Banana Ice Cream Sundae
This dreamy banana ice cream sundae may look like an overly decadent treat, but it's actually made from 100% healthy ingredients, no refined sugar or dairy!
Sometimes, when it comes to dessert, I just want to go all out. Throw everything I know about healthy food out the window and dive into that hot fudge sundae without any care in the world. Knowing full well I could devour the entire thing in a matter of minutes.
But then the guilt kicks in and the voice inside your head starts telling you things like, “You're going to get fat if you eat that.” “You don't deserve dessert because you didn't work out today.” “You already had wine with dinner, you can't have both.” “You're going to feel bad about yourself if you eat that whole thing to yourself.”
And so you have two choices: either you go for it, regretting every bite and then beating yourself up afterward or you skip dessert completely.
I've been through this conversation with myself countless times. Often times, I do indulge and then I end up hating myself for it afterward. And you know what that type of mindset does? It makes food the enemy. It makes you think about food as something that you have to restrict. It makes you feel even worse about yourself and your body.
Is that really how we want to live our lives? Constantly worrying about what we're eating and feeling bad the moment we indulge in something that isn't “good for us”? I know I don't.
But it's a constant struggle and a daily practice. And the solution that I have come up with is to create indulgences that I can feel good about eating. They taste decadent, but I also know that they're filled with ingredients that are nourishing my body.
One of my favorites? This healthy banana ice cream sundae.
Everything that you love in a sundae without any of the junk. Really though, there's nothing bad in here!
The base is a simple vanilla bean banana ice cream which is just frozen bananas blended up with some vanilla bean powder. It has the same texture as creamy ice cream, but it's 100% fruit. No sugar, no dairy, no fat. Nothing but goodness.
Then it's time for toppings.
I went all out with this one to show you that you can still enjoy some of your favorite treats without compromising your health in the process. Here we have a coconut whipped cream, a chocolate magic shell, and a creamy peanut butter sauce. Again without any sugar or dairy.
I like to think of these flavors as the ultimate combo: chunky monkey! (which you already know I love from my Chunky Monkey Quinoa Breakfast Cookies)
The whipped cream, which is made from full-fat coconut milk, is the most decadent part of this recipe as it's fairly high in fat and calorically dense. But a little goes a long way. You'll be able to save the extras for the next time you make this banana ice cream sundae 😉
The other two sauces are super simple. For the chocolate sauce, you'll just need raw cacao powder and coconut oil, and the peanut butter sauce is just peanut butter and water.
You could use maple syrup to make things a little sweeter, but I ended up using monk fruit extract which is a zero-calorie, all-natural sweetener (kind of like stevia but without the additives).
So there we go. A dreamy ice cream sundae that you can actually feel good about eating.
It's a step in the right direction; building a healthy relationship with food will, in turn, help you build a healthy relationship with your body and your mind. No need for deprivation or guilt, an indulgence that you know isn't going do anything except make you feel awesome.
Your turn…
Have you struggled with the idea of “guilt” around your eating habits? I'd love for you to share your thoughts below! I know that personally, it's a constant struggle and one that I'm still trying to manage. And if this is a topic that you would like me to write more about, let me know. I think we could all benefit to talk more openly about it!
xo Alyssa
More Homemade Healthy Dessert Recipes:
- 4-Ingredient Mint Chip Banana Ice Cream
- No-Bake Key Lime Pie Bars
- Chocolate Banana Soft Serve with Quinoa
- Mini Raspberry No-Bake Cheesecake
- Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
Banana Ice Cream Sundae
Ingredients
- for the ice cream:
- 2 cups frozen bananas 2 large bananas
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder optional
- for the coconut whipped cream:
- 1 14.5 oz can full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight
- Dash of monk fruit extract or 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- for the chocolate sauce:
- 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 1 - 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil*
- Dash of monk fruit extract or 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- for the peanut butter sauce:
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 2 - 3 tablespoons water
- for the toppings:
- crushed banana chips
- crushed walnuts
- cacao nibs
- fresh berries
Instructions
- For the ice cream: add the frozen banana to a food processor. Process on high until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add vanilla and process until combined. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 30 - 60 minutes.
- For the coconut cream: remove the lid from the can then carefully scoop out the solid bit from the top into a bowl, leaving the coconut "water" in the bottom of the can. Using an electric mixer, beat the coconut cream until fluffy. Whip in the monk fruit extract (or syrup), taste and adjust sweetness if needed. Place in the fridge until ready to assemble the sundaes.
- For the chocolate sauce: whisk together all the ingredients until smooth. Leave at room temperature so the coconut oil doesn't harden.
- For the peanut butter sauce: stir together peanut butter and water until you get a "pourable" consistency. Again, store at room temperature until ready to serve.
- To serve: Divide the banana ice cream among two sundae dishes. Top with a large dollop of whipped cream (you'll have leftover), a drizzle of both the chocolate and peanut butter sauce, and top with your desired toppings.
- Dig in and enjoy!
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My sister and I are avid Lovers of Coffee Ice Cream, Mocha Chip, etc. Do you have ways of flavoring your banana nice cream to create this and still be healthy?
Yes! You could try adding instant coffee, coconut cream, and cacao chips! 🙂
[…] For Directions go HERE. […]
Hi, I was just wondering which blender(s) do you use? Especially the one that gives the really thick texture.
Thanks!
I use a BlendTec — but for this recipe I used a food processor. I think a Vitamix would get the job done with this recipe, but I’m not sure you could get the right texture in most other blenders. I would recommend a food processor when you’re making banana ice cream 🙂
This recipe looks WAY too delicious! I totally agree with the indulgence factor: sometimes I overdo it on the peanut butter, feel sluggish and let the guilt trip choo-choo its way through into my head! 🙁 I honestly just try to think of what’s the worst thing that can happen and I realize that it’s really not that bad on the larger spectrum! I just try not to make the same mistake and move on.
That’s a great mindset to have! Thanks for sharing 🙂 xo
Hi Alyssa
Thanks so much for this post! When I started to think about calories in food I alwyas had negative thoughts about it just because I didn’t know whats good and whats bad. I ended up loosing to much weight so I signed up for a holistic health education to know more about being healthy. But still I really feel quilty after eating dessert or so. But – like you said – I try to make dessert healthy and keep that in mind after I ate it all up. Great post and I would love to read more to this topic 🙂
thanks so much for commenting, Leo. I totally hear you on the sweet side of things. I think we’re conditioned to feel guilty about eating dessert, even when it’s good for us, and it’s hard to break away from that mentality. I’ll definitely be doing more on this topic as I can tell it’s resonating with a lot of people. Stay tuned! xo
Please definitely do write more about this topic; I have been going through this a LOT lately where I’m disciplined all day and then in the evening manage to blow it big-time by binging when I’m not even hungry. So tired of this cycle but I’m definitely encouraged to know that I’m not the only one with this struggle! Also, any tips that others have found helpful are great!
On a totally separate note, have you tried peanut flour? Fit Foodie Finds makes a ‘Peanut Sauce’ that’s just 1Tbl. Peanut flour + 1.5 Tbls. Almond milk. It’s high in protein, wonderful peanut flavor, but much less fat than peanut butter and thin enough to serve as a great sauce on this (I sometimes use Silk Dark Chocolate Almond milk as my mix in). Since the coconut whipped cream already has the healthy fats for this recipe, that could be one way to take this one step further without losing the indulgence of the tastes!
YES! You are definitely not alone Kelly. I know tons of people struggle with that exact same issue, and I think I’m going to put a post together about it. Especially when it comes to nighttime snacking, it can be really tricky for folks. So thank you for the input and stay tuned, there’s more to come! And LOVE that idea for the peanut sauce. I haven’t tried peanut flour much, but now I’m intrigued. Going to order some on Amazon right now — just imagining the possibilities 🙂 xo
I love this drippy, delicious whole foods dessert! I love that no one would ever know by looking at those beautiful pictures that it was sugar and dairy free. Hidden blessings! I love my banana soft serve and look forward to trying it with your peanut butter and chocolate sauces!
Right!? Love when you can make something look totally over the top decadent, but it’s actually healthy. Win!
Thank-you so much for the healthy recipes especially the dessert ones! My struggle is similar to Katie’s. I find I do really well if I discipline myself, but then I feel at times others are doing better. The question then comes to my mind, “Do I keep trying and stay focused on making healthy choices or not worry about it?” I appreciate the healthy dessert recipes, so I have the option of having a healthier dessert.
I totally hear you. It’s like you are doing so well and then one slip and you just say, “forget it for now” and go a little crazy? I do that ALL the time. And honestly, I think it’s really about balance. For most of us it’s not possible to eat “perfectly” 100% of the time, so it’s almost better to have the slips, recognize they’re going to happen, be okay with it, and then move on. It can definitely be a challenge tho!
Hi Alyssa! When I saw this recipe on Instagram I couldn’t resist to write to you because I knew it was going to be an amazing recipe and knowing that you cook healthy food made me think I was in heaven. I have also that feeling of frustration and sadness every time I eat something that I am not “SUPPOSED TO”, it is so frustrating to keep doing this to myself but I know I am not alone when I see that many people are in the same place. Fortunately, I think we can survive thanks to recipes and tips like the ones you offer. I started to feed myself in a much healthier way not so long ago and I plan to continue doing it. I know it is hard but WE CAN DO IT right? A little effort is worth it! I am pretty new to your blog and channel but I love them, you are really nice and make everything look so easy and fun, keep up the good work, you are doing amazing!
Thanks so much for the comment, Minerva! Love hearing from you and thrilled that you’ve been starting to make the switch towards fueling your body with healthy food. I think it’s consistent, small steps that get us where we want to go!
Alyssa, what a great (and brave!) topic to bring up on your blog (and youtube). I struggle a lot with guilt around my diet, basically surrounding sugar. I find that I struggle to regulate myself on sweets and am usually on either one side of the spectrum or the other. I am really disciplined about healthy lunches and dinners but if I eat dessert and then eat consider what “too much” then I’m like oh well and eat the whole bag or whatever. It’s so frustrating! I go through phases where I’ll eat super healthy for a few weeks and then lose my mind and eat all the sugar I can get my hands on then spend the next week trying to “make up” what I did. Ugh. I have found that if I have specific rules around food it helps. Like, don’t bake anything unless there is an occasion (birthday, etc) because if I do I tend not to be able to eat just one. Don’t eat after a certain time at night, etc. And, I’ve also found that it’s pretty easy if we are out to eat (which is rarely) to abstain because none of the desserts are vegan!
Ah, I could go on and on about this topic but I’ll stop myself there. It’s just so nice to see a health food blogger be vulnerable and share this side of the food topic.
Love, love, love your youtube, snapchat, and blog!!
You’re the sweetest! Thank you so much for writing and sharing your story. TOTALLY get the sugar thing. I used to be a major sugar monger and still have moments where I just go a little bit too crazy. One thing that has helped me is to have only healthy sweets in my house. So for dessert rather than eating cookies (even if I have them in the house), I’ll have a chocolate energy ball. I always have some sort of chocolate something in my freezer so even if I have just a little bite, I satisfy that sweet tooth. I honestly think this could be a whole topic on it’s own, so I’ll plan to write a follow up about it — I think so many people struggle with this concept and no one really talks about it!! So thankful to have you here, Katie <3 xoxo
Sounds great,cant wait to try !! Youre very creative!! luv this site
Thanks so much! xo
Dear Alyssa,
I just started following you on Youtube, I enjoy your video very much, and I’m not even vegan! I love today’s blog topic. I suffer from this guilt all the time, and i’m so tired of it. I’m on my own journey to make peace with food, because I truly love it and hate that I have this love/hate relationship with it. Just a couple days ago I felt guilty for eating a banana! A voice in my head said…hmm that has a lot of sugar. I caught myself and thought what the heck, what are you doing to yourself??? There are so many dietary beliefs out there that really mess with your head. At this point it seems everything is bad for you if you look at it through the lens of this or that diet or lifestyle. Thank you again for bringing up this topic, and I hope you write more about it.
I also totally agree about thinking all foods are bad for you if you listen to different people! I have to trust that the diet I’ve had the most success with (maintaining a healthy weight, feeling good, and staying healthy) is what I need to stick to. A vegan diet with limited added oils seems to be what is good for me and for the animals and our planet! 🙂
This is seriously EXACTLY what I needed to read. Thank you, Candice! I do the same thing to myself too. I think about foods that are incredibly nutritious — like bananas and avocados — and often find myself feeling guilty because off all this stuff you hear from other people. Too much sugar, too many carbs, too much fat. The list goes on. I need to do what you’re doing — I need to stop myself when those thoughts come up and tell myself that I’m doing the best I can and as long as I’m eating real, whole foods, I’m okay 🙂 Love to you!! xoxo