe Link: https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/two-ingredient-banana-peanut-butter-ice-cream/

Cherry Soft Service Recipe Link: https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/cherry-soft-serve-ice-cream/#gs.fy9898

Enjoy!