The weather is heating up here in Trieste… a lot! The sun is burning hot and more and more people escape to the beach in the weekends, including me. Living in Italy has definitely its pros when it comes to summer’s superstar, ice- cream! Around the city you can find gelaterie offering delicious, fresh gelato, but making things at home has a flavor of its own!

That’s why I was so happy when I found this 3- ingredient Banana and Matcha Tea Ice- Cream  on the Free People’s BLDG25 Blog. It literally contains  3 ingredients and there is no need of an ice- cream maker. This ice-cream is naturally vegan and the sweetness of banana makes any extra sweeteners unnecessary!  Moreover, it’s really quick and easy to make which means that the recipe is perfect for me :)

3-Ingredient Banana Matcha Ice Cream Recipe

serves 2         

3 bananas, peeled, sliced and frozen overnight

3 tablespoons full fat coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)

1 tablespoon matcha powder (unsweetened, cooking grade)

Optional:

Maple syrup, honey or other sweetener, as necessary

Dried nuts or fruit

Dark or white chocolate chips or raw cacao nibs

Preparation:

DO AHEAD: Start with ripe bananas that are soft and sweet, these make for the best ice cream. Slice the bananas, place into a freezer-safe bowl, container or bag. Freeze for a few hours, but preferably overnight.

Just before making the ice cream, add the coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk) to a small bowl and add the matcha powder. Whisk well to fully combined, it will form a paste.

Remove the bananas from the freezer and place into a food processor or high speed blender. Pulse a few times to break down the bananas into smaller pieces.

Then, add the matcha paste and continue blending the banana. It will be crumbly at first, then will begin to mush up a bit. The longer it blends, it will start to get creamy and the texture will shift into a soft serve-style ice cream.

Add any optional ingredients here, by folding in. Taste the mixture and add sweetener if necessary, the need for this is both personal preference and it will depend on the sweetness of your bananas.

You can eat the ice cream right away as soft serve or place into an air-tight, freezer-safe container and freeze until solid, then scoop like traditional ice cream.

Enjoy!

 

Image and content source: 3 Ingredient Banana Matcha Tea Ice Cream http://blog.freepeople.com/2015/07/3ingredient-banana-matcha-tea-ice-cream/#ixzz3f7cb0Rue