Chocolate Banana Soft Serve

Listen to me closely: I do not think fruit is dessert.  Ice cream?  Ice cream is dessert.  Chocolate is definitely dessert.  These long-held beliefs have gotten me through a whole lotta life.

But something has shaken my convictions.  Shaken them to the core, people. 

I discovered that frozen bananas can become ice cream.  I'm talking ice cream that tastes super good and is healthy.  It's confusing, but delicious.  Stay with me now.

You know those overripe bananas languishing on the counter?  Stick 'em in the freezer.  You know what we're not doing?  We're not making banana bread.  Once you try making your own soft serve, your bananas won't last long enough to become banana bread.

When they're good and frozen, grab those bananas. Soft serve, here we come.

Lop off the ends, then cut each banana in half.

Cut the pieces in half again, this time the long way, so you have long strips of banana.

Peel the bananas, then cut them up into chunks.

Measure some milk. For 4 medium-sized bananas, I used 1/2 cup. 

Mix 1 tablespoon of dutch cocoa with 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Transfer all ingredients to a food processor.  If you don't have a food processor, use your blender.

Blend until smooth, then scrape with a spatula and blend a little more.  This will take a couple of minutes, and you may start to doubt me at first.  Do not doubt.

When your soft serve is done, it'll look like this, and your baby won't be able to keep her mitts out of it. (don't worry- no fingers were actually in danger)

Spoon your chocolate banana soft serve into bowls.  Enjoy!  If you're not eating it right away, simply store it in the freezer and microwave defrost on low for 30-60 seconds before eating.

So it turns out bananas are good character actors, because they're incredibly convincing as ice cream.  Are you freaked out?  I am, a little bit.  Fruit is bona fide dessert.  Weird. 

More Soft Serve?

I'm stuck on chocolate, but you could easily go in just about any direction with your new friend, the frozen banana.  Here are some ideas for variations:

- Monkey Special: With or without cocoa, add peanut butter, then sprinkle with chopped peanuts

- Totally Berried: Omit cocoa and sugar, add frozen berries and top with toasted coconut (may need to decrease milk)

- Cinnamon Shug: Omit cocoa and sugar, add vanilla extract and dust with cinnamon

- Sundaes: Add frozen cherries and top with chopped chocolate, nuts, whipped cream and a maraschino cherry

- Jamaican Twist: With or without cocoa, decrease milk, add rum and top with whipped cream or a drizzle of half-and-half

- Frozen Banana Pudding: Omit cocoa and sugar, stir in chunks of Nilla wafers