I first discovered this stunningly simple banana ice cream recipe on my good friend Jen Yu’s blog, UseRealButter.com. To get a really creamy mixture, I like to mix in a little bit of thick coconut cream, but feel free to leave it out if you want a stronger banana flavor. You’ll need to freeze the bananas overnight, so be sure to plan accordingly.
3 to 4 bananas, peeled and frozen
1 to 2 tablespoons coconut cream
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a blender or food processor, combine the frozen bananas, coconut cream, and vanilla bean seeds. Puree until smooth. Serve immediately or freeze for an hour for a more scoop-able texture.
This ice cream is naturally gluten-free and vegan.
There’s no need to worry about getting the custard right in this egg-free ice cream. A little brown rice sugar helps keep the ice cream from crystallizing and also adds a lovely buttery note—you’ll never miss the eggs.
⅓ cup (60 grams) turbinado or cane sugar
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups (16 ounces) heavy cream, divided
1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the sugar, brown rice syrup, salt, and 1 cup of the heavy cream. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens just slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the milk, vanilla extract, vanilla bean, and the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream. Transfer the mixture to a covered container and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour. Churn according to your ice cream maker’s directions, removing the vanilla bean before churning.
This ice cream is naturally gluten-free.
For vegan Vanilla Ice Cream, replace the heavy cream with 1 cup of vanilla soy yogurt (or, if you like the flavor, coconut cream) and the milk with 2 cups of almond milk. You’ll also want to stir in 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder to help create a thick, creamy texture. Mix the arrowroot powder with 1 tablespoon of the almond milk and add it along with the rest of the almond milk.
The trick to getting package-perfect ice cream sandwiches is to make sure your ice cream is very well frozen, so be sure to allow yourself enough time to freeze your treats before sharing them.
1 batch (1 pint) Banana Soft Serve Ice Cream (this page) or Vanilla Ice Cream (this page), freshly churned
1¼ cups (150 grams) white whole-wheat or all-purpose flour
¼ cup (30 grams) chestnut or whole-wheat flour
¼ cup (20 grams) cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup (100 grams) muscavado or brown sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Line a high-sided baking dish with waxed paper, extending the waxed paper over the sides of the dish to create handles. Pour the ice cream into the pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly; it should be about ½ inch thick. Cover with another piece of waxed paper and freeze for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, until the ice cream is very firm.
While the ice cream is freezing, prepare the sandwich cookie. Sift the white whole-wheat flour, chestnut flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until light, about 2 minutes. Add the flour mixture and mix on medium speed until well blended. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Place the chilled dough onto a generously floured surface and roll it out to a ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Prick the dough all over with a toothpick or fork. With a knife or cookie cutter, cut out into your preferred ice cream sandwich shape. Don’t forget to cut out an even number! Place on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart and bake until the cookies start to darken at the edges, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. Cool completely on a wire rack.
When you are ready to assemble the ice cream sandwiches, remove the ice cream from the baking dish using the waxed paper handles. Remove the top waxed paper. Using a knife or a cookie cutter, cut the ice cream out into the same shape as the cookies. Dip the knife or cookie cutter into warm water between cuts. Place the cut ice cream between 2 cookies and freeze the assembled sandwiches until firm.
For gluten-free Ice Cream Sandwiches, replace the white whole-wheat flour with an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose baking mix. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment for easier rolling.
For vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches, replace the butter with an equal amount of coconut oil and the egg with 1 teaspoon ground chia or flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water. Use Banana Soft Serve Ice Cream (this page) or vegan Vanilla Ice Cream (this page) to fill the sandwiches.
While the jingle of the ice cream truck evokes a certain excitement, freezer-burned Drumsticks will probably no longer hold the same charm they once did when you’ve made your own chocolate-dipped, peanut-crusted ice cream cones. You’ll need a krumkake iron to make these cones; if you don’t have one, you can still create delicious cones following the alternate instructions below.
¼ cup (30 grams) white whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground millet or sweet rice flour
1 egg
¼ cup (50 grams) cane sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped, divided
1 cup (140 grams) peanuts, crushed
1 batch (about 1 pint) Vanilla Ice Cream (this page)
Sift the white whole-wheat flour and ground millet flour together and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the egg and sugar. Whisk until the color lightens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine. Add the milk and butter and gently stir just to combine.
Prepare a krumkake iron with a light coating of cooking spray and preheat it. Once the iron is preheated, pour 2 tablespoons of batter onto the iron and follow the manufacturer’s directions for cooking. You want your wafers to turn golden brown and be very crisp.
If you don’t have a krumkake iron, preheat the oven to 400°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Spread the batter into 4 rounds on each baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between the rounds. Bake until the edges just start to darken, about 5 minutes.
While the rounds are still hot, carefully lift each one with a spatula and shape into a cone. Let the cones cool completely. If the cones are still a bit moist, they will remain limp after they cool. If this happens, place them in a 200°F oven until they are crisp, about 15 minutes. Allow the cones to cool completely again.
While the cones are cooling, place 6 ounces of the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Using 50 percent power, heat the chocolate in the microwave, stopping to stir every 30 seconds, until it is melted. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the melted chocolate into each cooled cone and turn the cone to lightly coat the inside. Set aside to let the chocolate harden (you can refrigerate the cones to speed the process, but the cones may not be as crisp). They can be stored in an airtight container at this point for a few days.
When you are ready to serve the ice cream cones, melt the remaining 6 ounces of chocolate in the microwave, using 50 percent power and stopping to stir every 30 seconds, until the chocolate is melted. Set the melted chocolate on the counter and place the peanuts in a wide bowl right next to the chocolate.
Working with one cone at a time, top with a scoop of ice cream, pushing the ice cream securely into the cone and leaving a nice, rounded top that overhangs the sides of the cone slightly. Dip the ice cream into the melted chocolate and roll it in the peanuts or sprinkle the peanuts on top. This will get a bit messy, but the results are worth it. Serve immediately.
For gluten-free Chocolate Peanut Ice Cream Cones, replace the white whole-wheat flour with an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose baking mix.
For vegan Chocolate Peanut Ice Cream Cones, replace the egg with 1 teaspoon ground chia or flaxseed and 3 tablespoons water; the milk with an equal amount of almond or rice milk; and the butter with an equal amount of coconut oil. Use the vegan variation of the Vanilla Ice Cream (this page).
These creamy blended citrus pops may taste like dessert, but I think they make a great breakfast smoothie to go. For a decorative tip, add a tablespoon of orange juice to the mold and freeze before filling. To free your ice pops from their molds, wrap the molds in a warm, wet cloth for about 30 seconds and lightly twist the ice pops to loosen.
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 8 oranges)
1 cup plain yogurt
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a blender or food processor, combine the orange juice, yogurt, and honey. Blend until the sugar dissolves, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Pour the mixture into pushup or ice pop molds and freeze for at least 4 hours.
These ice pops are naturally gluten-free.
For vegan Orange Vanilla Ice Pops, replace the yogurt with an equal amount of your favorite plain or vanilla non-dairy yogurt and the honey with an equal amount of agave syrup.
Apparently, a whole generation is now growing up without knowing the joys of creamy, chocolaty pudding pops. Can you imagine? I hope you do your part and share these with your sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, or neighborhood kids.
¼ cup (50 grams) coconut or cane sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1½ tablespoons arrowroot powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk, divided
1 egg
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Sift the sugar, cocoa powder, arrowroot powder, and salt into a heavy-bottomed pot. Whisk in ¼ cup of the milk to make a smooth paste. Whisk in the egg and egg yolk, followed by the remaining ¾ cup of milk.
Place the pot over low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. The mixture needs to heat very slowly to keep from curdling. Once it starts to thicken, after about 5 to 10 minutes, remove the mixture from the heat immediately. Stir in the vanilla and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Spoon into 3-ounce ice pop molds and freeze for at least 4 hours.
To Make Vanilla Pudding Ice Pops, simply leave out the cocoa powder and increase the vanilla to 1 teaspoon.
Strawberry Pudding Ice Pops are equally easy: leave out the cocoa powder and add ¼ cup strawberry puree when you add the vanilla.
Although I haven’t found a great way of making vegan pudding that I love, vegan fudgsicles are a great substitute. While they are less creamy, they are chocolaty delicious. Simply mix 1 cup of almond or coconut milk with ¼ cup coconut or cane sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt in a heavy-bottomed pot over low heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is evenly combined. Cool to room temperature before pouring into the molds and freezing for 4 hours.
