A healthy vanilla ice cream recipe that is low in calories, high in protein and a terrific post workout snack! Make it without an ice cream churn, or churn it for texture, it’s your choice. Dairy-free, gluten-free and free of refined sugar.
Healthy Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
Ice cream can be made so healthy. And when it’s also easy to make – as in no need to churn – well, that’s just a dream come true. So, prepare to have your dreams come true.
I chose to make a vanilla ice cream that would be nutritious enough to eat after a draining workout.
A Healthy Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe Perfect As Workout Snack
During a workout, you burn a lot of carbohydrates. So after a workout, you need to replenish those. And you need protein to help repair and recover.
Experts say you should eat your workout snack 20 minutes after, the optimum time for the body to be rested enough and able to absorb nutrients.
So I make this ice cream basically the night before and keep it stocked in individual portions so it will soften faster when my workout is over.
Why is this particular recipe perfect for a workout snack? Because it contains the fiber and protein needed for the body to repair and recover. And it contains a few other benefits. Take a look!
Anatomy of a Healthy Ice Cream Recipe
The anatomy of a healthy ice cream starts with finding a healthy base to provide the ice cream texture.
There is an easy solution that is pretty common these days. And that is to use frozen bananas as an ice cream base.
Frozen bananas don’t taste banana-y. Okay maybe slightly. Some people report they taste a hint of banana; others say nada. Just in case, I add cinnamon and vanilla to cover any slight trace of banana flavor.
I also use bananas because of their nutritional contribution. They are high in potassium, something you loose in buckets in a workout. And fiber.
Other Ingredients to Make Ice Cream Healthy
I also add coconut cream, because it contributes a creamy texture, very important if you are not using a churn. Coconuts contribute fiber, vitamins C, E, Bs as well as a good amount of iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous. Pretty useful post workout, wouldn’t you say?
As I said, I also added cinnamon to offset any banana or even coconut taste, but it is also useful to balance blood sugar. And the vanilla?
Well, how can we make vanilla ice cream without adding vanilla. I use a strong paste but you can use any version of vanilla you find convenient. I use a paste to be sure I can taste the vanilla; a vanilla extract will contribute less flavor.
And finally, I added a protein drink. I don’t normally, but I wanted to make this batch powerfully protein-y.
Adding the protein makes this healthy vanilla ice cream recipe an even more potent post-workout snack, but it’s not essential.
Here are two other recipes you might like, both ice cream and frozen workout snacks:
Homemade Blueberry Ice Cream
2-ingredient Strawberry Protein Pre-workout Bites
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Healthy Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 bananas frozen, chopped
- 1/2 cup protein drink (or substitute plant milk)
- 1/2 cup coconut cream Use only the solid portion in one can of full fat coconut milk.
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla paste (or extract but the flavor will be less pronounced)
Instructions
Prep
- Peel 4 bananas, chop into chunks, freeze on a cookie sheet overnight so they are not touching.
Make Ice Cream
- To make the ice cream, add all ice cream ingredients to blender, and blend until ultra creamy.
- If you want to churn it at this point for extra creamy texture, do so according to your ice cream maker's instructions.
- If you don't intend to churn, line a loaf pan with parchment, and spoon the mixture in.Freeze it covered for 30 minutes. Then chop it up, blend again, and return to the pan and freezer. Do this several more times or until you have the texture you want.
Nutrition
Dee Dine is founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a plant based recipe blog, and author of the recent cookbook, Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients . On this blog you’ll find incredibly easy recipes with hidden veggies for anyone wanting to eat healthier, regardless of diet. Dee has graduate degrees in biology, immunology and journalism. More about Dee Dine here.
Bianca Zapatka
Such a creamy and delicious icecream! This looks and sounds so good to me! Love the ingredients! Great recipe, Dee! 😊
Debbie
Bianca, so glad you like my ice cream! Thank you so much! Dee xx
Meg Levitt
What if you can’t use coconut? Allergy
Debbie
Meg, you can simply add another half of frozen banana. I only use the coconut cream for extra nutrition, but really bananas are enough to make superb healthy ice cream. Good luck! Dee xx