Those who know me are well aware of my huge penchant for ice cream. I love it. I could eat in every night. I buy ice cream cones for home use and I am rather heavy-handed with the scooping. Once, I gave it up for lent just to prove to myself that I could. I have stories that revolve around ice cream. The only time I stole anything, for instance, it was–you guessed it–ice cream. (It was an innocent camp prank for which I came clean and apologized but, sadly, there was no ice cream to return.) You get the idea.
In my younger years, I would eat an entire pint of Ben & Jerry’s from the container–in one sitting. Common sense and some restraint have prevailed in recent years, and I am continually experimenting with healthier creations that are cold, creamy, and equally satisfying. This recipe is my latest which uses frozen bananas as a creamy base. The finished product is a delightful, soft-serve consistency. I love the creaminess. After a few hours in the freezer, it will freeze hard like regular ice cream. I like to let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to become easily scoop-able, but you may certainly eat it right away. So choose the option based on whether you prefer your ice cream hard packed or creamy…anyone else like it a little soupy, like me?
Honey Peanut Butter “Ice Cream”
Ingredients
- 3 large bananas, cut into chunks and frozen
- 1/4 cup plus one tablespoon honey peanut butter (you may substitute 3-4 tablespoons regular peanut butter and honey, to taste…I use about two tablespoons if I don’t have the honey peanut butter)
- A few tablespoons milk of your choice, optional (see note)
- Options: dust with cocoa powder, add some chocolate chips or whatever toppings or mix-ins you enjoy with your ice cream
Instructions
- Place bananas in a food processor and process. If the bananas are frozen hard, they will turn to crumbs first. This is good. You may have to stop and stir the bananas a few times as they tend to form a clump. (see notes)
- At the “crumb” stage, add the honey peanut butter or a mix of the two. (You may add everything at the beginning but I find the peanut butter tends to stick more to the sides of the bowl and under the blade when it is added at the beginning.)
- Enjoy immediately as you would soft serve ice cream or store in freezer. This will freeze hard like regular ice cream. When I make extra to store in the freezer, I let it sit at room temperature a few minutes to soften before serving.
Notes
- The mixture will become creamy, but if you have trouble waiting, you may slowly drizzle milk through the feed chute until a smooth and creamy consistency is achieved. I used to always do this–no more than a few tablespoons–although now I keep processing, stopping to stir the bananas and scrape down the sides occasionally, until the magical moment when it all comes together as “ice cream”!
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