My Take on One-Ingredient "Ice Cream"

Creamy Chocolatey Goodness

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably seen and (hopefully) tried the infamous "One-Ingredient Ice Cream."  You know: the seemingly magical process whereby you take chunks of frozen bananas, pulse them in your food processor for a few minutes, scraping down the sides every once in a while, and with a little patience you are rewarded with a luscious soft-serve-like frozen treat?  Yup, that's the one I'm talking about:  Magic Banana Ice Cream is what I call it.   


Well, it's a staple in our house.  Just ask Brian, he'll tell you:  if I'm not hoarding bananas for my banana bread, I'm hoarding them for this banana ice cream.  

This is your ticket to magic banana ice cream town.

I have to admit taking a few liberties with the original recipe so mine isn't usually made with only one ingredient.  Still, it's about as quick a dessert as I've ever seen and I almost always have everything I need on hand!  Way easier (and healthier) than making the trip to the Fro-Yo place around the corner.  I usually add about a teaspoon of regular or dark cocoa powder in the food processor with the frozen banana since I am a self-admitted chocoholic.  I also really enjoy adding a teaspoon of natural peanut butter or almond butter too on occasion.  And I find that a teensy pinch of salt helps round out the sweetness, and about 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract adds some depth of flavor.  And let's not forget the toppings!  They're not necessary but come on, when you're eating a frozen banana for dessert, you can splurge a little on toppings.  Some of my favorite combinations are:  


*a dollop of fresh, homemade, lightly-sweetened whipped cream with a teaspoon of chocolate jimmies   
*a tablespoon of Reece's Pieces
*some chopped salted peanuts and chocolate chips (about 1 tablespoon of each)
*dark chocolate chips (about 1 tablespoon) , mini marshmallows (1 tablespoon) and crumbled graham crackers (1/2 of a cracker) - S'mores!!!
*a tablespoon each of dried blueberries and dark chocolate chips
*Nutella (you can never use too much)


I also think it would be fantastic with some caramel sauce drizzled on top but there's a reason I don't keep that in the house.....(total lack of self-control).

S'mores!

Some other notes on the original recipe:  I've never just frozen the bananas for an hour or two so I cannot vouch for how it will turn out.  I usually slice up a few ripe bananas and place them on a plate covered with parchment paper, then freeze overnight.  Once they're frozen solid, I toss them all into a freezer-safe ziploc bag or plastic container and keep them in the freezer until the need for something sweet and creamy strikes.  Then I whip them out and toss them in my mini food-processor and go to town!  Just be forewarned, you will have to scrape down the sides of your food processor many times during the process.  I also find that letting the mixture sit for a few seconds (5-10) in between pulses with the food processor helps allow the bananas to melt a little which allows it to come together into that creamy texture you're looking for.  

Yup, that's a plastic spoon.  I was fresh-out of real spoons...but that couldn't stop me from gettin' my ice cream fix.

Let me hear how you make your One-Ingredient Magic Banana Ice Cream!  What toppings do you like to use?

My Take on One-Ingredient "Ice Cream"

Creamy Chocolatey Goodness

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably seen and (hopefully) tried the infamous "One-Ingredient Ice Cream."  You know: the seemingly magical process whereby you take chunks of frozen bananas, pulse them in your food processor for a few minutes, scraping down the sides every once in a while, and with a little patience you are rewarded with a luscious soft-serve-like frozen treat?  Yup, that's the one I'm talking about:  Magic Banana Ice Cream is what I call it.   


Well, it's a staple in our house.  Just ask Brian, he'll tell you:  if I'm not hoarding bananas for my banana bread, I'm hoarding them for this banana ice cream.  

This is your ticket to magic banana ice cream town.

I have to admit taking a few liberties with the original recipe so mine isn't usually made with only one ingredient.  Still, it's about as quick a dessert as I've ever seen and I almost always have everything I need on hand!  Way easier (and healthier) than making the trip to the Fro-Yo place around the corner.  I usually add about a teaspoon of regular or dark cocoa powder in the food processor with the frozen banana since I am a self-admitted chocoholic.  I also really enjoy adding a teaspoon of natural peanut butter or almond butter too on occasion.  And I find that a teensy pinch of salt helps round out the sweetness, and about 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract adds some depth of flavor.  And let's not forget the toppings!  They're not necessary but come on, when you're eating a frozen banana for dessert, you can splurge a little on toppings.  Some of my favorite combinations are:  


*a dollop of fresh, homemade, lightly-sweetened whipped cream with a teaspoon of chocolate jimmies   
*a tablespoon of Reece's Pieces
*some chopped salted peanuts and chocolate chips (about 1 tablespoon of each)
*dark chocolate chips (about 1 tablespoon) , mini marshmallows (1 tablespoon) and crumbled graham crackers (1/2 of a cracker) - S'mores!!!
*a tablespoon each of dried blueberries and dark chocolate chips
*Nutella (you can never use too much)


I also think it would be fantastic with some caramel sauce drizzled on top but there's a reason I don't keep that in the house.....(total lack of self-control).

S'mores!

Some other notes on the original recipe:  I've never just frozen the bananas for an hour or two so I cannot vouch for how it will turn out.  I usually slice up a few ripe bananas and place them on a plate covered with parchment paper, then freeze overnight.  Once they're frozen solid, I toss them all into a freezer-safe ziploc bag or plastic container and keep them in the freezer until the need for something sweet and creamy strikes.  Then I whip them out and toss them in my mini food-processor and go to town!  Just be forewarned, you will have to scrape down the sides of your food processor many times during the process.  I also find that letting the mixture sit for a few seconds (5-10) in between pulses with the food processor helps allow the bananas to melt a little which allows it to come together into that creamy texture you're looking for.  

Yup, that's a plastic spoon.  I was fresh-out of real spoons...but that couldn't stop me from gettin' my ice cream fix.

Let me hear how you make your One-Ingredient Magic Banana Ice Cream!  What toppings do you like to use?

My mom's banana bread

We had three sorry-looking bananas in the fruit bowl yesterday and they were calling to me. Well, not literally, but I've been wanting to make banana bread for a while and I had to wait until we had enough over-ripe bananas. So when I noticed that I had plenty of freckled beauties the other day, I decided the time was right.

I always use my mom's recipe for banana bread. It's delicious, always turns out moist and whenever B takes it into work its gone in no time. This time, I wanted to experiment with substituting some of the All Purpose flour for Whole Wheat Flour instead. I also had two ripe pineapples, an opened bag of sweetened flaked coconut and some chopped walnuts so I decided to make it a "Nutty Hawaiian" banana bread. And WOW, it turned out awesome! B ate 4 of the banana muffins for dessert, he just couldn't get enough. We ate it all before I could get any pictures and B took the large loaf to work today. I'm going to share my mom's original recipe and below it I'll describe the specific changes I made this time. Whether you make the banana bread as the recipe is written or modify it like I did, you'll love it. Make it in one large loaf pan or several small ones, or in a muffin pan (makes about 24 muffins). It's also really good with chocolate chips in it, I usually use about 1/2 to 3/4 cup and just toss it right into the batter before baking. While this time we ate the banana bread for dessert, it is AWESOME for breakfast: just add a dab of cream cheese and a cup of coffee...that's my idea of a perfect morning!


Mom's Banana Bread (The Original)
Makes 1 large loaf, 3-4 mini loaves, or about 24 muffins


3 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce (optional, but I always add one of those little individual serving cups)
3/4 cups vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cups sugar
2 cups AP flour
1 rounded teaspoon baking soda
1/2 rounded teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)


Preheat oven to 325. Spray loaf pan(s) or muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix bananas, apple sauce (if using), oil, vanilla, beaten eggs and sugar until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just to incorporate, don't over-mix. The batter should be thick but not so thick that you can't pour it (my mom says "It shouldn't be thick like glue" hehe). If its too thick, add a splash of milk or a little extra apple sauce or oil. Now is when you add in your optional mix-ins - the nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, or whatever else you feel like adding.

Bake at 325 until toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. For the muffins, it took me about 15 minutes and it took about 40 minutes for the large loaf pan, but check back often because you do NOT want to overcook it.

Once you remove the bread from the oven, allow it to sit in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool fully.

Here's what I did this time to make it a"Healthy Nutty Hawai'ian" Banana Bread:

• I substituted 2/3 cup Whole Wheat flour for the same volume of AP flour
• I substituted 1/4 cup of splenda for the same volume of sugar and decreased the sugar by a little less than 1/4 of a cup (so to be exact: for my bread I ended up using a little more than 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup splenda, I figured the added fruit would sweeten the bread enough to leave out some of the sugar... and I was right)
• I added about 1/4 cup old fashioned oats that I had food processed into a very coarse flour (this was to add weight since I was using splenda)
• I added about 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple to the wet ingredients
• I added 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut to the batter before baking, and I sprinkled some additional coconut onto the tops of the muffins and the loaf of banana bread before baking
• I used 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

The bread turned out so flavorful and delicious. I was a little worried that the coconut on top of the bread would get brown or burn but it came out perfectly, just a touch toasted. The bread was just as moist as it usually is and you'd never know that there was whole wheat flour in there! Next time I might even increase the whole wheat flour to 1 cup and I might try to substitute 1/4 cup plain non-fat greek yogurt for 1/4 cup of the oil - I've read that this is an acceptable substitution in a lot of recipes. I would probably add even more walnuts, pineapple and coconut because well, you really can't ever have too much of a good thing :)

My mom's banana bread

We had three sorry-looking bananas in the fruit bowl yesterday and they were calling to me. Well, not literally, but I've been wanting to make banana bread for a while and I had to wait until we had enough over-ripe bananas. So when I noticed that I had plenty of freckled beauties the other day, I decided the time was right.

I always use my mom's recipe for banana bread. It's delicious, always turns out moist and whenever B takes it into work its gone in no time. This time, I wanted to experiment with substituting some of the All Purpose flour for Whole Wheat Flour instead. I also had two ripe pineapples, an opened bag of sweetened flaked coconut and some chopped walnuts so I decided to make it a "Nutty Hawaiian" banana bread. And WOW, it turned out awesome! B ate 4 of the banana muffins for dessert, he just couldn't get enough. We ate it all before I could get any pictures and B took the large loaf to work today. I'm going to share my mom's original recipe and below it I'll describe the specific changes I made this time. Whether you make the banana bread as the recipe is written or modify it like I did, you'll love it. Make it in one large loaf pan or several small ones, or in a muffin pan (makes about 24 muffins). It's also really good with chocolate chips in it, I usually use about 1/2 to 3/4 cup and just toss it right into the batter before baking. While this time we ate the banana bread for dessert, it is AWESOME for breakfast: just add a dab of cream cheese and a cup of coffee...that's my idea of a perfect morning!


Mom's Banana Bread (The Original)
Makes 1 large loaf, 3-4 mini loaves, or about 24 muffins


3 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce (optional, but I always add one of those little individual serving cups)
3/4 cups vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cups sugar
2 cups AP flour
1 rounded teaspoon baking soda
1/2 rounded teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)


Preheat oven to 325. Spray loaf pan(s) or muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix bananas, apple sauce (if using), oil, vanilla, beaten eggs and sugar until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just to incorporate, don't over-mix. The batter should be thick but not so thick that you can't pour it (my mom says "It shouldn't be thick like glue" hehe). If its too thick, add a splash of milk or a little extra apple sauce or oil. Now is when you add in your optional mix-ins - the nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, or whatever else you feel like adding.

Bake at 325 until toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. For the muffins, it took me about 15 minutes and it took about 40 minutes for the large loaf pan, but check back often because you do NOT want to overcook it.

Once you remove the bread from the oven, allow it to sit in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool fully.

Here's what I did this time to make it a"Healthy Nutty Hawai'ian" Banana Bread:

• I substituted 2/3 cup Whole Wheat flour for the same volume of AP flour
• I substituted 1/4 cup of splenda for the same volume of sugar and decreased the sugar by a little less than 1/4 of a cup (so to be exact: for my bread I ended up using a little more than 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup splenda, I figured the added fruit would sweeten the bread enough to leave out some of the sugar... and I was right)
• I added about 1/4 cup old fashioned oats that I had food processed into a very coarse flour (this was to add weight since I was using splenda)
• I added about 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple to the wet ingredients
• I added 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut to the batter before baking, and I sprinkled some additional coconut onto the tops of the muffins and the loaf of banana bread before baking
• I used 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

The bread turned out so flavorful and delicious. I was a little worried that the coconut on top of the bread would get brown or burn but it came out perfectly, just a touch toasted. The bread was just as moist as it usually is and you'd never know that there was whole wheat flour in there! Next time I might even increase the whole wheat flour to 1 cup and I might try to substitute 1/4 cup plain non-fat greek yogurt for 1/4 cup of the oil - I've read that this is an acceptable substitution in a lot of recipes. I would probably add even more walnuts, pineapple and coconut because well, you really can't ever have too much of a good thing :)