Banana Berry Vegan Ice Cream | dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweet
Simple pleasures really are the best, amirite? As time passes, the more I’m satisfied by the simplest of things: walking down the street for a really good cup of coffee. Summer ripe tomatoes with sea salt and thin strands of basil. Convincing our neighbor/bestie he needed an inflatable pool for summer pool parties. A campfire and shrimp boil with dear friends and good conversation.
While we have a “foodie” side that’s intrigued by complicated techniques and 5-course meals, in truth a simple, stunning food combination is thousands of times better since it’s practical and approachable. And this recipe is all of that: painlessly easy but with the perfect ice creamy-y texture and fresh, natural flavor. So many times we find people (including us) just need IDEAS: easy alternatives to the fast and processed foods that have become mainstays in our culture. So instead of thinking purchased ice cream, think throwing frozen bananas and berries into a blender with coconut milk or yogurt! Instant banana berry vegan ice cream, perfect for people and kiddos of all diets.
This recipe is courtesy of the lovely and talented Emma Galloway, from her cookbook My Darling Lemon Thyme: Recipes from My Real Food Kitchen. Emma’s a trained chef and was raised vegetarian, and her food is artfully approachable, which we appreciate so much. When her children were young, she became aware of some allergies and made a diet change to gluten-free and mostly dairy-free. However, you’d never know it looking through the book: it’s completely gorgeous and full of family-friendly real food recipe ideas, like this ice cream. Her photography is fantastic, and makes us want to jump on the next plane to New Zealand to visit. We hope you enjoy this recipe, and the book, as much as we did!
And if you’re in the US, Happy July 4th! We hope you have a fantastic holiday.
A few notes on the recipe: it took us double the amount of yogurt listed to get this to blend, and even so it involved quite a bit of scraping and pureeing. We also added a bit of maple syrup and a hint of lemon juice to bring out the flavor — but depending on the ripeness of the bananas, yours may not need it. Enjoy!
- 2 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds
- 2 cups mixed frozen berries
- ¼ cup coconut milk or natural plain yogurt, plus extra as needed
- Maple syrup (optional)
- Lemon juice (optional)
- Place banana pieces on a tray in a single layer and freeze overnight. Just before serving, place the frozen banana slices, frozen berries, and coconut milk or yogurt into a food processor and pulse until starting to break up. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then blend on high until a smooth, creamy ice cream forms. You can add a touch more milk/yogurt to help it process better, but remember that the more liquid you add, the softer the end result will be. If desired, add a tablespoon of maple syrup and a squeeze of lemon for flavor brightener. Scoop into bowls and serve immediately. The ice cream doesn’t refreeze well, but it’s fast and easy to put together if you have the fruit pre-frozen, so making it fresh shouldn’t be a problem.