Guilt Free Banana Split
May 7, 2019 by Nicole Collins
“Bananas in pajamas are coming down the stairs...”
“Bananas in pajamas are coming down in pairs!”
Ok at this point, I might as well just finish the song. “BANANAS IN PAJAMAS ARE CHASING TEDDY BEARS. 'Cause on Tuesdays they all try to catch them unawares.”
And now that I've gotten that out of my system, we can move on...
Alright, maybe I'm not ready to move on yet. Does anyone else remember that show? Please tell me you have some idea what I'm singing about right now.
Honestly, I don't know that I really remember the show. But, I remember the song SO clearly. It's one of those songs that I find myself involuntarily singing every once in a blue moon. And, I guess today is just one of those days.
Ok, now I'm ready to move on.
Today's recipe looks like just a plain ol' bowl of ice cream sundae right? But, that would be too easy. And, you guys should know me better than that by now.
Actually, I have a secret. My secret is that this is not ice cream, at all! It's bananas!!
But, not bananas in pajamas...just to be clear.
Today, we're making Guilt Free Banana Splits!
We're re-imagining the banana split by making ice cream out of bananas (also known as nicecream) instead of serving ice cream on top of bananas. But, we still get our neapolitan flavors, chocolate sauce, and cherry on top!
We're going to start our sundae by making our nicecream. We need 2 super ripe bananas that have been cut into quarters and frozen to start our mix. The bananas go straight in the food processor with a little vanilla then blended until smooth. It's incredible how bananas turn into a perfect soft serve ice cream texture with just a few spins in the food processor. Then, we're going to divide our nicecream into thirds, our original base acting as our vanilla ice cream.
To make our chocolate ice cream, we add some cocoa powder, coconut milk, and honey to our base mix. Give it a spin in the processor, and done! For strawberry, we take the rest of our base mix, blend in some coconut milk and frozen strawberries. Then, we're done again! Our nicecream can rest in the freezer for up to a half hour in order to solidify just a smidge while we prepare the rest of our toppings.
For our chocolate sauce, all we need is some semisweet chocolate chips and a little more coconut milk. They get microwaved together for only 30 seconds, then vigorously stirred until fully incorporated.
Now, this sundae would be vegan if not for the chocolate chips in the recipe. There is some milk content in the chocolate chips, so this adds a small dairy aspect to our sauce. If you'd prefer to make this treat vegan, feel free to ditch the chocolate sauce. (I know. Saying that hurt my feelings too.) I do know there are vegan chocolate chips out on the market. I did not test this with those. But, if you've used them before and feel they melt the same way as regular chocolate chips, give them a try! And, let me know how it works out!
To finish our sundae, we're going to scoop out our nicecream, drizzle it with chocolate sauce, and finish it with some chopped peanuts and a cherry on top. This recipe makes enough for 1 huge sundae with perfect scoops or two smaller sundaes with smaller scoops. We are trying to be guilt free here, so keep that in mind.
Frozen ripe bananas take on a vanilla like quality which is what makes them perfect for this banana split base. But, you can still taste that hint of banana that you want from a banana split. This really is a sweet and decadent treat that you certainly don't have to feel bad about! But, bananas are full of natural sugars, so moderation is still key.
Alright guys, now that I've loaded you up with sweets AND gotten a song stuck in your head, it's time for me to send you on your way today. Hehe...you're welcome for all of the above!
Stay sweet, and let's eat!
Guilt Free Banana Split
Serves: 1-2 Print
Ingredients:
For the Nicecream:
2 very ripe bananas, quartered and frozen
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp + 2 tsp coconut milk, divided
1 tsp honey
¼ cup frozen strawberries
For Serving:
1 tbsp semisweet chocolate
1 tbsp coconut milk
1 tsp peanuts, chopped
1 maraschino cherry
Directions:
Place frozen banana chunks and vanilla in a blender or food processor. Process until it looks like the banana has turned to rice. Scrape down the sides. Process again until smooth and creamy. Remove ½ cup of the vanilla nicecream, and place in the freezer while preparing the other flavors. Also, reserve a ½ cup of the nicecream and store in the freezer in a separate dish until it's time to make the chocolate.
To the remaining banana mix left in the food processor, add frozen strawberries and 2 tbsp coconut milk. Process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl, and place in the freezer until ready to serve. Rinse out the food processor.
Take the ½ cup banana mix reserved for the chocolate nicecream, and add it to the food processor. Add cocoa powder, 2 tsp coconut milk, and honey. Process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl, and place in the freezer until ready to serve.
In a small microwavable bowl, add chocolate chips and 1 tbsp coconut milk. Microwave for 30 seconds, and stir well until chocolate and milk are fully mixed. Set aside to cool slightly.
Assemble the Sundae: Transfer vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry nicecream to a serving dish. Drizzle with chocolate sauce, and top with chopped nuts and a cherry. Serve immediately.
Recipe notes:
*Keep the nicecream in the freezer for 15-30 mins before serving to get the perfect icecream, texture. If you leave it any longer than that, it gets really solid. You'd just have to let it thaw out a bit before eating if you're making this ahead.
*This sundae would be vegan if not for the chocolate chips in the sauce. If you want to make this vegan, you can definitely skip the chocolate sauce. I did not test making the sauce with vegan chocolate chips, but if you've used them before and think they melt the same way, go for it!
*I listed this as 1-2 serving, because it kind of falls around 1 ½ servings. You could also get 2 smaller sundaes from this mix if you want. You just won't have perfect scoops. They'll be a little smaller.
*I keep a bag of frozen bananas in my freezer at all times for smoothies, and now for nicecream! When the bananas are very ripe (more black on the skin than yellow), peel and chop them in to quarters. Space them out individually on a plate or or tray, and place them in the freezer. After a few hours when they're completely frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag until ready to use. Freezing them separately keeps them from clumping together in the bag and being frozen with an undetachable buddy.
