Carrot cake in soft serve form! This is a delicious, banana-based frozen dessert (say it with me: no ice cream machine required!) that was inspired by its cakey cousin. Many of the spices – vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice – are similar to those used in carrot cake, giving this ice cream a taste reminiscent of carrot cake, bananas be damned. And the grated carrots? They just seal the deal.
Bonus points: no baking necessary. Perfect for summer!
(Makes just under one quart of ice cream.)
Ingredients
3-4 overripe bananas, peeled, sliced and frozen
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
a dash of allspice
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated carrots
1/4 to 1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
sugar to taste (optional)
a splash of non-dairy milk or creamer, if neededDirections
1. Put the bananas in the food processor and pulse until smoothly blended. Most likely you’ll need to stir them by hand several times, as the frozen chunks tend to gather and become “stuck” on one side of the bowl. If necessary, add a splash of non-dairy milk or creamer to get things moving!
2. If the bananas aren’t sweet enough for your taste (sometimes this happens if you freeze them before they’re sufficiently ripe), add a bit of sugar to taste. Any sugar works fine – white, brown, etc. – but I find that powdered sugar results in a smoother blend.
3. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, carrots, walnuts, and raisins and process until blended. Sample the batter and add extra spices, carrots, nuts, and/or raisins to taste.
4. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container. Enjoy immediately as soft serve, or pop the ice cream in the freezer for an hour+ for a firmer dessert. Store any leftovers in the freezer in an airtight container. If the frozen banana ice cream proves too hard to scoop, microwave it for ten seconds to help loosen it up (or let the container sit on the counter for ten to thirty minutes prior to eating, depending on room temp).
