So I hate to be the one to break it to you, but if you've never eaten a frozen banana, you've been missing out on one of the best joys of life! Okay, maybe that's exaggerating a bit, but for someone like me whose dairy-free, frozen bananas closely mimic the sweet, rich, creamy and cold texture of ice cream which I once knew and loved. So, years ago when I first tried out the Paleo way of eating (which I no longer practice, but have adapted most of their recipes and habits into my everyday life), it was summertime and I made my first Banana Nice Cream, which is basically a dairy-free version of ice cream using bananas as your base. Dairy. Free. Ice. Cream. Was it possible? YES! This beautifully rich and creamy "nice cream" is made from two simple base ingredients: frozen bananas and whole beets.

I've since gotten creative with my concoctions... some delicious, others I can do without. But I know my recipes are a success when I gather my friends to taste-test and hear their opinions. Since my taste buds may be biased from so many years of eating clean, I find it best to get an outsiders opinion. So, I found some of my "unhealthy" friends to try out this ice cream (without them knowing it wasn't dairy free OR made with bananas) and they raved about it. When I told them what was inside, they were shocked! You can be creative and add your own twist on the recipe with additions either blended with the recipe, or swirled in after. Feel free to be creative!

Some add-ons:

Grab yourself a quality blender or food processor and whip this up in no time. If you and your friends don't end up eating the entire batch out of the pitcher, this freezes really well in containers, too. You can thaw it out a bit after freezing to get that wonderful soft-serve consistency.

So, let's talk preparation.

Before you get too excited, be sure to have already peeled and frozen bananas to make this recipe. The riper the banana, the sweeter this nice cream will come out. Always peel your bananas before you freeze. I keep a container or baggie in the freezer where I store all of my ripened bananas that I don't wish to eat (you know, the brown, spotty ones) and cut them in half or in quarters before I freeze them.

How to prepare beets:

So, if you have a really, REALLY strong blender - such as my Ninja IQ or Vitamix – then your beets can be blended raw, maybe after a bit of prep chopping. For the majority of blenders out there, I recommend to cook your beets (if you purchased them raw).

First, start by cutting off the tops. If you prefer, peel the skins off, otherwise be sure to scrub them vigorously. They are a root vegetable and there is bound to be some dirt, amongst other things, on them. This step is then also a recommendation for when you will be using them raw.

Second, cut your beets up into 1 to 2 inch squares. Now at this point you can either choose to:

A sucker for convenience, I'm guilty of already purchasing the Gefen Organic Red Beets which are whole, peeled, cooked, vacuum packed and ready to eat! Note that raw beets have a bit more nutrients to them (and also will be bolder in color), but for the sake of time and my digestive system (and also because I found them at Costco) this is what I used.

Regarding the canned coconut milk, watch the brand and ingredients inside! As always, I suggest you read the list of ingredients on anything you purchase that is in a package, container, can, bottle, etc. This is because there are sometimes many hidden ingredients, gums, stabilizers, thickeners, etc. inside products which you'd want to avoid. My favorite brands for canned coconut milk would be the canned Trader Joe's Reduced Fat Organic Coconut Milk, Natural Value Lite Coconut milk or Thrive Market's Organic Lite Coconut Milk which are all in BPA-free cans.

These products are great because they are the most natural, but you need to know that pure, real coconut oil/fat will harden and separate at room temperature and below. Unlike other brands, this one does not use a stabilizer or a emulsifier to keep the fats from separating, so you have to mix them back up before using it. Do this by pouring in a closed container and shake well, or alternatively you can pour into your blender pitcher before the other ingredients are added, then measure the amount needed for this recipe. The purpose of the coconut milk is just to add enough liquid to the ingredients for them to blend smooth and creamy.

Now, back to the dessert. Let's talk health benefits so you can gloat to your friends how healthy this tasty treat is!

Some Benefits of Beets:

Some Benefits of Bananas:

Now, onto the recipe!