Banana Cardamom Coconut Yoghurt Ice Cream

Banana Cardamom Coconut Yoghurt Ice Cream

Banana Cardamom Coconut Yoghurt Ice Cream

 

Banana and Cardamom may seem like a slightly strange combination, but they truly are a match made in foodie heaven!

They’re like those other famous duos, peanut butter and jelly, fries and mayo, marmite and chips, and gherkins and hummus (if you haven’t tried that one yet -do it!!). They’re all slightly quirky, but so amazingly good together they were just meant to be.

So, when I got my hands on a pot of Coyo’s Banana, Chia and Cardamom organic coconut yoghurt (and nearly ate it in one sitting), the idea of turning it into nice cream seemed like the perfect idea!

As you probably know, nice cream is the name used for any dairy free ice cream alternative, and can take many different forms. The most common two either have a coconut or banana base, to which any number of flavours can be added.

As Coyo is already coconut based, my idea was to combine it with frozen bananas to create the ultimate banana coconut nice cream. And to my delight, this idea turned out perfectly!

 

Banana Cardamom Coconut Yoghurt Ice Cream

 

This recipe can be as simple or complex as you like. To keep it super simple all you need to do is blend coyo with frozen bananas, then allow it to set in the freezer for a couple of hours.

To get a bit more fancy you could add extra cardamom, vanilla, chocolate chips, raspberries, or even pure maple syrup for the ultimate indulgence! The flavour possibilities really are endless, as are the ways to serve this nice cream, and I’ll leave that part up to you! I’ve given a few suggestions under the recipe below.

Of course, this nice cream is dairy and gluten free, completely raw and plant based, annnnd best of it it’s very low in sugars because Coyo is only sweetened by bananas! This ice cream is full of fibre from the bananas and probiotics from the coconut yoghurt. It’s sounding rather like the perfect healthy dessert, don’t you think?!

If you make this banana cardamom coconut yoghurt ice cream, I’d love to hear from you!

Leave me a comment below and tell me what your favourite flavour combo is and how you like to serve it. Enjoy!

 

Banana Cardamom Coconut Yoghurt Ice Cream

 

Banana Cardamom Coconut Yoghurt Ice Cream

Makes: 1 litre
Prep time: 10 minutes  Chill time: 2 hours

500g Coyo Banana, Chia & Cardamom Coconut Yoghurt
500g frozen bananas (approximately 4 large bananas)
1 tsp ground cardamom

Prep ahead by peeling your bananas and placing in the freezer for a minimum of 2 hours, or ideally overnight, until frozen.

Place all the ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until just smooth. You want the mix to remain thick and stay as frozen as possible.

Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-proof container and place in the freezer to chill for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight. When the ice cream is firm and scoopable. it’s ready to serve.

Use a warm ice cream scoop to scoop the ice cream into balls and serve with your favourite accompaniments.

Servings Ideas:
In a cone
In a bowl topped with chocolate or caramel sauce
As an ice cream cookie sandwich
On warm apple pie
On top of fruit crumble
Alongside molten chocolate pudding
In a smoothie
Straight on a spoon

Banana Cardamom Coconut Yoghurt Ice Cream

 

Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream

Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream

Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream

 

Mint chocolate chip ice cream reminds me of the hot New Zealand summers we had as kids, where we used to spend the day at the beach. At the end of the day we’d call into the local Dairy (a corner store) and each choose a scoop of ice cream which, usually melted down our hands before we’d even got back to the car. Back in those days the ice cream flavour choices were pretty simple. It was either vanilla, neapolitan, hokey pokey, mint or orange chocolate chip, and if you were lucky, goody goody gum drops.

These days you don’t find many Dairy’s that scoop their own ice cream, and in most of the coastal regions you’d be hard pressed to find any that stocked dairy free ice cream.

So in honour of the warmer weather approaching, I’ve created a nostalgic but much healthier version of mint chocolate chip ice cream or “nice cream”.

After a quick google search it appears I wasn’t the first with this recipe idea (dammit), but I guess it just goes to show it must be a great idea.

This mint chocolate chip nice cream recipe has just 4 ingredients: bananas, mint, a little sweetener, and cacao nibs. It has a lovely fresh mint flavour and is very easy to make. The hardest part is remembering to freeze all the ingredients ahead of time.

I’ve used raw cacao nibs as the ‘chocolate chips’ as these are a great superfood full of antioxidants and have a strong chocolate flavour. However, the’re quite bitter so if you’re not worried about keeping this nice cream entirely raw and sugar free, feel free to use chopped up dark chocolate instead.

The reason for freezing the ingredients beforehand is to prevent the nice cream from melting before you have a chance to eat it. It’s also a good idea to keep a stock of ingredients in your freezer (as you would for smoothies), so that if a nice cream craving hits you can whip it up in minutes!

This mint chocolate chip nice cream also makes a great last minute dessert, especially if you find yourself with unexpected dinner guests.

Enjoy!

 

Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream

 

Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream

Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes

4 frozen bananas, chopped
1/4 cup frozen fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup frozen raw cacao nibs or finely chopped dark chocolate
2 Tbsp chilled maple syrup/raw honey/raw agave

Prep ahead by freezing the banana, mint leaves and cacao nibs/chocolate.

To make the nice cream, place the bananas, mint and sweetener into a food processor or high speed blender and blend until well combined. It will form a smooth ice cream consistency very fast – be sure not to over blend and melt the mixture. Add the cacao nibs and pulse to combine. Serve immediately sprinkled with extra cacao nibs – or place in the freezer until required.

*Note: freezing the mint and cacao nibs beforehand ensures your nice cream doesn’t melt before you get a chance to eat it!

Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream

Pin It on Pinterest