Funky Monkey Banana Ice Cream, say what? Well, you may or may not know of Ben & Jerry’s “chunky monkey” ice cream, filled with all sorts of deliciousness. But we are taking that in a healthy direction with this vegan banana-based ice cream. Did I mention how de-lish it is!?
For the uninitiated, B&J’s chunky monkey ice cream has banana, fudge and walnuts. But it also has other ingredients I try to avoid, so I decided to come up with a healthy but just as delicious dairy-free version.
The best part of this recipe? It’s easy to make and no churning required. Translation: no ice cream maker or other fancy gadgets needed. You just put blend, pop it in the freezer and wait… which is the hardest part.
Easy peasy Funky Monkey Banana Ice Cream
Let’s get funky…
Funky Monkey Banana Ice Cream has just a handful of ingredients:
- bananas
- coconut cream
- dark chocolate
- toasted pecans
- cinnamon
Let’s start with the bananas ~ you’ll want ripe bananas, as in yellow with brown spots. Ripe bananas are naturally sweet to where the ice cream is sweet enough without adding sugar.
Coconut cream is coconut meat simmered with water to the thickness of heavy cream. Using unsweetened coconut cream in this recipe adds richness to the ice cream. You can sub full-fat canned coconut milk if preferred (using the fatty layer on top of the can first, which is the richest part).
Not a coconut fan? You could also sub unsweetened almond or oat milk if preferred, but the end result may not be as creamy.
You can usually find canned coconut cream or canned coconut milk in the ethnic sections of grocery stores, near soy sauces, etc.
For the dark chocolate I went with Hu kitchen cashew butter dark chocolate. But you can sub any other high-quality dark chocolate.
I like toasted pecans for the nuts, but walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts go great as well.
Lastly, adding a pinch of both cinnamon and sea salt round out the flavors. Next up, the method!
You won’t miss the dairy in this tasty treat!
Recipe steps…
For Funky Monkey you’ll want to either plan a day ahead or start early in they day, as this recipe takes about 6 hours from start to scoop. Don’t panic though, it’s mostly passive time!
First step: slice the ripe bananas, place in a zip bag and freeze until firm (at least an hour or do this the day before). Freezing the bananas first will help the ice cream set up quicker later.
Second step: using a blender, purée the sliced bananas with the coconut cream and a pinch each of cinnamon and sea salt until smooth. Pour mixture into a freezer-safe container.
Use any nuts in the recipe, such as pecans, walnuts or almonds
Third step: stir in the chocolate and pecans, then pop in the freezer. Stir about once per hour to ensure it’s freezing smooth and creamy. The ice cream takes about 4 – 6 hours to firm up.
Last step: scoop up! Let it thaw a few minutes if needed to serve. The ice cream is of course scrumptious on its own, but add it to a cone or top with coconut whipped cream and a (fresh) cherry.
And a little extra chocolate on top never hurt anyone, am I right!?
Banana-based ice cream is healthy + delicious!
If you make Funky Monkey Banana Ice Cream I’d love to know how it turns out. Tag me with a pic on Instagram or comment below! And be sure to follow me there for more recipes and cooking tips!
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Have a sweet tooth? Check out these recipes…
Frozen Banana Pops (vegan, GF)
Stone Fruit Coconut Almond Crisp (vegan, GF)
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Passive Time | 6 hours |
| Servings |
servings
|
- 4 large ripe bananas sliced and frozen until firm (about 3 cups)
- 1/2 cup coconut cream unsweetened
- 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate such as Hu cashew butter dark chocolate *see blog post
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted nuts pecans, walnuts or almonds
- 1 pinch ceylon cinnamon
- 1 pinch sea salt
Ingredients
|
|
- a day or an hour ahead: peel and slice ripe bananas, place in a zip bag and freeze until firm
- using a food processor or blender purée bananas with coconut cream, and a pinch each of cinnamon and salt until smooth and creamy
- pour purée mixture into a freezer-safe dish, stir in chopped chocolate and pecans and place in the freezer
- stir ice cream about once every hour to ensure it’s freezing smoothly until firm, about four to six hours total
- thaw a few minutes before serving and enjoy!
Recipe serves 2, about 1 cup per serving
Original recipe created by Jerran Boyer
www.healthnutchefs.com