Pistachio Banana Ice Cream

Ice cream is the worst for lactose intolerance.  Because of this, I had come to resent ice cream's siren song of deliciousness and to look upon every frozen dessert with an eye of suspicion.  But recently I ventured back into the world of frozen desserts to try frozen bananas.  The verdict?  Frozen bananas are a decidedly non-evil ice cream substitute.


As if accommodating my weird dietary restrictions wasn't enough, bananas are also loaded with good nutrients for runners.  Huzzah!

I followed this recipe for two ingredient ice cream but substituted the 2 tablespoons of peanut butter with 1/4 cup pistachios ground in a food processor.  A few observations.  The flavor of your bananas will be the flavor of your ice cream.  I kind of like the chalky tangy flavor of under-ripe bananas, but to simulate an ice cream flavor, ripe bananas (with brown spots) work better.  After pureeing your bananas, you can put the ice cream back in the freezer for a firm ice cream.  However if you freeze it for too long, it can become too hard to scoop. If this happens, just pop it in the refrigerator for a bit until it has softened.

Flavor note:  Pistachios are a nutritious add in, but the flavor is mild.  The original version of this recipe calls for peanut butter and that tastes amazing.  I highly recommend starting with the original recipe if you've never tried it. I plan to experiment with different add ins throughout the summer.

Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1/4 batch ice cream
Calories	161
Fat	4g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	41mg
Carbohydrate	33g
Sugars	17g
Protein	2g