Summer Desserts Recipes: Guilt-free ice creams

Ice cream is the classic dessert people have loved since they were kids. Although delicious, ice cream does have a bad rep for being unhealthy. What if you could make an all-natural, healthy version of your most desired treat? Well, you’re in luck thanks to banana ice cream! This dessert takes minutes to make and there’s no need for an ice cream maker.  Indulge without the guilt with these recipes:

Banana ice cream

Servings: 2

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

2 ripe, frozen and sliced bananas

Directions:

1. Slice the bananas and place them in the freezer in a sealable bag. Freeze overnight or until solid.

2. Add bananas to a food processor or blender and blend.

3. Continue to blend until you obtain a smooth texture. You may need to scrape down the sides of the food processor, or blender as you go. 

4. Pour the ice cream mixture into a bowl and eat it soft serve style. If you want a firmer texture, place the ice cream into a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least one hour.

Tip: If the bananas are too hard to blend, add small amounts of water, milk or dairy-free milk as you go. Start off with a tablespoon at a time.

The directions remain the same for all of the ice cream flavors to come - all that changes is the extra ingredients!

Strawberry ice cream

2 ripe, frozen and sliced bananas
1 cup of frozen and sliced strawberries

Chocolate ice cream

2 ripe, frozen and sliced bananas
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

Vanilla bean ice cream

2 ripe, frozen and sliced banana
1 teaspoon of vanilla bean extract

Mint dark chocolate chip ice cream

2 ripe, frozen and sliced bananas
¼ cup of chopped fresh mint
¼ cup of dark chocolate

Chocolate peanut butter ice cream

2 ripe, frozen and sliced bananas
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder

If you want to get more creative with your guilt-free ice cream you can add nuts, dark chocolate chips, honey, cinnamon or any nut butter. The possibilities are endless! Who knew something so delicious could be so good for you? Enjoy your healthy ice cream!