Chocolate-Banana (Vegan) Ice Cream Recipe

Hands down, ice cream is one of America's favorite desserts. It's cold, creamy, sweet, and is perfect as an everyday treat or the most elegant of events. It's no surprise that someone eventually came up with a dairy-free version, which is ideal for those who follow vegan diets or those with dairy allergies. Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for chocolate-banana (vegan) ice cream and says, "If you have never tried 'nice cream' before, you are in for an unbelievable surprise. You won't believe this treat is completely dairy-free and processed sugar free." It really is that good!

Hahn goes on to explain that this vegan ice cream is "super easy to make as long as you have a freezer and a food processor." Even those without dietary restrictions will enjoy this tasty treat, and it helps get in serving of fruit, which oftentimes doesn't occur with standard ice cream. "Not only is it healthier," says Hahn, "but it's also something you can whip up if you get a craving and never have to leave the house — now that's a win-win!"

To make this recipe, you'll need some bananas, cocoa or cacao powder, maple syrup, and cacao nibs.

Keep in mind that you won't be freezing our bananas until they are brown and spotted. If you buy them yellow, they should be ready in about 3 or 4 days. "If you plan on making your ice cream later than that, you can get a couple of extra days in by buying green bananas," Hahn shares. She also provides a few notes about the cocoa/cacao powder: "I typically use raw cacao powder for this recipe because it's less processed than cocoa powder, but either one will work. You can find cacao nibs online or at a health store and I always look for the unsweetened type."

The first step to making dairy-free ice cream is to freeze the bananas. To do this, start by peeling the spotted bananas and cutting them into 1-inch chunks. It's important to cut them versus just freezing them whole, because it will help them break down easier in the food processor. Then place the chunks on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover and place into the freezer for a minimum of 6 hours. "If you want to prep these to make at a later time, after the chunks are frozen, you can remove them from the baking sheet and put them in a storage bag in the freezer," Hahn says. "This way they will be ready to go when you are ready to make the vegan ice cream."

Once the banana chunks are frozen, remove them from the baking tray and drop them into a food processor. Then go ahead and add the cocoa or cacao powder, maple syrup, and cacao nibs. You'll want to work fairly quickly as we don't want the frozen banana pieces to thaw out.

Now you're ready to blend the ingredients into creamy goodness. Turn on the food processor and blend for about 3 to 5 minutes. "The mixture will go through several stages. At first, it won't seem like it's working, but after a couple of minutes, the magic starts to happen. If your food processor is struggling to break down the frozen bananas, stop it and stir the mixture a few times to move things around. Then continue to blend," Hahn tells us.

Keep blending until everything is blended into a creamy mixture. The cacao nibs will remain crunchy, and you can add more on top when serving for garnish. With a healthy, homemade dessert like this, you may never want to buy ice cream at the store again.