Sinfully rich, indulgently dark, and secretly healthy chocolate ice cream!
This no-churn, creamy chocolate nice cream has a secret:
A full 1/3 cup of cocoa is packed into the recipe, for the ultimate richness. It’s the perfect healthy frozen treat for any dark chocolate lover.
Every time I make this chocolatey nice cream, I can’t stop eating it from the blender!
The new-and-improved recipe is adapted from the chocolate version of my original Banana Ice Cream Recipe, and it uses only natural ingredients, without any additional sweeteners.
If you’re not a dark chocolate fan, you can of course add a little stevia or pure maple syrup or your favorite sweetener if you wish. But it is not required for the recipe, especially if you start with ripened bananas, often referred to as “nature’s candy” because of their ability to sweeten recipes naturally without having to add extra sugar.
For those of you who don’t want a banana flavor, the extra cocoa added in this healthy ice cream does a great job masking the banana, and opting to use the nut butter (or your favorite nut-free alternative) masks it even more. I honestly could not taste any banana at all. Then again, I love bananas so I might not be the best person to ask!
Once blended, I threw caution to the wind and increased the chocolate flavor even more by adding my newest obsession – Chocolate Brownie Larabar Bites.
I am so in love with these things, along with their Mint Chocolate Truffle flavor… Seriously, in love. The other day, Target had them on sale for $4.99 a package, and I bought eight packages of both flavors! Yes, 16 packages total. Yes, possibly just a little bit crazy. But they will go quickly.
Just like the ice cream, Larabar Bites rely on natural sweeteners and are made with just six to nine ingredients (vegan, non-GMO, and gluten-free). I like to eat them straight out of the freezer, but they’re shelf-stable and make a fantastic healthy, portable snack. So far I’ve only seen them at Target or on Amazon, but they are pretty new, so hopefully more places will start carrying them soon. They also come in Cherry Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Macaroon.
If you can find them near you, I highly recommend throwing a few into your healthy chocolate ice cream!
Healthy Chocolate Ice Cream
Healthy Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 3 frozen, overripe bananas
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 2-3 tbsp peanut or almond butter, optional
- pinch salt
- broken-up dark chocolate bars or chips, optional
- I added a few broken-up Larabar Bites
Instructions
*Make sure bananas are at least partially brown before peeling, chopping, and then freezing.
Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor—you can add the optional chocolate and the brownie bites before or after blending. Process until completely smooth, adding a little milk of choice if it’s too thick for your blender to process. Either serve immediately as soft serve, or freeze for about an hour and then scoop out with an ice cream scoop. Although nice cream tastes the best the day it’s made, you can technically freeze for up to a few weeks and thaw before eating.
Links Of The Day:
Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread, from the Hello Breakfast Cookbook
Eva @ Eva Bakes says
16th February 2017 at 9:23 amI love making my own Larabars (we make the blueberry flavor!). I’d love to try mint chocolate!
Lindsay says
16th February 2017 at 9:24 amI love Lara bars but haven’t tried the bites yet!
Jill says
16th February 2017 at 9:27 amThe apple cinnamon is my favorite but I’d love to try the mint chocolate bites!
J. says
16th February 2017 at 9:34 amLooks delicious! I’d love to try the chocolate bites!
Jess says
16th February 2017 at 9:34 amI would love to try the Hazelnut, Hemp and Cacao.
Chhaya says
16th February 2017 at 9:35 amI like the Coconut chocolate chip variety!
Annabella says
16th February 2017 at 9:45 amChocolate chip cookie dough is my all time favorite! Would love to try the bites though.
Jenn says
16th February 2017 at 9:45 amI love the Apple pie but I would love to try the Chocolate Chip Dough.
Brina says
16th February 2017 at 9:53 amGreat recipe, Katie! I’ve always wanted to try Larabars, but never seem to have! I’d love to try the Hazelnut, Hemp and Cacao.
Winnie says
16th February 2017 at 9:53 amHello Katie! My favourite so far is peanut butter chocolate chip, and I’d really like to try hazelnut cacao! Can’t find them in Singapore.
Elizabeth says
16th February 2017 at 9:54 amMy all time favorite is chocolate chip cookie dough! I recently tried the hazelnut cacao though and loved it. You really can’t go wrong with any of the flavors!
Debbie says
16th February 2017 at 9:55 amI”ve only ever tried the Apple Pie ones and they’re great. I’d love to try the Brownie Bars, though. #Chocoholicforlife.
Liz says
16th February 2017 at 9:55 amPeanut butter chocolate chip is my favorite flavor combination, Larabars included!
Olaya Martinez says
16th February 2017 at 9:55 amI have never had the chance to try a Larabar ever! I would love to receive any flavor!
Lucia says
16th February 2017 at 9:56 amI would love to try Cherry Chocolate Chip. Whenever I slept over at my Granny’s house as a child, she would have a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream waiting for me in the freezer. That flavor combination will always remind me of her, no matter what form the chocolate and cherries are packaged in.
Carissa says
16th February 2017 at 9:56 amI love the cherry chocolate ones! The blueberry muffin flavor is a close second, though.
Dana says
16th February 2017 at 9:57 amI’m a sucker for their chocolate brownie bar! Also the chocolate chip cookie dough.
Heather D says
16th February 2017 at 9:58 amApple Pie is my fave 🙂
Rebecca Spirn says
16th February 2017 at 9:58 amI love Larabars and love the short list of ingredients. I’ve been enjoying blueberry muffin and cherry pie flavors recently!
Kaitlyn says
16th February 2017 at 9:59 amI love the superfoods hazelnut, cacao, and hemp bars as well as the cashew cookie! Though I would eat any of them – I don’t think I’ve ever DISLIKED a Larabar flavor! Can’t wait to try these new “bites”!
Natalie R says
16th February 2017 at 9:59 amI love nice cream – make it at least once a month because it’s so easy and delicious (not to mention guilt-free). Never thought of adding Larabar bites into it / as a topping, but now I will definitely have to try! The hazelnut hemp & cacao sounds like the perfect addition to chocolate ice cream 🙂
Wanda says
16th February 2017 at 10:01 amI think I would like to try the coconut chocolate chip. It reminds me of having a high calorie, not so good for you, candy bar!
Bethany says
16th February 2017 at 10:01 amI love the chocolate chip cookie dough flavor!
Terri Sea says
16th February 2017 at 10:04 amMy favorite is the Apple Pie – it is so satisfying! I would love to try the Hazelnut, Hemp and Cacao!
Cathleen says
16th February 2017 at 10:04 amThanks for this recipe. I am so relieved that it doesn’t have coconut! 🙂 I would love to try the Larabars with the chocolate mint…I absolutely love their chocolate chip bars. <3
Alison says
16th February 2017 at 10:04 amI like the coconut chocolate chip flavor!
Donna Rinckel says
16th February 2017 at 10:05 amThis ice cream looks yummy. I am going to have to try this very soon. I’ve never tried the LaraBars before but I love nuts and chocolate so any combination of those would definitely be my favorite. I’ll be looking for them the next time I haunt the grocery store aisles. And I’d love to win the prize package and try them all! 🙂
Kathy says
16th February 2017 at 10:06 amMint Chip Brownie bar and Mint Chocolate Truffle Bites both sound awesome! (I’m a Mint girl!) Also can’t wait to try your Easy Chocolate Brownie Nice Cream. Yum!
Jessica says
16th February 2017 at 10:07 amI like the peanut butter flavor, but I’d love to try mint chocolate! Thanks, Katie!
ami says
16th February 2017 at 10:08 ammy favorite larabar is pecan pie; my daughter is almost two and she is super picky, but will eat them with me, sometimes.
Ahmed says
16th February 2017 at 10:09 amHi Katie!
So I took my first bite of a Larabar yesterday, thinking to myself there’s no way dates can taste good. I took a tiny nibble and omg, ecstasy. The chocolate was deeply flavorful and my mouth is watering again just describing it. It gave me new sensations I haven’t felt eating the typical protein bars in the past (altho Gatorade has an amazing choc chip bar that you should definitely try)
My favorite flavor, and honestly the only one I’ve eaten yet, is chocolate chip peanut butter <3
The one I want to try most is hazelnut cacao from your post cuz I've not seen it anywhere else; it's just like u, KT , a girl with a passion I haven't found anywhere else, would love to meet you in real life
Jen Lyle says
16th February 2017 at 10:09 amI’ve loved every Larabar I’ve tried!! But, my tops are the Applie Pie, Peanut Butter Cooke, Blueberry Muffin…. hard to choose 🙂 I’d like to try the Bites!
Jody Stakeman says
16th February 2017 at 10:12 amHaven’t tried the Larabars yet but the Mint Chocolate sounds heavenly !!
Emma Whaley says
16th February 2017 at 10:13 amI like the Cookie Dough the best and would love to try the new bites or the Coconut Crème Pie
Melissa says
16th February 2017 at 10:13 amI love Lara bars! I’d love to try the new chocolate brownie bites!
Renee Kachenmeister, RVT says
16th February 2017 at 10:14 amI would love to try the hazelnut, mint chocolate, or coconut… Or maybe all 3 LOL
Alyssa says
16th February 2017 at 10:16 amI just tried the Chocolate Brownie Bites recently. Holy moly, they are YUMMY!
I might just have to make this nice cream later today. 🙂
LaurieAnn says
16th February 2017 at 10:17 amMy favorite is cherry pie….but would love to try the chocolate brownie bites!
Wendy Zhu says
16th February 2017 at 10:19 amI’d love to try the chocolate chip cookie dough or chocolate peanut butter!
Bianca T says
16th February 2017 at 10:19 amchocolate chip brownie is my fav 🙂
Valeria Graves says
16th February 2017 at 10:19 amI would love to try the superfoods hazelnut, hemp, and cacao bars! I haven’t seen that at my grocery store. Also, would love to try the new bites! My favorite go to Lara bar is the peanut butter chocolate chip. Seriously so good!
Bess says
16th February 2017 at 10:21 amI absolutely love larabars but haven’t tried the chocolate yet. I would love to! 🙂
Angie says
16th February 2017 at 10:21 amPeanut Butter Chocolate Chip for life!
Amy Allen says
16th February 2017 at 10:24 amI haven’t ever tried Larabars so I’m open to any flavor! Thou the Chocolate brownie bites sound amazing! Thank you for all your great posts!!
james says
16th February 2017 at 10:27 amTbhis is just chocolate ice cream. Not sure where the brownie comes in.
Julie Dove says
16th February 2017 at 10:29 amThe brownie comes in from the brownie bites mentioned in the recipe.
Leah Brandstetter says
16th February 2017 at 10:27 amSome of the Larabar flavors leave me with a slight “sick” feeling, but I am very interested in trying chocolate chip cookie dough as I absolutely love cookie dough!
Kim says
16th February 2017 at 10:29 amApple pie is my favorite, but I’d love to try some of the chocolate flavors.
Sarah M Riley says
16th February 2017 at 10:29 amPeanut butter chocolate chip!
Alexis Hanson says
16th February 2017 at 10:31 amI very much to try to the hazelnut cacao Larabar!!! So far, I have not been disappointed yet!
Cara says
16th February 2017 at 10:33 amI haven’t had tried many of the flavors (as they are quite a treat lol) but I have had the apple pie, chocolate coconut chew, and key lime pie, and they were all absolutely delicious! 🙂
Jan H says
16th February 2017 at 10:33 amThe chocolate chip brownie flavor is calling my name.
Vanessa says
16th February 2017 at 10:34 amThis nice cream looks absolutely heavenly! I’ve only ever tried the Larabar bites and never any of their bars. The bites were delicious! I ate the whole bag in one sitting. I would love to try all their products because everything sounds so good, especially with such simple ingredients (and my favorite thing ever – dates – being the star ingredient), but the blueberry flavoured bar appeals to me the most!
Kara says
16th February 2017 at 10:35 amThe seasonal gingerbread larabars are my fave! I found a copcay recipe I can’t wait to try out since I can only get them around the holidays.
My nonseasonal fave is coconut cream pie!
Gina says
16th February 2017 at 10:36 amI’ll always love the peanut butter cookie flavor & now I’m loving fruits + greens Larabars too!
Dianne Smith says
16th February 2017 at 10:38 amI make what I call Nice Cream but I make it with PB powder. I also LOVE Larabars and make my own. But I LOVE the Cherry Pie version. I dehydrate bing cherries in the summer and have them…all year. YUM!!! Would love to win these. Thanks for the chance. You are the BEST Katie.
Katie G says
16th February 2017 at 10:40 amI love Larabars but haven’t tried hthe hazelnut cacao yet. That sounds delicious!
Angelina says
16th February 2017 at 10:41 amI’ve never heard of these before, but I would love to try the Mint Chocolate Truffle Bites and the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars! These look soooo good!
Melanie says
16th February 2017 at 10:41 amI’d love to try the brownie bites – they sound amazing!
Allison Bost says
16th February 2017 at 10:41 amThis nice cream sounds divine! I will have to try this out. I’ve never had a Larabar before, I’m not a fan of protein bar textures but so many people rave about the Larabar I might have to try them out. Mint-chocolate sounds interesting 🙂
Danielle says
16th February 2017 at 10:43 amI would love to try the superfood hazlenut, hemp, and cacao flavor. I LOVE laurabars!