We’ve had several warm days in a row. When our local dairy cow-share had an unexpected supply of cream, my 6-year-old immediately asked if we could use it to make chocolate ice cream.

I wanted to fulfill his desire without serving up a bowl of typical, sugar-laden ice cream. So I made our own ice cream that I sweetened with bananas. I had about three bananas worth of frozen banana chunks in the freezer, so that’s what we used. If you don’t have that many bananas, or you simply want a sweeter ice cream, add a tablespoon or two of maple syrup and sweeten to taste.

I added spirulina powder to give our ice cream a healthy green boost (you may notice the slight greenish tint in the picture). Spirulina can definitely have a very green taste to those who aren’t used to it. Add some if you like – we add greens to almost everything, but begin by adding a small amount and work your way up.

Also, we got our cream straight from our local dairy, so I’m not sure how that fresh, raw cream translates into store-bought cream. Our cream had the consistency of table cream, so it was runnier than heavy cream or whipping cream. The exact fat content of your cream won’t make a huge difference in the outcome of your ice cream, as long as it has some fat in it. However, that the higher the fat content, the creamier your ice cream will turn out. If you want a dairy-free ice cream or simply don’t have any cream on hand, a can of full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream would work well in its place.

Here is what we made:

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

4 ounces raw cream, or full fat coconut milk or coconut cream
3 bananas
6-8 tablespoons cacao powder, to taste
¼ teaspoon – 1 tablespoon spirulina powder, optional
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup, optional

Mix all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Pour into an ice cream maker, and process until the mixture reaches your desired consistency.

Serve and enjoy.

Makes 4 bowls.