1. The Kitchn's One-Ingredient Ice Cream
This stuff has a serious cult following — and we joined after one taste. Frozen bananas whip up like Marshmallow Fluff after a quick stint in the food processor, making creamy, delicious ice cream from just one ingredient. And zero ice cream makers. And it’s vegan. The only thing that would make this recipe any better? The one-million add-ins that you can stock your bowl with. (We’re not into secrets, see those below.)
Serves 4-6
1 bunch bananas
1. Peel your bananas and cut them into small pieces.
2. Freeze for just 1-2 hours on a plate or tray. (Or leave them in the freezer indefinitely — just let them thaw a little before making the ice cream.)
3. Blend, blend, blend in the food processor, scraping down the bowl when they stick.
4. Enjoy the magic moment when they turn into ice cream!
5. Freeze any leftovers and process again when ready to serve.
2. Peach Pie Ice Cream
Once you have a bunch of bananas frozen, you essentially have yourself a blank slate. Here, sweet, sticky roasted peaches are added to the food processor for a fruity, pie-like version of the one-ingredient ice cream. You can also add maple syrup. Or cinnamon and raisins. Or peanut butter... The list goes on. Go wild.
3. Feta Frozen Yogurt with Blood Orange and Mint Granita!
We’re three for three — this one doesn’t require an ice cream maker either. Just four ingredients and three simple stages and you have a dessert that's easy enough to whip up for kids but impressive enough for a dinner party. Eat the tangy frozen yogurt alone or with the sweet and bitter granita — it’s good both ways.
4. Chocolate Mousse with Cointreau and Chocolate Shards
This one is almost as easy as the banana ice cream: just melt some chocolate with milk, whip some cream, fold the whole mess together, and stick it in the fridge. In a few hours, what you’ll get is essentially a mousse-like ice cream — or, basically, an excuse to eat ganache by the spoonful.
5. Foolproof Ice Cream
Whoever said vanilla was boring never made this recipe. It’s a perfect rendition of the timeless favorite: fragrant and not-too-sweet, it’ll remind you of your childhood cones from first lick. Or, if you’re feeling grown out of your vanilla phase, mix in your own flavors in the last step.
6. Lemon Basil Sherbet
This sherbet is everything you want in a refreshing frozen treat: light and airy and with just the right balance of tart and sweet, eating this reminds us of trips to the boardwalk. The basil adds the right amount of sophistication — but definitely not enough to take us away from our summer daydream.
7. The Best Lime Ice Cream
This ice cream is a simple, four-ingredient mix-and-freeze operation. Just stir everything together, freeze, and the tart, zest-flecked result is the perfect treat for hot days. Or for pretending they’re still here.
8. Olive Oil Gelato
This is ice cream, all grown up. But it gets better: the inclusion of olive oil makes this stuff not only incredibly smooth, but also — wait for it — healthy. Because it's a healthy fat, right? Sugar and salt duel in the background of this creamy gelato, but they’re nothing compared to how virtuous you’ll feel after eating it.
9. Jeni's Splendid Lemon Cream Ice Cream
Venerable ice cream expert Jeni Britton Bauer makes an egg-free base, but you’d never know it: smooth and creamy, her ice cream is not only great with lemon, but can be used as a perfect base for any brittles, swirls, and infusions you can dream up.
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