Frozen Banana Ice Cream

F-f-f-friday, people! Even if someone punched me in the face right now, I'd still be riding the euphoric buzz I've got on from the knowledge that the weekend is just barely out of reach. Sometimes I think it's kind of sad that I just work for the weekend but you know what? Contrast is important. You've got to have some lows to really appreciate the highs. You know what I mean?

To celebrate this momentous occasion (what occasion? That it's Friday), I've got a delicious frozen treat for you today. It's frozen banana ice cream, if you couldn't tell by the post title and the glaring photo below, doy. Frozen banana ice cream has been around for a few years now. It's great and popular because it's healthier than regular ice cream and it's much easier to make. And if you don't have an ice cream maker but you do have a food processor, it's perfect. I've never been the biggest fan because I don't care much for the taste of banana. However, the banana flavor can be covered a little with some stronger flavors. I'm sharing a few of those today, as well as my technique for making banana ice cream.

Ingredients [yields 1 pint]:
3 bananas
¼ cup milk

+ candied bacon
+ cocoa powder
+ sweetened coconut flakes
+ sprinkles
+ chocolate chips
+ vanilla extract

All you've got to do to make this ice cream is grab a bunch of bananas and freeze them. If you've got a super powerful food processor, you can cut them into big chunks. But, if you've got a normal, on the dinkier side, smaller food processor, you can proceed the way I did. Slice off the seed end, peel off the skin, slice the banana into coins, and freeze them for at least 4 hours, overnight if you have the time. I like to put them in a single layer on a big sheet pan. I made four batches so I used two bunches of bananas.

Here's what the bananas look like after they're frozen.

Let the bananas defrost for about 5 minutes before plopping them into a food processor with a splash of milk. Pulse until smooth and creamy.

Plop the ice cream into a freezer-safe container and keep in the freezer for 2 hours until firm and scoopable.

Since banana and bacon has become somewhat of a popular combination, I thought candied bacon would be a delicious addition to this banana ice cream.

To make candied bacon, all you have to do is place bacon onto a sheet pan (use a little parchment for easy clean up) and sprinkle each piece with brown sugar. Bake in a 350F oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the sugar has caramelized and the bacon is crispy.

To make candied banana ice cream, add about one tablespoon of cooled bacon fat, a splash of milk, and crumbled candied bacon to the bananas and pulse until creamy. I feel like this would make a delicious breakfast in the summer. Am I wrong?

To make chocolate candied bacon ice cream, add a splash of milk, one tablespoon cooled bacon fat, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, a little vanilla extract, and the crumbled candied bacon.

The last flavor I'm sharing is funfetti. To make this one, add a little vanilla extract, shredded sweetened coconut, sprinkles, and chocolate chips to the blended bananas. Give the whole thing a few more whizzes - just enough to mix stuff around, not long enough to chop up the chips and turn the whole thing a weird shade of purply grey - and shove it into the freezer before diving in.

This stuff scoops just like regular ice cream and tastes almost as yummy. I think my jazzed up versions tone down the banana flavor enough that I'm able to happily enjoy this, despite my dislike for 'nanas.

I mean, what's not to like? It's creamy, cool and refreshing, sweet, and it's the type of dessert that won't make you feel overly guilty. So, if you're like me and you're headed to Miami soon - or anywhere else full of svelte, sexy beauties - then skip the bad-for-you desserts and go for this stuff. It's really not a bad trade off; trust me.

Here's the recipe page: