Berrynana Froyo
GLUTEN FREE · VEGAN · DAIRY FREE · PALEO
What better way to get your daily dose of fruity goodness than in the form of this vibrant purple (and bizarrely-named) nice cream (aka banana-based dairy-free ice cream)? Behold the Berrynana Froyo - no I did not just speak Druid, or any other obscure language for that matter. It just seemed like a fitting name for what is ultimately a hybrid of a nice cream and frozen yogurt recipe.
Made with just four ingredients, and with no ice-cream maker necessary, this deliciousness could not be easier to whip up. It’s perfect for the hot summer weather we are currently huffing and puffing in, and it doesn’t even need to be considered a ‘treat’ as it is actually rather well-balanced, with its vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, healthy fats, protein, and even gut-friendly probiotics.
So, grab a spoon!
The Ingredients
Bananas
Frozen bananas are what nice cream is all about. By some fruit fairy wizardry, blending frozen bananas produces a wonderfully creamy ice-cream-like consistency and flavour, thus forming the perfect base for a plethora of nice cream recipes, minus the dairy element! For optimum flavour, sweetness and texture, it’s best to freeze the bananas when they are well-ripened (but not falling apart).
Bananas provide you with energy and are an excellent source of potassium - important for blood pressure, maintaining electrolyte balance and managing dehydration (even more important during hot summer months). According to the principles of Ayurveda, bananas also support digestion and are good for the stomach.
Blueberries
Blueberries, like all berries, are high in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. They are also lower in sugar than many other fruits.
Blueberries are a good source of quercetin, a flavonoid well-known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, important for helping your body combat free radicals, which are linked to chronic disease.
Furthermore, the anthocyanins in blueberries are what give them their uniquely ‘bluey’ colour, and these too are an excellent source of health-boosting bioactive compounds.
Coconut Yogurt
For that Froyo taste, you need some kind of Yo(gurt)! I used plain coconut yogurt but this recipe would work just as well with a complementary berry-flavoured yogurt such as strawberry, or even vanilla.
Coconut yogurt is low in sugar and contains easily-metabolised fatty acids. If the yogurt is cultured, which I recommend, then it also contains gut-supporting probiotics - key in the promotion and maintenance of gut health.
Cashew Butter
The not-so-secret ingredient!
Cashew nuts have a very unique buttery, sweet and salty taste, making their butter ideal for use in nice cream, as it helps to both round off the flavours, and mimic the rich creaminess we associate with ice cream.
Cashews are also a great source of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, including zinc, phosphorus, copper, selenium and magnesium, making them a health-supporting nutritional powerhouse, and a great health-boosting ingredient in this recipe.
Non-Dairy Milk
Ideally you don’t want to use any liquid, as it will make the resulting texture of the nice cream looser, and may mean you need to freeze it again after blending. However, sometimes a splash of your chosen non-dairy milk is necessary to help the blending process, particularly if you are using a weaker blender that tends to push the solid ingredients up and create an air pocket, leaving it to basically blend the air!
Choose your favourite non-dairy milk for this, milder-tasting options are best so as not to compete with the fruity flavours.
Paleo milk options: almond, cashew, coconut, hazelnut, hemp.
AIP milk options: coconut, tigernut (chufa).
Other: oat, rice, soy.
Tips
If you are using a high-powered blender, then this froyo/nice cream will be ready to serve (and eat!) as soon as you are done blending. But keep in mind that if you need to blend for longer, perhaps because your blender is weaker, then this could mean a looser consistency. This happens both because, if blending takes longer then naturally there is more time for the frozen ingredients to thaw, but also because blenders often produce heat, and this heat ultimately affects what you are blending and so can end up causing a bit of a melt.
Whether this has happened, or whether you simply do not want to eat the froyo immediately after you have made it, you can simply pour it into an airtight container and place in the freezer.
For optimum consistency, remove from the freezer around 30 minutes later and stir well with a fork, breaking up any areas that have started to solidify. Do this again about an hour later, and you should eliminate the vast majority of any ice crystals that may form, thus creating a creamier texture.
Once it has completely frozen, be sure to remove it from the freezer 10-15 minutes before you want to serve it so that it softens just enough.
BERRYNANA FROYO
Ingredients
- 2 frozen bananas
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup coconut yogurt
- 1-2 tbsp cashew butter (to taste)
- splash non-dairy milk (only if necessary to help with blending)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
- If your blender is struggling, try adding a splash of non-dairy milk, just a little at a time, to help it along.
- Serve and enjoy, or pour into an airtight container and place in the freezer (mix with a fork a couple of times before it has frozen solid to break up any ice crystals and ensure a creamier consistency).