Banana Cherry Chocolate Chunk Vegan Ice Cream Recipe

• 2 medium organic bananas, cut into quarter to half-inch slices and frozen
• 1 ½ cups of organic cherries, pitted and frozen
• Splash of unsweetened organic coconut milk, almond milk, or other non-dairy milk (hemp milk is great choice)
• ¼ cup of organic dark chocolate chunks, cacao nibs, or raw chocolate chips

Directions

1. Add banana slices, 1 cup cherries, and a splash of the non-dairy milk to the blender or food processor.
2. Blend until creamy, it should be a nice and even pink color.
3. Scrape unblended ingredients down the sides as needed. You may need to add another splash of non-dairy milk to reach the desired consistency.
4. Add in chocolate and remaining 1/2 cup cherries, pulse until combined.
5. Freeze until solid, about 6 hours.
6. Before serving, top with shaved dark chocolate, cacao nibs, raw chocolate chips, or your extra chocolate dust from earlier.

Health Benefits of Cherries, Chocolate, and Bananas

Not that you need an excuse to eat more cherries, but these stone fruits are powerful superfoods. Buy tart cherries when you can, they have higher levels of vitamin A, B, C, E, K, beta-carotene, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids than sweet cherries.^{[1, 2]}

Cherries might also help you get a better night’s rest, as cherries have the highest known level of melatonin of any food.^[3] People have reported experiencing more restful sleep when they drink cherry juice concentrate.^[2] The particularly high concentration of phytonutrients and antioxidants in cherries make them ideal for muscle recovery after intense exercise.^[2]

Dark chocolate offers many health benefits and several studies published in the last two years have found it may even support brain health. Consuming the flavonoids in dark chocolate seems to have a positive influence on working memory, abstract reasoning, visual-spatial memory, and other measures of cognitive performance.^[4] A daily serving of cocoa flavanols may also sustain brain function in older adults. In one study, the subjects displayed clear improvements in executive function and semantic memory.^[5]

Bananas are a wonderful snack for everyone, but they’re especially beneficial for young children. Daily consumption of bananas (and apple juice) correlates with a lower incidence of asthma in children under the age of five.^[6] Bananas are a good source of potassium and a diet rich in potassium is associated with a lower risk of dying from ischemic heart disease, developing cardiovascular disease, and having a stroke. Preservation of bone density and kidney stone reduction are a few other perks of a high potassium diet.^[7]

I hope you enjoy this guilt-free indulgence! It’s delicious and the health benefits are a sweet bonus! Try it and let us know what you think!

References

1. “Tart Cherries: Summary of Current Scientific Literature.” N.p.: National University of Natural Medicine, 2011. Web. 26 July 2016.
2. Pigeon, Wilfred R., et al. “Effects of a Tart Cherry Juice Beverage on the Sleep of Older Adults with Insomnia: A Pilot Study.” Journal of Medicinal Food 13.3 (2010): n.pag. Web. 26 July 2016.
3. Krasovskaya, Valeriya, et al. Antioxidant Properties of Berries: Review of Human Studies and Their Relevance in the Context of the European Food Safety Authority. Amsterdam: n.p., 2012. 26 July 2016.
4. Crichton, Georgina E., Merrill F. Elias, and Ala’a Alkerwi. “Chocolate Intake Is Associated with Better Cognitive Function: The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study.” Appetite 100. (2016): 126–132. Web. 27 July 2016.
5. Alonso-Alonso, Miguel. “Cocoa Flavanols and Cognition: Regaining Chocolate in Old Age?” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 101.3 (2015): 423–424. Web. 27 July 2016.
6. Okoko, B J, et al. “Childhood Asthma and Fruit Consumption.” Original Articles: Allergy and asthma: from child to adulthood 29.6 (2007): 1161–1168. Web. 27 July 2016.
7. LD, Megan Ware RDN. “Bananas: Health Benefits, Facts, Research.” Medical News Today. Medical News Today, 11 Jan. 2016. Web. 27 July 2016.