A couple of weeks into your 30 Days of Real Food and your sweet cravings are ridiculous. I’m not saying to go hog wild on paleo sweets, especially if you feel like you’re addicted to sugar, but for those of us who want the occasional compliant dessert on a hot day…

Banana “ice cream” isn’t really ice cream at all, but that’s a technicality. I’m just using the quotation marks this one time. you know what I mean when I say “ice cream,” right?

Note that you have to think ahead with this one. Buy the bananas, slice them up, and freeze them in a zipper bag. Use a big bag so you can spread the banana rings out in a single layer before they freeze, so you can separate them, later.

Now, on to the ice cream…

Coconut Milk Banana Ice Cream

Serves 2

2 bananas (previously sliced into rings and frozen in a zipper bag)

.5 oz unsweetened, shredded coconut (optional)

.25 cup coconut milk

Pour all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until it’s creamy. If necessary, drizzle a tiny bit more milk to get to the desired consistency.. It will never be totally smooth because of the shredded coconut. If you do want it super smooth, just use the coconut milk, and skip the coconut shreds.

Garnish with a few reserved coconut shreds, if desired.

Toasted Coconut Banana Ice Cream

Basically the same as above, but the toasted coconut is extra tasty, but you might not like the way it looks, you choose.

Serves 2

.5 oz unsweetened, shredded coconut

2 bananas (previously sliced into rings and frozen in a zipper bag)

.25 cup coconut milk

Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coconut shreds and shake and stir until they are lightly toasted. Set in a bowl to cool.

Reserve some of the toasted shreds, but otherwise pour all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until it’s creamy. If necessary, drizzle a tiny bit more milk to get to the desired consistency.. It will never be totally smooth because of the shredded coconut.

Garnish with a few reserved coconut shreds.

Piña Colada Banana Ice Cream

I know, there are no bananas in a piña colada, and there’s supposed to be rum. Whatever…

Serves 2

2 bananas (Previously sliced into rings and frozen in a zipper bag)
.5 oz unsweetened, shredded coconut
.25 cup pineapple chunks, drained (Use unsweetened, fresh, in juice, etc. Like, don’t use the syrup ones)
.25 cup coconut milk (or less if the pineapple is good and juicy)

Pour the first three ingredients, along with half of the coconut milk, in a food processor or blender and blend until it’s creamy. If necessary, drizzle a tiny bit more of the coconut milk to get to the desired consistency.. It will never be totally smooth because of the shredded coconut.

Garnish with a wedge of pineapple or one of those tiny umbrellas.

Easy

The possibilities seem endless. Swap out the coconut milk for some other type of milk, throw in some berries, cacao nibs, cocoa powder.

Mix it up, and let us know what you discover!

Roland