The Chic Mountain Momma: Nutritious Banana Ice Cream; 4 Different Flavors

As a Momma I am always looking for fun ways to sneak vitamins and good nutrition into my son's diet. He constantly asks for sugary treats and yes, sometimes I let him indulge, but on a typical day I would rather he eat something nutritious. So for breakfast if he is asking for something like "cake" I will give him french toast or pancakes with fruit purees added into the mixes and call it "cake". If he is asking for "candy" I normally opt for non artificially colored or flavored gummy snacks. I can only imagine what other people think I am feeding him if he insist that he eats junk foods all day... #thestruggleisreal

One of my favorite little tricks, that I even use on myself when I crave something sweet and creamy, is this simple recipe for banana ice cream. Bananas are about 100 calories each which can be about the same as a serving of ice cream, depending on the type. Obviously, bananas are far superior because they are naturally sweetened and full of vitamins and minerals; vitamin B6, manganese, vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, potassium, biotin, and copper.

The recipe I use can be classified as clean, paleo, and vegan depending on your ingredients used for flavoring. To make it vegan or dairy free use almond milk or another non dairy milk of your preference and only flavor with pure extracts, vegetables, or fruits. I choose to do Neapolitan and a mint chocolate chip ice creams using only whole ingredients.

Ingredients for about 2 cups, (1/2 cup serving size)

1 1/2 to 2 Frozen bananas, (peeled, sliced, then froze)
1/4 cup Milk or non dairy milk of choice

Ingredients for my flavors

Mint chocolate chip

1/4 cup spinach (for color and extra vitamins)
1/8 tsp peppermint extract
2 Tbs mini dark chocolate chips

Neapolitan

2 Tbs cocoa powder or chocolate plant based protein powder (I used vegan chocolate Shakeology)
1 Tbs virgin coconut oil
1/2 frozen strawberries
1/8 tsp vanilla extract

You will also need a blender or food processor, to get the desired texture, and a resealable container that can be stored in the freezer.

To prep this recipe you will need to peel and slice your ripe bananas. ( I only cut them into halves, because I also use half of a frozen banana in my morning shakes.) Then place them into a resealable container or zip lock. Allow them to thoroughly freeze for a few hours. I also washed, sliced, and froze some strawberries for my strawberry flavor and already had a package of frozen chopped spinach for my mint chocolate chip.

Once your bananas are frozen, you can start creating your flavors. You can be really creative with your choices. I recommend starting with 1 to 2 bananas then build your flavors by adding about 2 tbs nut butters, protein powders, 1/8 tsp of extracts, or 1/4 to 1/2 cup of fruits or vegetables.

Vanilla Banana

1 1/2 frozen banana
1/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp vanilla

Strawberry Banana

1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/4 cup milk

Chocolate Banana

1 1/2 frozen banana
2 tbs cocoa powder ( I used vegan chocolate shakeology, for added superfoods)
1 Tbs coconut oil
1/4 cup milk

You can enjoy these flavors individual or layer them in a container Neapolitan style, like I did. Let the ice cream set up in your freezer for 2-3 hours to achieve a thicker texture, or eat it once it's blended if you prefer a meltier ice cream.