This recipe is from Gena Hamshaw (her details are at the bottom). It’s the best soft serve ice cream you’ll ever taste, but it’s 100% raw, 100% vegan, 100% unprocessed, and 100% delicious. It’s also kid-friendly and ridiculously simple to make. That’s right. Who knew that frozen bananas could, if given a spin in the food processor, rival the best fro-yo in town? Well believe me, they do. Once you try this recipe, I guarantee you’ll crave it instead of your usual ice cream—at least some of the time.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 frozen bananas

Equipment:

• Food processor

Directions:

1. The morning of (or the evening before) making this recipe, slice up your 2 – 3 bananas, and then place them into a freezer bag or Tupperware container. Put them into the freezer until they are nice and frozen.

2. When the bananas are frozen, remove them from the freezer and place them into the food processor. Then turn the processor on and let it run for about five minutes, stopping every now and then to scrape it down. The bananas should get increasingly light, fluffy, and smooth. By the time you’re done, they’ll resemble a creamy bowl of soft serve.

3. Scoop them into a bowl and marvel your friends with this delicious, healthy, raw dessert.

BONUS: If you’re really feeling decadent, make some raw chocolate “syrup” by combining 2 tablespoons of agave nectar with 1 tablespoon raw or dark cocoa powder. Drizzle it on top of the frozen bananas, and voila:

It’s a dessert or afternoon treat to rival the best sundaes and scoops out there. Think about it: dairy and soy and preservative free ice cream! Who could ask for anything more? So what are you waiting for? Stop reading, and start freezing those bananas you’ve got sitting on the counter.

This recipe was submitted by Gena Hamshaw is a nutritional counselor with an emphasis on raw foods, digestive health, and detoxification. Based in Manhattan, she works with men and women around the country to find lasting means towards better health. She is also the author of the popular blog, Choosing Raw, where she shares recipes, tips, and musings on the raw lifestyle. Among her favorite recipes is the uber-simple raw banana soft-serve, which can be found here: http://www.choosingraw.com/this-post-will-change-your-life/.

If you have a fabulous raw food recipe, visit our submissions page for how to submit it to our site.

A Brief Introduction:

Haven’t you always wondered why athletes always prefer bananas before or after a workout, or why if a runner gets a leg cramp, they eat a banana? What is up with this prepacked on the go fruit? Bananas are creamy, bright yellow, and full of nutrients. Bananas generally fall into two categories, the sweet banana (most common) and the plantain banana (often found in several Caribbean and vegan dishes).

Nutritional Value:

• Bananas contain about 20% daily value of vitamin B6
• Bananas are also a good source of vitamin C (about 15% daily value)
• 11% of your daily value of potassium comes from just 1 banana (that’s about 400mg)
• You can get 4 grams of fiber from one banana
• A banana has 467 mg of magnesium
• They are only 110 calories (wow that’s nothing!)
• Bananas contain plenty of carbohydrates, which are the body’s main source of energy.

Health Benefits:

• The potassium found in bananas helps to regulate blood pressure and may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Potassium also helps normalize the heart beat and regulate the body’s water balance. During periods of high stress (like when you are doing 5 different things and have a 3 0′clock deadline in the office) our body’s potassium levels tend to be depleted. Bananas are a great way to restore those levels naturally.
• Potassium is also essential for helping muscles to contract properly during exercise and reduces cramping up (oh, that’s why athletes prefer them!)
• Bananas are rich in Vitamin B6. Lack of B6 in a diet can cause weakness, irritability and insomnia. B6 plays an important role in converting tryptophan into serotonin, and also helps the body make hemoglobin, a crucial ingredient of your blood. B6 is also essential for antibody production to maintain a healthy immune system.
• Bananas help improve your body’s ability to absorb calcium (which leads to healthy bones. YAY!). By suppressing calcium excretion in the urine bananas minimize the risk of kidney stones. They are rich in fructooligosaccharide, a prebiotic that nourishes the probiotic (good) bacteria in the colon. These probiotics produce vitamins and digestive enzymes that improve our body’s ability to absorb nutrients, plus compounds that protect us against unfriendly microorganisms.

How to Select and Ripen Bananas:

When you go to the grocery store you usually see bananas that are going through the various stages of ripening right there on the shelf. Bananas are picked when they are green. The sizes vary so pick according to how much you can eat. Although the yellow ones look most appealing if you want to eat them right away, if you are buying for the week you might want to consider picking up the green ones instead. Bananas that are more green in color will take longer to ripen.

To ripen your bananas, simply place them at room temperature on a counter top and let nature take it’s course (for lack of a better way to say it). Can’t wait? Use a brown paper bag to speed up the ripening process. Bananas are fully ripened when they are yellow (brown spotted bananas are often used for baking). As bananas ripen, they will taste sweeter because the starch in the fruit turns to sugar. For the most antioxidants, you should eat the fruit completely ripened.

Tips For Getting More Bananas In Your Diet:

• Okay this is complicated but try to follow, pick one up, peel it, and eat it. It really is that easy. Bananas are perfect for on the go snacks. Don’t peel them until you are ready to eat them or else they will go brown. Remember the peel is not edible so don’t get too adventurous.
• Bananas are an excellent ingredient in just about any smoothie. Adds the smooth texture and light creamy flavor without the dairy.