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New Englanders consume more ice cream per capita than any other region in the lower United States. It’s no wonder that so many of my happiest childhood memories involve trips to ice-cream stands where I could literally meet the cows in the pasture making my favorite frozen treat possible. When I first moved to NYC and there were no farm-to-hand ice-cream stands nearby, I was forced to walk the grocery store aisle. The problem is that an alarming number of ice-cream brands had—and still have—ten, twenty, and even thirty ingredients. For someone who lives by the rule of not eating anything from a box with more than five ingredients, the commercial ice-cream brands are not something that makes it into my home freezer.
This homemade banana ice cream, made with one simple ingredient, is the perfect solution. No ice-cream maker is necessary, just a bunch of bananas, a freezer, and a blender. This sweet and cooling treat is not only delicious but also the perfect way to enjoy dessert without the guilt!
Ingredients
-
1 bunch bananas (5 to 7 bananas)
Directions
- Peel bananas and cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Place the cut pieces on a plate or tray, and freeze for 1 to 2 hours.
- Blend frozen banana pieces in a food processor, scraping down the bowl when necessary, until an ice-cream consistency develops.
- Enjoy and freeze any leftovers. To serve again, blend in the food processor, scraping down the bowl when necessary.
Variations
Variations- Two-Ingredient Ice Cream. Peel and cut bananas into 1-inch pieces. Place the banana pieces and 2 pints washed blueberries onto a plate or tray, and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Blend banana pieces and blueberries in a food processor.
- One-Ingredient Mango Ice Cream. Peel and cut mangoes into 1-inch-wide slices. Put the pieces onto a plate or tray, and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Blend frozen mango pieces in a food processor.
- One-Ingredient Peach Ice Cream. Peel and cut peaches into 1-inch-wide slices. Put the pieces onto a plate or tray, and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Blend frozen peach pieces in a food processor.
Beginner's TipsIf the banana slices are sticking to your plate or tray, place them on a piece of wax paper.
Health BenefitsBananas are renowned for high levels of potassium and manganese, but they’re also a superfood because of more than 30 percent of your daily requirement of B6, which aids in heart and brain health, and revitalizes energy. The resistant starch of bananas may also act as a prebiotic, encouraging proper digestive health. Some studies purport this same starch might also improve metabolism.
For more health information check out the Yoffie Life Food Encyclopedia page on bananas.
Yoffie WisdomYears ago, you could only enjoy the tropical sweetness of a banana if you lived in a port city, because the Malaysian delicacy was too fragile to transport over land. Today, even many gas stations have baskets of bananas available for weary travelers needing a nutritional boost. Because they’re so common, it might be easy to overlook this fruit, but it’s still a vital part of a healthy diet. Finding new ways to enjoy bananas is always fun. This one-ingredient banana ice cream is a great change of pace. Swap it for the processed, sugary ice cream you buy in the grocery store for a healthy treat your whole family will love!
