Tag: ice cream

Decadent Double Chocolate “Ice Cream” (and a Sweet Whole Foods Giveaway!)

This month we are working with Whole Foods to share some healthy and delicious recipes – and a sweet giveaway for you, our followers! Since Valentine’s Day is around the corner, we are starting with a dessert recipe – Decadent Double Chocolate “Ice Cream.” So, scroll down for this delectable recipe, and be sure to visit us on Instagram (@twofitmoms) where you can “like” and “comment” under this recipe post for a chance to win a $250 Whole Foods gift card! This giveaway runs from noon EST on February 3 to noon EST on February 10.

Chocolate. Isn’t this the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Valentine’s Day? Well, for a foodie like me, it’s definitely top of mind, and it’s the first thing I turn to when making a Valentine’s Day dessert.

This year I’ll be making my Decadent Double Chocolate “Ice Cream” which is actually nice cream – no dairy involved — it’s made with frozen organic bananas along with a handful of other all natural ingredients, including: cocoa powder, dark chocolate, coconut oil and a touch of maple syrup. It’s decadent and healthy all at the same time!

It’s also a super easy recipe. No ice cream maker is necessary – all you need is a food processor and a loaf pan to make, store and freeze the “ice cream.”

I used dark chocolate, but you can certainly change up the chocolate — or use a dark chocolate bar with other flavors and additions (I was eyeing a bar of dark mint chocolate at Whole Foods that I think would be amazing!). I also suggest jazzing it up with toppings such as fresh berries, chopped nuts or shredded coconut.

What’s really nice about this dessert is that because it’s made with all natural, healthy ingredients you won’t mind indulging in an extra scoop!

Decadent Double Dark Chocolate “Ice Cream”
Serves 4

4 bananas, sliced and frozen
1/4 cup of cocoa powder
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil (in solid form)
1/3 cup of shaved dark chocolate
fresh berries, chopped nuts, shredded coconut for toppings (optional)

In the bowl of a food processor add the frozen bananas, cocoa powder, maple syrup, coconut oil and pulse until the bananas break down into a smooth, ice cream-y texture. Add the dark chocolate shavings and mix until incorporated (depending on what you add, you can either pulse in the food processor, or transfer the ice cream into a bowl and mix the ingredients). Pour the mixture into a loaf pan and pop into the freezer until it hardens. The mixture, right out of the food processor, will likely be too loose to serve. Once the ice cream sets, scoop, serve and top as you desire!

Product samples were received for this post. All opinions expressed are solely mine.

February 3, 2017
Toasted Coconut with Dark Chocolate “Ice Cream”

This ice cream was inspired by my favorite ice cream shop’s flavor which was named after a dark chocolate coconut candy bar spiked with almonds! (think hard, you totally know which candy I’m talking about) However, it’s base is banana — there’s no cream or milk or anything dairy in the base. It’s frozen bananas sweetened with maple syrup and blended with chocolate (in this case Dark Chocolate with Toasted Coconut from Sugarpova), chopped almonds and some additional shredded, unsweetened coconut.

I’ve made you “ice cream” before — all with this banana base. Remember my Banana Walnut “Ice Cream” – and my Chocolate “Ice Cream” with Dark Chocolate Shavings? I love this banana “ice cream” because it is so versatile. You can throw anything into it – fruit, nuts, chocolate, etc.

I thought it was perfect to post given summer’s coming to a close (insert sad face). But, in no time the autumn will be upon us, and I will be happily posting apple and pumpkin recipes. But, for now, enjoy the last few days of summer, and this delicious, and healthy Toasted Coconut with Dark Chocolate “Ice Cream”!

Toasted Coconut with Dark Chocolate “Ice Cream”
Serve four, 1/2 cup servings

4 frozen bananas, sliced
2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup (adjust depending on the sweetness of your bananas)
1/4 cup of shaved dark chocolate (I used Sugarpova’s Dark Chocolate with Toasted Coconut)
1/4 cup of chopped almonds
1/4 cup of unsweetened, toasted coconut

Directions:

In the bowl of a food processor, add the frozen bananas and maple syrup. Pulse until it’s smooth and resembles ice cream. Turn the mixture into a bowl, add the chocolate, almonds and coconut. Mix to combine. Pour the mixture into the freezer until it’s set. Scoop and serve!

For an added treat, you can make your own chocolate sauce. All you need is 4 ounces of chocolate, chopped; 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook on the stovetop until the chocolate is melted. Let it cool and serve on top of your “ice cream.”

August 28, 2016
Chocolate “Ice Cream” with Dark Chocolate Shavings

Chocolate is decadent. It’s romantic. It’s indulgent. It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day and, as far as I’m concerned, perfect every day of the year!

I love chocolate. I also love ice cream. If you are like me, you are going to love this mock chocolate ice cream. It’s so good. It’s unbelievable actually. You’d never know it was healthy and dairy free!

It’s made with frozen bananas, cocoa powder, a hint of maple syrup, and, in this case, dark chocolate shavings (but you can add anything to your ice cream, e.g., nuts, fruit, etc.). This dessert is dairy free so it works for so many of you who are lactose intolerant or for those who have omitted dairy from your diet for other reasons.

To be honest, I’m still amazed that frozen bananas can yield a frozen dessert so close to a dairy-laden ice cream. All you need is a food processor.

So, here’s my new favorite chocolate ice cream recipe! I hope you enjoy it — you may even want to make it for your valentine this year.

Chocolate Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Shavings
Serves 4

4 bananas, sliced and frozen
1/4 cup of cocoa powder
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup (grade B)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/3 cup of shaved dark chocolate (or anything else you’d like to mix into your ice cream)

In the bowl of a food processor add the frozen bananas, cocoa powder, maple syrup and pulse until the bananas break down into a smooth, ice cream-y texture. Add the dark chocolate shavings (or your favorite candy, fruit, nuts) and mix until incorporated (depending on what you add, you can either pulse in the food processor, or transfer the ice cream into a bowl and mix the ingredients). Pour the mixture into a loaf pan and pop into the freezer until it hardens. The mixture, right out of the food processor, will likely be too loose to serve. One the ice cream sets, scoop and serve!

February 13, 2016
Banana Maple Walnut “Ice Cream” (Dairy- and Gluten-Free!)

I had heard you could make mock-ice cream out of frozen bananas. I was skeptical, but I had a few spotted bananas on my counter, and I figured why not try! So, I peeled them, sliced them, wrapped them up and popped them into the freezer.

While they were freezing, I contemplated what type of ice cream I would make. You could easily make one-ingredient ice cream with just the frozen bananas, but I wanted to jazz it up a bit. While the ripened bananas are sweet on their own, I wanted to add a little more sweetness. I’m particularly fond of using maple syrup as a sweetener. I thought I’d also throw in some nuts — walnuts to be exact. Maple Walnut ice cream sounded pretty good to me — plus I figured the flavors would complement the bananas (think banana walnut muffin!).

I threw the chopped, frozen bananas into the food processor along with the maple syrup and pulsed it until it was smooth — like a softened ice cream texture. I then mixed in (by hand) the chopped walnuts.

The texture is definitely looser than ice cream, so you may want to put it in the freezer to set up a bit. If so, a loaf pan covered with plastic wrap works out nicely.

This is a great mock-ice cream. It’s creamy and delicious, and it is a perfect ice cream substitute. It’s also ideal for those who follow a dairy- or gluten-free diet.

As far as my family goes, they really enjoyed it — in fact, they were asking for more!

While an ice cream aficionado might turn their nose up, a health-conscious ice cream-loving mom will love this recipe — not only will she get rid of the spotted bananas in the house, but she will reap a healthy frozen dessert in return!

Banana Maple Walnut “Ice Cream”
Serves 4 people

4 ripe bananas cut into 1 inch slices and frozen
3-4 tablespoons maple syrup ( I use grade B for thickness)
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

In the bowl of a food processor add your bananas and maple syrup (you can adjust the amount of syrup based on your desired level of sweetness). Pulse until the bananas break down, resembling a smooth creamy consistency. Remove mixture and add to a bowl. Mix in the chopped walnuts. Serve immediately or pop back into the freezer for a more solid consistency.

August 7, 2014