April 2015 Food Obsession of the Month: The magic of frozen bananas! You heard me right, this “secret” has been a well known default for vegans and the dairy challenged for awhile.
You can take plain frozen bananas and with the right tools process them into a custard-like “ice cream” with the Champion Juicer!
No bloat, thin thighs and clear arteries to the heart…what’s not to love? Even those who think they hate the flavor of banana are shocked at how neutral tasting frozen whipped banana actually is… and the best part is you can incorporate a bunch of ingredients like chocolate, peanut butter, almonds, pecans, and other fruits to create a different flavor profile in a snap. The banana flavor really does take a back seat to the add-ins.
My favorite kitchen magic trick baffles those who had no idea this fruit can morph so easily into soft serve “ice cream.” Take nice yellow ripe bananas, peel them, break them up roughly into chunks, put them in a plastic lidded box or a plastic bag tightly closed and freeze them.
Tip: I also freeze the masticating auger (careful with it, it is sharp, lay it inside a plastic container) of the Champion Juicer too to make the ice cream creamier. Freezing the bananas first is essential!
Take frozen bananas from freezer and feed into the upright tube of the Champion Juicer, and alternate with add ins like nuts, chocolate, peanut butter or whatever you dream up, and let the magic flow from the exit tube. You must make sure the solid “blank” plate is on the Juicer so the frozen fruit can whip inside the emulsifying tube before exiting.
The frozen banana instantly becomes the consistency of the sort of soft ice cream you’d find from Dairy Queen. It can be eaten immediately or put in the freezer to firm up more.
I experimented just a bit and added a splash of vanilla extract to the frozen banana procession into the juicer. I also added chocolate powder, chips, and found that alternating these ingredients along with some almond butter netted a delicious version of chocolate “ice cream.”
Make sure to keep it small batch initially until you get the hang of this. I used just two frozen bananas for each of my experiments and this does whip up into a nice portion. One banana makes a good-sized bowl!
The magic of frozen bananas will really surprise you, and the neutrality of the flavor the whipped frozen fruit takes is also a shocker. If all your friends are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-allergic, or a no-added-sugar diet, you will become obsessed with this delicious cheat on traditional ice cream.
One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream
Makes 2 servings, about 1 cup
What You Need
Ingredients
1 large ripe banana
Equipment
Knife
Cutting board
Airtight, freezer-safe container
Champion Juicer
Spatula
Peel the bananas and cut them in half. Put the bananas in an airtight container.
Freeze the bananas for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight.
Feed the frozen banana into the Champion Juicer outfitted with the blank plate, make sure you have a bowl to catch the extruding frozen fruit.
Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until solid: You can eat the ice cream immediately, but it will be quite soft. You can also transfer it back into the airtight container and freeze it until solid, like traditional ice cream.
Here are a few favorite mix-ins to zazz up your whip:
- Spoonful of almond or peanut butter
- Drizzle of honey, or a splash of vanilla
- Cocoa powder sweetened or chocolate chips
- A few almonds, pecans, walnuts
- Spoonful of Nutella
- Scoop of chocolate chip cookie batter
- Half a teaspoon of cinnamon, cardamom, or ginger
Simple Strawberry Banana “Ice Cream”
4 large bananas, frozen
4 cups strawberries, frozen
Add frozen bananas and frozen strawberries alternating into feed tube of Champion Juicer. Place in container for freezer after you stir up the frozen whip to perfectly blend.
There are no preservatives in your ice cream, so it will freeze solid. Simply remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving to allow to soften slightly. If freezes and keeps beautifully!
Peanut Butter and Chocolate “Ice Cream”
3 frozen bananas
4 tablespoons all natural peanut butter
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Feed frozen bananas and peanut butter into feed tube of Champion Juicer. Alternate with Chocolate Chips and stir up the frozen whip as it comes out of the extruder tube. Transfer to a resealable container and place in freezer for 3-4 hours.
If you decide to leave it in the freezer, just allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes or so to soften before serving.
