Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
I don't like ice creams that contain lots of cream, egg yolks or egg whites and are so fatty that when the ice cream melts in your mouth, it leaves a fatty layer inside it. Yuk, not my cup of tea (or should we say ice cream!). I never use full fat cream in any of my recipes, ever. The only times I might make an exception is when I make pancakes and serve whipped cream for some of my guests that don't like soy cream. Whipped cream needs the fat to expand which is why it is hard to compromise. I sometimes, on special occasions use single cream (12-15% fat) or oat cream to make soups richer and I always team it with skimmed milk to dilute the fat content. Dairy is particularly bad for your heart, especially dairy with high fat content because most of it is saturated fat, which means it clogs your arteries. This ice cream is a special treat I usually make at Christmas since I normally don't use dairy that much. My husband however loves dairy (don't worry, he is very fit) which is why I sometimes make this ice cream. Note that you can use soy cream or oat cream instead of the single cream. You can use any flavour you like in the ice cream. For instance you might want to use vanilla pods, orange flavoured chocolate (organic), orange essence (from a health food store) and more. I have also made this ice cream with fresh cherries which was delicious. This ice cream recipe is nut free, egg free and gluten free and it is easy to make the ice cream lactose free and vegan.

Lovely ice cream, suitable for every occasion
This recipe is:
- Egg free
- Gluten free
- Nut free
This recipe is easy to make:
- Lactose (dairy) free
- Vegan
Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 50 grams (1½ oz) dark, organic chocolate with raw cane sugar, chopped very finely
- 2 very ripe bananas, peeled and chopped finely
- 200 millilitres (7 fluid oz) single cream (you can also use oat cream or soy cream). Note that you do not need to whip the cream
- 150 millilitres (5 fluid oz) skimmed milk (you can also use almond milk or soy milk)
- 90 millilitres (3 fluid oz) agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (from a health food store)
Preparation
- Chop the 50 grams chocolate finely (or mix in a food processor for 5 seconds).
- Peel and chop the 2 bananas finely.
- In a large bowl, combine the 2 bananas, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 90 millilitres agave nectar, 200 millilitres single cream and 150 millilitres skimmed milk.
- Add the chocolate.
- 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 the freezer and freeze until needed.
- 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
- You can use maple syrup instead of the agave nectar.
- You can use raisins or chopped dates instead of the chocolate.
- You can use carob instead of the chocolate.
- You can use milk chocolate instead of the dark chocolate.
- You can use almond milk, soy milk, rice milk or oat milk instead of the skimmed milk.
- You can use oat cream or soy cream instead of the single cream.
- There is no need to whip the cream in this recipe.