Walnut Carob Crunch Banana Ice Cream

Equipment needed: knife, blender, bowl, parchment or wax paper, and a wire whisk or spoon

Ingredients:

Walnut Carob Crunch
¼ cup of carob powder (usually not raw)
¼ cup of coconut oil
¼ cup of agave nectar (or you could substitute date syrup/cream- I make my date syrup by soaking equal parts of pitted dates and water for at least twenty minutes and then place dates and water in the blender and blend until smooth)
1 cup of raw walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of sea salt

Directions: Place carob powder, coconut oil, sweetener, vanilla, and sea salt in a bowl. Mix until smooth. Add in walnuts and combine. Place mixture onto wax or parchment paper and place in freezer for at least 30 minutes to harden.

Banana Ice Cream
6 very ripe frozen bananas** (peel first and then freeze at least overnight preferably, but just make sure they are frozen)
1 ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
Optional: 2 tablespoons of date syrup or 2 or 3 soaked pitted dates and 2 tablespoons of water

Take bananas out of the freezer and let them sit for up to10 minutes to soften a little (if desired). Place all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. If you did not use the dates or syrup, you may need to add a few tablespoons of water to get the bananas moving. The mixture will be very soft and creamy, similar to soft-serve ice cream. If you desire to have it more solid, just place it back into the freezer to harden some.

Take the walnut carob crunch out of the freezer and chop to small pieces. Fold the mixture into the ice cream and enjoy immediately!! Makes about 4 servings.

**A tip for ripening bananas is to place them in a brown paper bag for a day or two to ripen faster. This is also a way to ripen other foods (i.e. mangos etc) by placing them in a bag with a banana. Unripe bananas contain enzyme inhibitors and can be constipating and difficult to digest.

Health benefits: Very soothing to the gastrointestinal tract, aids in metabolism of proteins and fats; helps maintain capillaries, bones, and teeth; helps healing of wounds, tissues, gums, and adrenal glands; helps enhance immune system and aids in iron absorption. Helps strengthen lungs and kidneys and lubricate large intestine. Promotes tissue elasticity, healthy vision, and stable blood pressure; improves circulation; also contain vitamins & enzyme that aids in the production of sex hormones, helps stimulate the production of serotonin which can help improve sleep and elevate mood. Stimulates thyroid function; good source of protein and dietary fiber, and Omega 3 fatty acids. Also helps improve memory, brain, and nerve function.

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