Roasted bananas enriched with creamy coconut milk is churned into a delicious frozen treat and topped with a fudge sauce. A classic combination of banana and chocolate, how can you go wrong?
The following recipes are not my own. (Which are my contributions to my Nourishing Chocolate Carnival which will be posted late tonight to tomorrow morning, I generally have to post my contributions early so that I can get the carnival post up later.) Rachel Albert-Matesz graciously gave me permission to share a few of her recipes with the review of her cookbook (you all are going to love this!).
I am extremely excited to share this book review with you all, as I think many of you will find this book helpful. The Ice Dream Cookbook
While some of us have gotten good at adapted recipes to be healthier from our sugar laden regular recipes, it was such a relief to be able to make a recipe without having to change anything and know that it will turn out great and be healthy too.
Sections include “Basic Flavors”, “Beyond the Basic Flavors”, “Coffee, Tea and Nut Flavors”, “Fruity Favorites”, “Sauces” “A la mode” and “Additional Indulgences” (which include gluten free cookies and brownies also naturally sweetened and dairy free). On my list to try include Nutmeg Ice cream, Chai Tea Ice Cream, and Orange Cream Ice Cream. She also includes very detailed information about everything from ingredients to equipment. For those who avoid chocolate, she also includes chocolate-free almost chocolate recipes!
She generally sweetens with a mixture of honey, maple syrup, or agave, and stevia. This allows it to be a lower sugar forming food, without the strong taste of stevia. The following recipes that I made turned out great using this method.
She also has a little secret ingredient that helps “stabilize the dessert as it freezes, adding loft, improving the whipping quality, and yielding a smooth texture after freezing”. It’s gelatin or agar agar. This is especially important for cream and egg free recipes. Just make sure you plan to make the ice cream mixture plenty ahead of time, because it will need to cool for at least 6 hours before churning.
By the way, I use a Cuisinart 1-1/2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream Maker
Roasted Banana Ice Dream with a Fudge Sauce
This ice cream really surpassed my expectations and was so delicious! We all loved it! I used Now Foods Stevia Liquid Extract
for an unrefined stevia product with good results3 medium-size bananas, peels removed (about 2 1/2 cups when sliced)
2 to 3 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 tablespoon virgin-pressed coconut oil or palm shortening
1/3 cup cool or cold filtered water
2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin or 3/4 teaspoon agar agar powder (not the flakes)
1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup or 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup; additional 1 tablespoon as needed
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon clear stevia extract liquid (start with less; add more only if needed).
1/8 teaspoon finely ground, unrefined sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or alcohol-free vanilla flavoring
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional (KH notes: I used nutmeg and highly recommend it!)
1 3/4 cups (one 14 ounce can) unsweetened preservative free coconut milk (regular, not lite).1-Gently melt coconut or palm oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a 2 quart (preferably glass or Pyrex) baking dish. I use an 8 x 10 or a 9x9x2 inch pan or a 9 inch Pyrex pie plate. don’t use a large pan or the syrup will burn.
2-Slice the bananas into 2 inch pieces into a medium bowl. Toss with maple syrup and coconut or palm oil. Scrape into the prepared pan. Reduce the heat to 400 degrees F and bake for 30 to 35 minutes (stir only one time) until bananas look browned and cooked through.
3-Add 1/3 cup water to a small saucepan. Slowly sprinkle with gelatin or agar agar powder. Let stand for 2-5 minutes to soften. Warm over medium-low heat, without stirring until gelatin or agar agar dissolves.
Scrape the mixture into a blender, vita-mix or food processor. Add the honey, sea salt, and stevia. Blend until smooth.4-Add the roasted banana mixture, coconut milk, vanilla, and optional cinnamon. Blend until smooth , stopping to scrape the sides with a spatula. For a sweeter taste, add an additional 1/8 teaspoon stevia and/or 1 tablespoon honey. Blend, taste, and repeat if needed.
5-Pour into one or more wide-mouthed jars. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before churning.
6-Scrape the chilled custard into the canister of your ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
7-Serve immediately or spoon into several 8-to 16-ounce freezer safe containers. Cover and freeze for 3 or more hours for a firmer texture.
8-Soften solidly frozen dessert by placing it in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes or on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Hot Fudge Sauce
We enjoyed this fudge sauce a lot, though it wasn’t what I was expecting. It has the consistency of a thick chocolate pudding (which makes sense considering that it had the same ingredients, just in different ratios) and though very dark and beautiful in color, was a little lighter in chocolate flavor than this super dark chocolate family is used too (really, more like a store bought fudge sauce taste). It went very well with the roasted banana ice cream.
3/4 cup of unsweetened premium or lite coconut milk or plain almond, cashew, or hazelnut milk; additional 1/4 cup as needed to thin
2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
1/4 cup honey or agave nectar; additional 1 to 3 tablespoons as needed
1/8 teaspoon finely ground unrefined sea salt
2 ounces unsweetened baker’s chocolate, coarsely chopped or broken into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon clear stevia extract liquid
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or alcohol free vanilla flavoring1-Combine the coconut milk or nut milk and arrowroot powder in a small saucepan. Whisk to dissolve. Add the honey or agave nectar and sea salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.
2-Remove from heat. Add the chocolate, stevia and vanilla, stirring until the chocolate melts. For a sweeter taste, add an additional 1 tablespoon honey. Blend, taste, and repeat one or two more times as needed
3-Let stand for 1o minutes, then serve hot or allow to cool. Refrigerate unused sauce in a covered heatproof bowl, a few custard cups or a wide mouth jar.
4-Gently warm leftover sauce in a heatproof bowl in a 250 degree oven for in a double boiler or saucepan over very low heat, stirring periodically. If too thick, add 1 or 2 tablespoons additional coconut milk.
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Do you think you could just sub in regular milk/cream, instead of coconut milk as desired? I would love to make this dessert for friends but know some don’t like coconut. Curious if you think one could add dairy in the same amount as the coconut milk for an even swap…
Suzanne,
That’s a great question. I had meant to mention this in my post, but I am sure that you could substitute cream for the coconut milk with great results. So yes! Go for it!
Hello.
I have really appreciated your blog and am now a devoted reader. Thank you for making traditional foods not only more fun, but also beautiful. I was hoping you might share what sort of camera and lens you use for all your great photos.
Thanks!
-Hilaire
Hi Hilaire,
Thanks for the comment. 🙂 For the last few months I’ve had my new camera, a Nikon, D40, and a 18-55 mm lens. Nothing too terribly fancy compared to what some food bloggers use, but much nicer then what I was having to use before. It works well for me!
This recipe looks great. I think I’d go for a simpler chocolate “drizzle” though. I love the mix of sweeteners concept, too, because I haven’t found some alone to be to my liking. I actually read a review of this book somewhere else a while back and it was equally good. Thanks also for the info on your new camera! I am borrowing a friend’s basic digital as I learn before I purchase my own so I am gathering info and recommendations. 🙂
Shirley
Thanks for highlighting this book. It sounds like a fabulous resource! Like you, I’m comfortable adapting recipes, but what a treat to *start* with a dairy free, gluten free, low sugar recipe. 🙂 It looks like Amazon doesn’t have it in stock right now, but I’ll keep my eye on it.
Kimi- this sounds wonderful. I never thought I’d want an ice cream maker but now I’m having thoughts!!!!
I wonder if this would freeze okay in freezer? I don’t have an ice cream maker and don’t plan to purchase one, but this recipe is hard to pass by!
Gina,
It wouldn’t have the same texture, but I probably would still like it! (I think it would probably freeze a lot harder).
For those who wanted to sub milk and cream for coconut milk in the Ice Dream Cookbook, YES, you can do it. Follow the recipes as indicated but use 50% cream, 50% milk (raw if possible). Include the gelatin or agar agar to prevent icing up in storage. I just made a batch recently using cream + plain kefir to add cultures since I don’t have a source for raw cream. It came out great. For a richer flavor use 2 parts cream to 1 part milk or kefir.
BTW: Not all the frozen dessert recipes in the Ice Dream Cookbook taste like coconut. Those with pumpkin, coffee, chocolate, or other veg or fruit purees have pleased even people who don’t normally like coconut. The vanilla recipes taste the most coconutty. The book also contains cookies, blondies, brownie recipes, fruit sauces, poached fruit, and more.
I hope you’ll try them.
Sincerely,
Chef Rachel
Rachel,
I love the concept of your cookbook but I wanted to know if you have a cookbook of lunch/dinner items?
Janet,
Rachel’s first book is called the Garden of Eating. It’s a no grain cookbook centered on plenty of veggies. Check it out!
Yumlicious!! This is right up my alley 😉
I need an ice cream maker, no?
Okay, this sounds so delicious. I’m hoping my hubby will get me an ice cream maker for christmas so we can start enjoying delicious coconut milk ice cream. This makes me mouth water!!
I made this ice cream today with the brownie pudding cake… UH-MA-ZING! I made it with an extra 1/3 cup honey and left out the stevia (like is mentioned on the brownie pudding cake recipe), and we didn’t have any gelatin or agar agar, so I left that (and the water) out. I will definitely be making this again!!
Oh, ouch. …I was just on amazon and the cheapest the book sells for is $159. Does anyone know where I can buy it for less?
Thanks, Muriel
Oh, ouch. …I was just on amazon, and the cheapest the book sells for is $159. Does anyone know where I can buy it for less?
Thanks, Muriel
Has anyone tried adding strawberries to this? I have some strawberries that I need to use before they go bad.