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Healthy and decadent
We are in the deep of winter here, but I discovered a few days ago I still had a container in the freezer of one of my favorite healthy treats… Chocolate nice-cream!
The craving was too much to resist, and in spite of the temperature outside, I enjoyed a generous serving. That was so satisfying, and yet I had only consumed 100 calories, most of them from fruit (banana)!
As a matter of fact, this chocolate nice-cream is so healthy you could serve it to your kids (or yourself) for breakfast!
The ingredients
Chocolate nice-cream is made of only 4 ingredients: ripe bananas (sliced and frozen), cacao powder, a plant milk like soymilk or almond milk, and vanilla extract. That’s it!
Bananas are a nutrition powerhouse that provides a good amount of fiber and potassium, as well as other vitamins and minerals.
Cacao powder (not to be confused with cocoa powder, which is a more heavily processed food) is also loaded with potassium, magnesium, iron and flavanoids. The best cacao powder is RAW cacao powder, it’s the least processed and packs the most nutrients.
I am also picky about my vanilla extract, but that’s just me… If your budget allows, go for the real deal… pure vanilla extract, not the artificial stuff…
As for the milk, I happen to think that soymilk is the best plant milk out there. Everything else is mostly water and provides very little nutrition (unless you make your own almond or oat milk…). Soymilk has almost as much protein as cow milk, and lots of other nutrients. Just make sure you buy one made from non-GMO soy, and preferably organic.
A few tips
To make this chocolate nice-cream sweet enough, make sure you use bananas that are ripe. Not overly ripe full of brown spots, but not green on the outside either.
Also, do yourself a favor and do not use your smoothie blender to make this chocolate nice-cream. You will kill it. I am warning you, so you don’t come crying to me… A food processor works great. You need one in your life anyway.
If you don’t eat the whole recipe in one sitting as soon as you’ve made it (it will be the consistency of a soft-serve ice cream at that stage), you can freeze it. It will get harder, so when you get ready to eat it just leave it out for 15 to 30 minutes before scooping it out.
Enjoy!
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Cherry chocolate chip nice cream
Healthy oatmeal raisin cookies
Chocolate nice cream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Bananas ripe
- 1/4 cup Raw cacao powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup soymilk or almond milk, plain, unsweetened
Instructions
- Peel bananas and slice them about 1/2" thick. Lay the slices on a sheetpan lined with parchment paper and place it in the freezer for at least an hour until they are frozen.
- Place frozen bananas in a food processor or high speed blender (Vitamix or similar). Do not use a regular smoothie blender, frozen bananas will not blend properly in it.
- Add cacao powder, vanilla and soymilk.
- Process until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides from time to time. The consistency should be thick like a soft serve ice cream.
- Eat immediately or transfer to a freezer safe container for future use. If freezing, take it out 15 to 30 minutes prior to eating to let it soften a bit.
- Serve with toppings of your choice!
I am excited to be on your email list and try some of your recipes! My brother, Dennis Smith, has talked about you and how wonderful a chef you are and you know he doesn’t cook much AT ALL and I do so he can try your recipes when I make them!
I can’t wait to try the Chocolate Nice Cream!!
Linda, I am so excited you joined us! I hope you try lots of recipes and share them with Dennis!
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