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Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
C-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e.
It’s creamy, delicious, with a downright sinful flavor!
It used to be such a guilty pleasure for me (I used to stash Wonder bars in my desk)... until I learned more about REAL chocolate.
Many holistic practitioners & nutritionists (and even top university researchers) are discovering that the active ingredient in chocolate, cocoa, is extremely good for your health… if you are using the good stuff.
Now, I'm not talking about conventional milk chocolate candy bars. I think we both know these are LOADED with refined sugar and don't provide the same benefits as does real cocoa.
And even some fancy chocolate bars that claim to be "protecting the rainforest" certainly aren’t protecting your health, thanks to the crazy high sugar content…
That’s why I’m really excited to share with you this YUMMY guilt-free chocolate treat!
My daughter and I are making this one together, as it's super easy and a much HEALTHIER treat for kiddos of all ages (yup, that includes you mom + dad!)
Here’s why:
→ This bowl of chocolatey love has NO ADDED sugar and only 2-ingredients!
Which is hard to believe when you taste it, but true. It’s because I use frozen bananas instead of sugar. You probably already know this, but bananas are known as a source of potassium which is great in managing high blood pressure. But did you know bananas are also a great source of vitamin B6? One medium-sized banana can provide up to 33% of the Daily Value (DV) of this vitamin which is known to improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression.
→ It is made with COCOA POWDER, one of the richest sources of polyphenols. It’s especially abundant in flavanols, which have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Some research has shown cocoa may exert some positive effects on mood and symptoms of depression by reducing stress levels and improving calmness, contentment and overall psychological well-being. And hey, who doesn't love chocolate ice cream on a hot day?
I almost forgot, this delightful treat is also gluten free and dairy free, but bottom line is -- it's darn good and good for you!
Chocolate Banana Ice Cream (Makes 4 servings)
Ingredients:
- 4 Banana (sliced and frozen)
- 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
Directions:
- Add frozen bananas and cocoa powder to food processor and blend. Occasionally scrape down the sides and continue to blend until smooth (approximately 3 to 5 minutes).
- Scoop into a bowl and enjoy immediately as soft serve or for firmer ice cream, place in an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 1 hour before scooping.
This is an excellent base recipe that can be jazzed up with EXTRA chocolate. Throw in some dark chocolate chips right after processing. Make it creamier by adding in 2 TSP of full fat canned coconut milk into the food processor. This does freeze up hard and will need to soften up a bit before scooping, to prevent hard freeze add in 1 TBSP vodka (but not for the kids).
Nutrition per serving
117 cal | 1g fat | 30g carbs | 5g fiber | 2g protein
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