Chocolate Banana NO Ice Cream

Try this BEFORE whipping up brownies or cookies for “emergency” chocolate needs. You’ll regret it less, since even a rich spoonful will satisfy you, and you’ll be getting vital potassium, magnesium, antioxidants, and flavonoids to boot!

1) Remove peels from bananas and discard, then slice banana in pieces into a blender.*

2) Add cocoa and your favorite sweetener, preferably a natural one like honey or raw sugar, but that’s the chef’s choice. Also, add salt to enhance flavor, if desired.**

3) Blend together on medium until the mixture is smooth and you can’t see any clumps of banana, cocoa, or granules of sugar. Occasionally scrape down the sides while mixing to best incorporate the ingredients.***

4) Pack into a favorite container and tuck into the freezer for medicinal spoonfuls or bowlfuls, to be taken as needed. Chill for several hours, if you can wait that long!****

Notes:

*This recipe can be halved, but please mix it in your blender instead of by hand, if at all possible, so that your dessert is smooth and not gritty.

**Salt is optional. Any kind of salt will do, but it must be fine and not coarse when added. Only a tiny amount is needed.

** *You may be tempted to add a liquid at this point to make it “creamier.” DON’T! The flavor will probably still be good, but you may find it next to impossible to spoon it out. In that case, you’ll need to drop your closed jar into a bowl of warm water to soften it a bit for serving.

****A quart-size canning jar is ideal, but a clean, re-purposed regular-sized mayo jar or TIGHTLY covered plastic storage container works, too. A screw top lid is best to prevent ice crystals, if possible.