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Monday, June 6, 2011

Healthy "Ice Cream"

I don't know about you, but when the weather starts to get warm, I start to crave a frozen dessert.  I've always loved ice cream, but it doesn't agree with my digestive system.  Once frozen yogurt became widely available back in the '90s, I was thrilled.  However, it seems like frozen yogurt has so much added sugar.  About a year and a half ago, I stumbled upon a very healthy alternative to ice cream.  It may sound just too simple, or even crazy, but here it is: frozen banana ice cream.

All you have to do is cut up a banana into slices, put it in a Ziploc bag or food storage container, freeze it for a few hours, and then puree it in your food processor or VitaMix.  You would not believe how good it is until you try it.  I'm serious!  If you want to make it chocolate, add a little cocoa powder.  If you don't want the caffeine, add some carob powder.  You can also just leave it plain, or top it with a drizzle of some chocolate syrup, berries or chopped nuts.  It's really awesome stuff, and super-easy to make.  No ice cream maker required!

I usually freeze 4-6 bananas at a time, so I have enough ready to make desserts for my husband and I for a few nights.  You'll want to prepare this right before you eat it, rather than pureeing and re-freezing.  When you're ready for your treat, use one frozen banana per serving, pop it in your food processor, and process away!  You'll end up with a creamy, sweet "ice cream" with no added sugar.  If you have a super-crazy sweet tooth, you can always add a little honey or maple syrup to the food processor before you puree the banana, but I find I don't need the extra sweetness.

Give it a try and enjoy a healthy, frozen treat on a hot summer night!