Chocolate Walnut Banana Ice Cream (No Sugar Added, Vegan, Paleo)
I love banana ice cream! The real stuff made with cream and sugar. If I am in an ice cream shop, the first flavor I look for is banana. If they have whoppers as a topping or mix in there are no more decisions to consider. I will always order banana with whoppers. There is also the ubiquitous Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey. It is a pure guilty pleasure, a perfect pint of banana ice cream heaven.
This recipe is reminiscent of the amazing Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey. I would not call it a copycat recipe, because it isn’t made with cream or sugar, and I wouldn’t call it “healthy,” because it has a full ounce of chocolate. What I do call it is “Yummy.” It is the perfect treat when you want to satisfy your sweet tooth without having a half-eaten pint of ice cream taunting you in the freezer. If you keep frozen bananas on hand, it can be made in minutes. It is best eaten immediately, but you can make it, freeze it, and serve it later. You will want to let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes to soften.
This recipe makes one very large serving, or two smaller portions. It is easily doubled.
Chocolate Walnut Banana Ice Cream
1 Cup Frozen Ripe Bananas Slices from 1-2 bananas
1/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts, toasted (See note for easy toasting directions.)
1 oz Dark chocolate (I prefer a chopped chocolate bar, but chocolate chips work too.)
Place frozen bananas in a food processor and process until smooth. The frozen bananas will break into pebble size pieces and then turn into a smooth creamy ice cream. Remove from food processor to a bowl and mix in chopped chocolate and toasted walnuts. Serve immediately.
**Note** The easiest way to toast walnuts is in the microwave. Place walnuts on a microwave safe plate and cook on high for 1 minute. Check to see if they are warm and fragrant. Continue to cook 30 seconds at a time until they are warm and fragrant. You do not want to actually see them browning because they will continue to cook a few minutes after removing from the microwave and can easily burn. Each microwave is different, but mine tool 2 minutes to get lightly toasted.
