Cashew and Banana Ice Cream

11. March, 2009

How often can you eat ice cream without worrying about clogging your veins? This ice cream is actually very good for your heart since approximately 75% of the cashew nut's fat is unsaturated fatty acids, and about 75% of those fatty acid content is oleic acid, the same monounsaturated fat found in olive oil and which is so good for your heart. The bananas are one of the best sources of potassium available, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. So you see...this is a very heart healthy ice cream! It is also egg free, lactose free, gluten free and vegan.

You will not need an ice cream maker to make this ice cream, you will however need a food processor.

You don't need to soak the cashew nuts before blending them although soaking them gives a smoother texture. Soak for 8-24 hours if preferred.

Note that you will need to soak the dates in the soy milk for one hour before blending.

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A delightful ice cream which will not clog any arteries!

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This recipe is:

Egg free
Lactose (dairy) free
Vegan

Cashew and Banana Ice Cream

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

125 grams (4¼ oz) cashew nuts, very finely ground
100 grams (3 oz) pitted dates, chopped coarsely
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 large bananas, very ripe
2 tablespoons agave nectar (if the soy milk is unsweetened)
250 millilitres (8½ fluid oz) soy milk (or any other milk you prefer)
250 millilitres (8½ fluid oz) oat cream (or soy cream or other cream you prefer)

Preparation

First, place the 125 grams cashew nuts in a food processor and blend for 1 minute or until there are no large pieces left.
Add 2 tablespoons coconut oil and blend for a further 30 seconds.
Chop the 100 grams pitted dates coarsely.
Pour the 250 millilitres soy milk and the 2 tablespoons agave nectar in a medium bowl and add the dates. Allow to soak for one hour.
Chop the 2 bananas coarsely and add to the food processor. Blend for 10 seconds.
You might need to scrape down the insides of the food processor.
Add the dates, soy milk and 250 millilitres oat cream and blend for 10 seconds or until the mixture becomes light and frothy.
If using an ice cream maker: Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze-churn for about 30 minutes, until it has the consistency of soft-scoop ice cream. Transfer to a freezer.
If you do not have an ice cream maker: Pour the ice cream mixture into a polythene freezer box and freeze for about 2 hours. Whisk thoroughly to break up the ice crystals (or use a food processor or blender). Re-freeze and repeat the process after 2-3 hours until it becomes difficult to stir the ice cream. Return the ice cream to the freezer box and freeze until needed. Transfer to the fridge 1 hour before serving.

Tips

If the coconut oil is cold (in which case it becomes solid), place the jar in a bowl filled with hot water for a couple of minutes.
You can use honey or maple syrup instead of the agave nectar.
If you are gluten intolerant you can use soy cream instead of the oat cream. You can also use regular cream or soy cream instead of the oat cream.
You can use almond milk, rice milk or normal milk instead of the soy milk.
You can use macadamia nuts instead of cashew nuts.