Super Easy, Very Yummy Softserve "Ice Cream"

[ccbloom]

Okay, this might sound crazy, but bear with me and give it a try because you will not regret it.

Ingredients:

A couple of bananas cut into 1" pieces, frozen


Throw the frozen bananas in a food processor and let 'er rip, for a good couple of minutes. At first it will look like mashed banana, but then something amazing happens, and it becomes super creamy and very similar to soft serve ice cream.


I have this one or two times a week when I'm dying for ice cream. I just keep the frozen bananas in the freezer because I use them all the time for this, green smoothies and whipped oatmeal (yum!!!)

[xanesdoc]

Sounds interesting! I just cut up a banana, put it in the freezer and will try it tomorrow.

[Jolt]

Frozen bananas also make a great chocolate milkshake when blended with milk and chocolate syrup!

[GulfCoastAmy]

I've seen this idea in several food blogs that I read. Thanks for the reminder - I've been meaning to try this!

[ccbloom]

I've seen this idea in several food blogs that I read. Thanks for the reminder - I've been meaning to try this!

Yes, that's totally where I got the idea from (could never imagine thinking this up on my own!). I can't remember exactly which food blog, but it was one of the popular ones out there.

Which food blogs do you read? I have a few favorites: katheats, eatliverun, healthytippingpoint....

I used to have my own, but couldn't keep up with it. I just bought a new domain yesterday and hope to have it up and running this weekend...balancingme.com <-- hopefully a mix of foods, cycling and just keeping sane!

[GulfCoastAmy]

Which food blogs do you read? I have a few favorites: katheats, eatliverun, healthytippingpoint....

I used to have my own, but couldn't keep up with it. I just bought a new domain yesterday and hope to have it up and running this weekend...balancingme.com <-- hopefully a mix of foods, cycling and just keeping sane!

Cool! I will add you to my google reader. I also read the ones you mentioned plus too many more to list. Some of them are "Carrots N Cake", "N Her Shoes", "Running with a Recipe", "The Inner Workings of a College Graduate", and more..... :D I get so many great ideas from these ladies!

[limewave]

Frozen bananas also make a great chocolate milkshake when blended with milk and chocolate syrup!

I've been doing this with my protein shake. Frozen banana slices, scoop of protein shake and a little bit of soy milk. It's a real treat!

[Tuckervill]

Do you peel the naners before you freeze them? We used to keep the overripe ones in the freezer for naner bread later, but I can't remember if we peeled them.

Karen

[Over50Newbie]

Quick question - how ripe should the bananas be?

I have a couple of overripe bananas that I was going to use for banana bread. Would these be good, or would nice firm bananas be better?

I'm thinking that maybe if they are too ripe, they won't blend up to the right consistency.

Thanks,

Lynette

[tulip]

I peel and cut them and freeze them spread out on wax paper on a tray. That way they don't turn into a frozen banana blob.

[ccbloom]

I peel before freezing.

As for ripeness, all of the bananas that I've used so far have been in the clearance bin, so they're pretty ripe, lots of brown spots, but not totally brown and squishy. Hope that helps!


Cool! I will add you to my google reader. I also read the ones you mentioned plus too many more to list. Some of them are "Carrots N Cake", "N Her Shoes", "Running with a Recipe", "The Inner Workings of a College Graduate", and more..... I get so many great ideas from these ladies!

Same here, I love all of those, too! I spend way too much time reading food blogs :)

[MillieNZ]

Yummy .... tried out this receipe yesterday on a warm spring day here :) :) Just devine, going to be our summer staple !

Only I didn't read the bit about peeling them first :o :o but it worked out just fine cutting the skin off

Thanks for posting the recipe ! :D

[Tri Girl]

That sounds divine. Bananas cause me great stomach pain, so I've had to stop eating them in recent years, but I'll telly DH about it. I wish I could eat it. Mmmmmmm....

[Over50Newbie]

Thanks ccbloom - I'll be trying this soon. :)

Lynette

[hipmama]

I do the frozen nanas with a splash of rice milk and a spoonful of peanut butter in the vitamix or processor for a whip until smooth. it's lovely. my daughter beggs for it.

[ccbloom]

I do the frozen nanas with a splash of rice milk and a spoonful of peanut butter in the vitamix or processor for a whip until smooth. it's lovely. my daughter beggs for it.


This sounds really good, too. I haven't made the "ice cream" in the vitamix since the recipe said that the vitamix doesn't give the same consistency. Maybe I'll give it a try, though, since my vitamix is always on the counter and much easier to clean.

[Zen]

Peeling before freezing is a requirement. I know this because I tried it with peels on. Not good.

[Laterider21958]

Blended frozen bananas are yum!

Try putting a bunch of seedless grapes into the freezer. Eat them straight from the freezer on a hot summer day - bet you won't be able to stop! Much better than ice-blocks - no additives. :D

[Melalvai]

Since I found this thread we've been making lots of banana ice cream. Here's some of the variations we've tried.

My favorite is chocolate. Since I gave up sugar, this is the only way I get chocolate (except on my "treat" days). I use 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp Mexican vanilla (1 tsp regular vanilla would work, I just don't have any on hand), and 4 bananas. Actually I've done the same with 2 bananas and it comes out fine.

I invented one today that I REALLY REALLY like. LIKE like. I added 3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate to 3 bananas. Everyone else in the house thinks the orange juice is too strong, so I recommend using 1 tablespoon and increasing it by 1 teaspoon at a time to taste.

We did another that was 4 bananas plus lime juice from one lime.

And we've added other fruit, peaches and strawberries. I made one that was half banana and half peaches, the only problem was the peaches should have been cut up smaller. Strawberries worked pretty well but you need to thaw them slightly--not too much-- or they don't blend with everything.

[malkin]

I have frozen them with peels on and they become comically black and shriveled; the banana stuff inside is fine, but my fingers get too cold trying to peel them frozen.