S’mores Banana Ice Cream

Have you ever tried the trick of making ice cream out of frozen bananas?  I’ve got to admit that it’s a pretty good one.  You take a frozen banana and pulverize the heck out if it in the food processor.  You end up with a sweet bowl of soft-serve-like consistency “ice cream” that you can feel pretty virtuous about as you eat it.  Still, I can’t pretend it’s a perfect stand-in for the real thing.  I mean, my tastebuds are just never going to believe that a banana = cream + sugar.  There is just no way.  And so after my first few shots at making banana ice cream, I decided that it wasn’t going to cut it.  Sure, it’s a great party trick (depending on the kinds of parties you go to?) but it’s not going to stop me from wanting the real thing.

Recently, though, I was inspired to give it another try when I (re)discovered a fantastic idea that was posted on The Wannabe Chef’s website last summer.  S’mores Banana Ice Cream.  Bingo.  The “ice cream” portion is made of banana and cocoa powder and it provides a lovely base for the real stars of the show, lightly toasted marshmallows and graham crackers.  I loved it.  I’m playing around with the idea of introducing some fat into the equation by blending coconut oil into the ice cream.  I haven’t tried it yet but I have a hunch that it could be what many banana soft serve recipes are missing.

Has anyone else found an incredible flavor combination to use with this technique?  If so, I’d love to hear about it!

S’mores Banana Ice Cream
serves 1

Ingredients
– 1 frozen banana
– 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
– 1 Tbsp milk of choice (I used coconut)
– a handful of marshmallows
– graham crackers
– Optional: You could add a sweetener such as maple syrup or agave, especially if your banana was not incredibly ripe when you froze it.

In a food processor, pulse the banana, cocoa powder, and milk together (and sweetener, if using) until smooth.  You may need to scrape down the sides a few times.  Scoop into a bowl and set aside.

Broil marshmallows in the oven for just a few minutes, until soft and golden.  Sprinkle on top of the ice cream and garnish with a graham cracker square.