THE PULSE

Soft, velvety, sweet and undeniably delightful: ice cream is the ultimate summer treat, but too much can lead to a serious sugar crash. That’s why we think you should try swapping out the usual ingredients for bananas and making “nice” cream instead.

We love bananas for their distinct flavor and that they pack a potassium punch – potassium is an important nutrient for muscle recovery.

We’ve tested out three simple, delicious recipes using nothing but frozen bananas for the base. Plus, this recipe is raw, vegan, dairy-free, fat-free, gluten-free and packed with vitamins and minerals. It’s also the perfect way to use up those overripe bananas sitting on the counter.

So, here’s the scoop…

How To Make Classic Banana "Nice" Cream:

1. Peel five or six very ripe bananas.
2. Chop up the bananas into very small chunks.
3. Freeze overnight in a freezer bag.
4. Blend them until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides and blades of the blender if they get stuck.

Note: One serving of healthy banana ice cream is the equivalent of about one medium banana which contains 110 calories, 30 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of protein.

How To Make New Flavors:

If you want to add a little kick to your ice cream, create new flavors by adding one or two more ingredients to the blender. Here are a few twists on the healthy banana ice cream recipe to get your taste buds excited:

• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip – simply add three tablespoons of creamy peanut butter and two tablespoons of chocolate chips per cup of chopped bananas and blend it up.
• Chocolate Mint – throw in some dark chocolate chunks and a few drops of peppermint extract for a healthy version of the full-fat favorite.
• Matcha Blueberry – add a scoop of matcha, a tablespoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and a 1/4th cup of frozen blueberries to the frozen banana base.