Here’s an ice-cream recipe that is very quick and won’t make you feel guilty!!! It’s so healthy you can even eat if for breakfast – we do! It’s a great way to get the kids out of bed on a school day – just yell, ‘Chocolate ice-cream for breakfast!’ and they’ll come running. I always buy a few bags of over-ripe bananas when they’re in the throw-out box at the supermarket – just peel them and toss them in a bag and freeze them, then they’re ready for ice-cream anytime you want it. Cut them into pieces about an inch long before processing.
I don’t usually measure the amounts in this recipe – it’s very flexible. But I’ve added approximate amounts for those of you who want them.
- 500g frozen banana pieces (cut in 2cm chunks)
- 150g raw pecans or macadamia nuts
- 2 Tbsp of cacao powder (or organic cocoa powder)
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup/raw honey (opt)
- Toss into Thermomix bowl and process on speed 9 until it all comes together - about 30 seconds. It will be crumbly at first, but keep mixing and it will come together.
That’s it! Serve it immediately before it melts. This makes enough for 4 – 6 people.
Note: to make it even more special, you can add some Rapadura sweetened choc chips at the end!
Ooh, I wonder if my kids would go for that? They don’t like bananas…
Hmmm, maybe if you had lots of cocoa they wouldn’t notice? 🙂
This is an amazing way to make ice-cream – just whip up a batch as needed and eat, no freezing or taking up room in the freezer either. Just love it, thanks Jo.
It sounds delicious, but it’s still winter here! I can’t wait for warm days and ice cream. I have a 18 months daughter and I’m pregnant, so I’m very interested in healthy delicious food. I can see your blog will help me. Also I got a Thermomix for Xmas and my husband says it is my Nintendo. I’m having so much fun with it. Be sure I’ll come back very often. ; )
Have fun! 🙂
Jo, just made your ice cream and wanted to thank you for the recipe!!! IT IS AWESEOME!!! Means i can give my children ice cream, because i dont let them eat sugar of any kind. It tastes very similar to the real thing. Carolina
mmmm i’m giving up sugar for a week so just made this to soothe the cravings – YUM! (i didn’t even need to add the maple syrup)
thanks jo!
karen
Hi Jo, Would this work without the chocolate? We’re allergic to chocolate. Would I need to use something else as I’m assuming it “dries” things out a bit?
Sharon
Hi Sharon,
You can make this with carob powder if you like, or just leave it out and it’s lovely without as well. Have a look at this recipe without chocolate:
http://quirkycooking.blogspot.com/2010/05/toffee-pecan-crunch-ice-cream-dairy.html
Jo 🙂
I made this last night and it tasted great, though the consistency was a bit gooey. Then I got all inspired and made ice-cream this morning for breakfast using frozen strawberries and cashews – consistency was perfect – just like real ice-cream! I only used a tiny bit of honey but it probably needed a bit more cause the strawberries weren’t as sweet as the banana.
Hi I don’t have and wouldn’t be able to afford your fancy machine, would I be able to still make up your recipes with my mix master?
Rhonda – Blackalls Park NSW Australia
I don’t know, Rhonda – I’ve never had a mix master! I guess you’d just have to try it – cut the bananas smaller though. 🙂
@livingdarwin: Just saw your comment – your bananas need to be frozen hard, and just mix until combined, don’t overmix them or they’ll keep melting. The strawberries and cashews sounds great!!!
Hi from Robyn, Thankyou I have been looking for great icecream recipes. I would like to know if this freezes OK.
Cheers Robyn
Awesome absolutely delish, quick and healthy. Ticks all the boxes. Love your site
Thanks TJ! 😀
Robyn, this is really best eaten when you make it, but you can freeze it if you want – you’ll just have to thaw it a bit before you eat it. 🙂
Will almonds work?
Yes, you can use any nuts really, Karlee. 🙂
Thanks for this Jo, just tried it for desert for Easter lunch with the whole family – was a mega hit all round!! Thanks again!
Another winner, Jo. We were licking everything afterwards, bowls, spoons, the TX , it’s lid, drips on the table..you get the idea!
Hi Jo just wondering, are the nuts supposed to be smooth? I keep ending up with them still in small bits, even after mixing for much longer than 30 secs! (Still absolutely delicious though!)
We have an excess of bananas at the moment so we froze some bananas last night and made this for lunch today. I made a much smaller quantity as there is only 2 of us and it worked a treat. Very yummy and surprisingly filling. We used macadamia nuts also from our garden.Thanks Jo for all your wonderful inspiration.
This is the stuff ice cream legends are made of! Totally delish! I think I’m addicted! Awesome recipe, Jo!
Hi Jo
Was lovely to meet you last night at the consultants cooking class in Perth. I am delivering my sons thermo today and we are going to give this recipe a go. His girlfriend has many gut problems due to cancer in the gut region. She has had the all clear and I strongly believe your quirky Cooking is right up her ally. So happy to have met you last night xx I now wish I had purchased a book from you to give to her last night, I know she would have loved it
Kayleen
I just made this for my extremely fussy two year old, using cashews for the nuts and a quarter the amount of cacao, he LOVED it. Now I’m keen to try with strawberries and blueberries instead of chocolate! feeling inspired 🙂
Thanks for the lovely recipe 🙂 is it possible to put this ice cream back in the freezer and have it later? How long for? Is it going to remain in ice cream consistency? Thanks
Spoon into ice cream tray, freeze and remix when your ready to eat it – it will freeze hard
Do you think it would still work if I soaked the nuts overnight first??
This is super delicious! I added a tbsp of crunchy peanut butter instead of the nuts. My boys are devouring it right now!! And it certainly helps to cure my ice cream craving whilst I’m currently on a sugar ban.. Thanks Jo 🙂
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