Almond Chunky Monkey Ice Cream....It's Raw!

I was just gifted a new food processor as an early Christmas present. What better way to break it in then by making chunky monkey ice cream using 4 ingredients! I know it's a bit cold out for something frozen, and although this was cold it sure warmed my heart on this chilly day! Needless to say this was delicious and super healthy, much better than the Ben & Jerry's version any day. :) 

Almond Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 3 frozen bananas, cut into chunks
• 3 tablespoons almond butter, or any nut butter of choice
• almonds, cut in half
• dark chocolate, either in chips or bars broken into pieces*

In food processor, place frozen banana pieces and almond butter, blend until a fairly smooth consistency stopping every now and then to scrap down the sides and push the mixture to the bottom of the processor. It took mine about five minutes max, it will depend on your food processor how long yours takes. Serve in bowls and top with, or incorporate, the chocolate pieces and almonds, use as much as you like. Should be eaten right away. Makes one generous serving or two small.

Note: Never throw your bananas away. The ripper they are the much sweeter they are making them perfect for smoothies and ice creams. So just when you think you should throw them out and/or don't feel like making banana bread, unpeel them and put them in the freezer using a container of sorts (I use tupperware), and you'll have frozen banana's whenever you need all year long.

* To make 100% raw use raw cocoa chips...find recipe here.

Try adding a scoop or two of vanilla or chocolate flavor protein powder to really boost the nutritional profile! You may need to add a splash or two of unsweetened almond milk as well.

Seriously so good...Enjoy!

Make you own Almond Butter, it's really easy...find recipe here.

You may also like this Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Raw Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Raw banana ice cream! Why have I not known of this before, what a great dessert or meal (I had this for dinner the other night). It's super delicious, fat free, no refined sugars and dairy free which means it's cruelty free. You can do so many things with this...be creative and have fun experimenting with what works for you.

Raw Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients

• three frozen bananas
• 1 heaping tablespoon raw cacao/cocoa powder
• fruit or chopped nuts for topping, optional

Break frozen bananas into small pieces. Place bananas and cocoa/cacao into blender or food processor, blend until desired consistency scraping down the sides every now and then, will take anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes. 

Scoop into your bowls, top with fruit or nuts and eat right away. 

Serves one generously with enough to share if you like. :)

Notes:

You can also freeze this ice cream by storing in an air tight container. Keep in freezer for at least six hours or overnight, let thaw 10 min or so before scooping. Double this recipe and freeze for convenience. 

I just received a new processor for Christmas and it works so well compared to my old one. The extra time spent will depend on the power of your processor/blender. A good blender will be a good friend to you when making this ice cream.

Instead of throwing out bananas I always freeze them for making smoothies later and this will be a new reason to pull out a frozen banana or two. Doesn't get much simpler that this.

Enjoy !

You may also enjoy this Almond Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

Inspired by this recipe at Rawified.

Cinnamon Baked Apple Crisps

Celebrating 4th of July with these yummy baked apple crisps served warm from the oven with vanilla soy ice cream, granola and a sprinkle of cinnamon. What is not to love!

Fuji apples are my favorite…they always surprise me with the different flavors each one has. Sometimes I bite into one and it tastes like a caramel apple, other times it tastes exactly the way a red rose smells…so divine is the Fuji apple!

Baked Apples 

• 1 or more apples of your liking
• cinnamon 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• To core or not to core ? You don’t have to but I did. I have seen them without coring, if you do this just remove the seeds after slicing and you will have a pretty little star in the middle. 
• Thinly slice your apples and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Bake for about 15 min. I like mine a little soft. If you like yours crispy, bake for 45 min to an hour, checking your apples in between.

Eat as is or add to your favorite ice cream, oatmeal, cereal…let the healthy ideas come to you and enjoy !

Banana Cherry Garcia Soft Serve

 Cherries + dark chocolate is always a winning pair. Here I have continued my love of banana based ice creams and have added the duo to make this Banana Cherry Garcia Soft Serve ice cream. The inspiration comes from one of Ben & Jerry's top selling ice creams 'Cherry Garcia'. Here I have veganized it using simple ingredients that come together making a quick and easy soft serve to enjoy during the coming summer months. Gather some of the season's cherries, freeze some bananas and get your chocolate ready...all in the name of good health and a tasty treat that you will enjoy time and time again. Eating healthy and cruelty free is as delicious as can be!

Dark chocolate can happily be a part of your healthy diet as long as it's enjoyed in moderation. I usually have a small chunk every night with a dollop of almond butter as my dessert. Some of the benefits of dark chocolate/raw chocolate are its powerful anti-oxidants. These anti-oxidants may help to control blood sugar levels by helping the body use its insulin more efficiently. This in turn may help with reducing the risk of diabetes. It also can help improve and lower cholesterol. Dark chocolate has flavanols that may lower the risk of Alzheimer's and slow the onset of dementia. These same flavanols may protect your skin from UV damage. It's also rich in vitamins and minerals, can improve your mood, and reduce your stress.. These are just some of the benefits associated with dark chocolate. It's best to consume chocolate that is 70% cocoa and above or pure raw chocolate, as it will have the most benefits. And to the men out there, it has been found that men benefit most from eating dark chocolate in moderation. So enjoy your dark chocolate without feeling guilty. For more information: Web MD...Dark Chocolate For Health Benefits, Huffington Post: Chocolate Benefits & Men Benefit Most From Eating Dark Chocolate

And then there are cherries, the real star of the recipe! Cherries, known as a 'super fruit', are one of the few food sources that contain melatonin, an antioxidant that helps regulate heart rhythms and the body's sleep cycle. These little red beauties are also packed with antioxidants called anthocyanin's which aid in the reduction of heart disease and cancer. This same anti-oxidant can help reduce inflammation and swelling associated with arthritis and gout. They are a perfect post work-out snack for those looking to reduce pain and joint soreness, like runners and heavy training athletes. Cherries are abundant in vitamins C, E, potassium, magnesium, iron, folate, fiber and contain 19 times more beta carotene than strawberries and blueberries. They are perfect for any healthy lifestyle. For further reading take a look at these: Huffington Post: Cherries For Health & Seven Benefits of Cherries

Banana Cherry Garcia Soft Serve

Ingredients

• 2 frozen bananas, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 1/2 cups cherries, pitted and frozen (divided)
• splash of unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk
• scant 1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks (70% +), cacao nibs or raw chocolate chips

Place banana chunks, 1 cup cherries and splash of milk into blender/food processor and blend until just combined. You may need to scrap down the sides a few times or add another splash of milk to help the mixture move. Add in chocolate and remaining 1/2 cup cherries, pulse until just combined. Serve immediately as this is a soft serve ice cream. Top with shaved dark chocolate, cacao nibs or raw chocolate chips. Serves two generously.

Notes: It helps to freeze your serving dish beforehand if possible. Will keep your soft serve chilled a bit longer.

Variations: If you don't want any chocolate chunks try adding 1 heaping teaspoon of raw or dark cocoa powder instead. Adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract never hurts either. It adds another flavor level.

Enjoy!

• • •

A note on bananas

These are perfectly ripe bananas and just about ready for the freezer. I usually wait until they're a bit more ripened before peeling and storing, that is when they are the sweetest. Using them in their sweetest state means the less added sweetener you will need. So let your bananas ripen well before storing. I freeze mine unpeeled and either whole or broken into pieces. Having these on hand you can add them to smoothies, shakes and ice creams. They will stay well in the freezer for about 6 to 9 months.