Summer isn’t the only excuse to enjoy ice cream…

Cravings are a valid reason too!!

I’ve been craving caramel-flavoured ice cream, but not the overly sweet ones. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy my sugary treats. But it’s nice to have a bowl without loads of refined sugars. Something without the head rush or sugar crash.

Enter Banana Dates Ice Cream!

It’s dairy-free, whole-food plant-based, and they’re vegan. A healthy treat with 5 nutritious ingredients!!

About The Recipe

This luscious vegan ice cream is naturally sweetened with dates.

Yes, dates!

While it’s not exactly ‘caramel’, they add a hint of browned sweetness to the ice cream.

Although there’s tons of sweetness from the bananas, and they alone make a great 1-ingredient nice cream, I wanted to add more nutritious ingredients to mine. With fibre, omega 3, and some protein. So in here there’s some almonds, ground flaxseed meal, and protein powder. To balance out those nutty flavours, I added some more sweetness using my Date Paste.

Date Paste Video

Here’s a quick clip for how to make it:

To make the date paste, simply blend softened Medjool dates in a high speed blender, or a food processor. I recommend soaking the dates first in hot water then draining, before blending. See the full recipe here for more details.

How to Make Sorbet

It’s as simple as blending the frozen bananas, mixing in the date paste, and finishing off with nuts, seeds, and protein powder. Enjoy it immediately, or freeze for a thicker texture. Serve with a drizzle of chocolate, and more nuts if you like!

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Watch this video recipe to make some:

Food Processor

Attach the dough blade to the food processor, and add the frozen bananas. Pulse a few times to break them down, then process on low until it’s smooth and creamy – about 10-15 minutes.

Add the date paste, and process on low for a minute to combine. Then add in the almonds, flaxseed meal, and protein powder.

Blend again for a minute or two until everything is well combined. There should be little bits of dates in the mixture.

Freezing

Remove the blade. Scoop out the nice cream into a loaf pan. Using a spatula, mix it up in the loaf pan to spread out the mixture. You can enjoy as is, or freeze for up to 6 hours for a thicker texture.

Serving & Storing

Let it thaw for a few minutes before serving. Serve as is, on top of galettes or pies, or drizzle with some melted chocolate chips – See Notes (3). You can also add other toppings: almonds/dates/etc. Store the ice cream in an air-tight container to freeze for later.

Who wants a scoop?

It’s a refreshing creamy treat, with sweet and nutty flavours!

It’s a fun snack for the kids, or adults – because we like ice cream too! It’s healthy and nutritious. Can be served on its own, or as a side treat to other fancy desserts. Like galettes and pies!

Or just drizzle some chocolate syrup and dig in!!

Banana Dates Sorbet Recipe

If you have any questions about this recipe, or gave it a try, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Remember to rate the recipe with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This will help us sustain Plant Based Arab.

Snap a photo of your dish, and tag us on Instagram @PlantBasedArab, so we can see and share your remake!

Banana Dates Ice Cream | Dairy-Free

Recipe by Waseem HijaziCourse: Dessert, Treats, SnacksCuisine: Vegan, Plant-based, Dairy-Free, WFPBDifficulty: Easy, Beginner

Servings

20

scoops

Prep time

15

minutes

Freezing Time

6

minutes

Summer isn’t the only excuse to have ice cream, so make this whole-food plant-based, naturally sweetened ice cream, and enjoy a refreshing treat! Made with 5 nutritious ingredients. This Banana Dates Ice Cream is dairy-free, and free from refined sugar. With a bit of protein for an extra boost. Let’s make some ice cream!

Equipment:
– CuisinArt Food processor
– Baking Bread Pan

Ingredients

• 5 frozen ripe bananas, halved prior to freezing

• 4 tbsp date paste – See Notes (1)

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed meal – Bob’s Red Mill

• 1 scoop [22g] vanilla protein powder (optional)

Directions

• Attach the dough blade to the food processor, and add the frozen bananas. Pulse a few times to break them down, then process on low until it’s smooth and creamy – about 10-15 minutes.
• Add the date paste, and process on low for a minute to combine.
• Add in the almonds, flaxseed meal, and protein powder. Blend again for a minute or two until everything is well combined. There should be little bits of dates in the mixture.
• Remove the blade. Scoop out the nice cream into a loaf pan. Using a spatula, mix it up in the loaf pan to spread out the mixture.
• You can enjoy as is, or freeze for up to 6 hours for a thicker texture. Let it thaw for a few minutes before serving. Then store in an air-tight container to freeze for later.

Recipe Video

Notes

• (1) Date Paste: to make the date paste, simply blend softened Medjool dates in a high speed blender, or a food processor. I recommend soaking the dates in hot water then draining first, before blending. Check the blog post above for more details.
• (2) Optional ingredients: I used the date paste in this recipe to sweeten the ice cream. Although there’s enough sweetness from the bananas, the date paste balances out the nutty flavours from the almonds, flaxseeds, and protein powder. However, these are optional. You can go for just the bananas as the only ingredient for this recipe. Just blend them up!
• (3) Melted Chocolate: in a small bowl, mix together 3 tbsp of vegan chocolate chips with 1/4 tsp coconut oil. Microwave for 1 minute to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring and checking at every 30 seconds. Alternatively, fill a small pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the chocolate bowl on top (no oil needed), without touching the water. Keep on heat for a few minutes until melted.

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