I’ve been doing a great job at cutting back the amounts of junk food sweets I’ve been eating. It sure hasn’t been easy especially when I want to make a Dove chocolate cheesecake so bad. Oh and a caramel pecan streusel pound cake. Did I mention I got a doughnut pan last month and have been dying to make some sour cream cake doughnuts? And I saw some carrot cake cookies on food network the other day….did you hear me, CARROT.CAKE.COOKIES. YALL. Omg *sigh* You get the point right, this struggle is real!! I do have a Saturday cheat day though. *Whew*
Thankfully I’ve stocked my freezer and pantry with healthier desserts and snacks to help me through this trying time and it’s WORKING! Oh and I almost forgot those little Girl Scout trolls have just started resurfacing with their delicious boxes of cookies and sweet smiles!! FML!!! Ok breath Monique.
Like I was saying, I have some tricks in my own little bag, one of them being these healthy ice cream sandwiches. I won’t sit here and tell you they taste just like ice cream sandwiches or even better, because they don’t. They just aren’t those soft, chocolately vanilla ice cream bars of nostalgic heaven I grew up with. But they are a tasty little treat that won’t leave you feeling guilty after eating it and conquers the “sweets demon” like a pro. Enough for me. I’ll definitely continue making these. They rock!
I really wanna try banana chocolate and banana peanut butter next. And peach banana. I hear that peaches also “cream” up when frozen and pureed so maybe I’ll try a peaches and cream batch as well. These babies will be my saving grace this summer I just know it! Hello felt stomach, my you sure look nice!!
These health strawberry banana ice cream sandwiches are made simply with ripe frozen bananas that have been blended to create a creamy ice cream texture, a few fresh sweet strawberries sandwiched between two organic,natural graham crackers. I like how clean these healthy ice cream sandwiches are. I can pronounce all of the ingredients. Win!
It’s super important that your banana and strawberries are really sweet for the best taste!
Make up a batch, wrap them in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer bag and stash them away in the freezer for when an ice cream attack hits. You’ll thank yourself.
Watch me make these Healthy Strawberry Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches from start to finish!
****Update*** I made a batch of peanut butter banana and banana nutella today and they are by far my favorites so far!!! I’d recommend dividing the banana cream up so that you can make and taste a variety and pick your favorite to create a large batch.
Healthy Ice Cream Sandwiches (Strawberry Banana)
Ingredients
- 5 ripe bananas
- 3/4 cup sweet diced strawberries can use other fruits
- 11 sheets of graham crackers I used Organic cinnamon sugar & chocolate
Instructions
- Slice bananas into disk.
- Place in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
- Freeze for 2 hours or until frozen.
- Place banana slices in a food processor and blend until creamy.
- Scoop banana into a large bowl and fold in dice strawberries.
- Line an 8 x 8 dish with parchment paper.
- Spread banana mixture into the pan in an even layer.
- Freeze.
- Cut banana mixture into squares (use a graham cracker as a pattern)
- Assemble ice cream sandwiches.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag to store.
How did you make the peanut butter banana ice cream sandwiches? Yum!
Is freezing the bananas first a necessary step? What would happen if you mashed the bananas, folded in the strawberries, then froze the mixture?
Yes you must freeze the bananas first, it will not be an ice cream consistency if you mash them and then freeze them.
Have you made the peach ice cream yet? I hate bananas and even more so as they ripen! Thanks!
You wouldn’t get the right texture. There would be no trapped air in the banana/strawberry mix.
I made this for my kids and they loved it!!! Instead of strawberries I used mini chocolate chips and spread peanutbutter on the crackers before putting the icecream on. It was definitely a hit. Next time I think I’d add a little vanilla extract
Add the vanilla extract to what/ where/ when?
How did you do the Nutella/banana and the peanutbutter banana ones?
Great and simple recipe. I love your sweet and personable commentary. You are my new favorite site. Keep doing it!
Hi Monique,
I was just wondering how much Nutella or peanut butter to put in one batch of these ice cream sandwiches. Can’t wait to try these out 🙂
Hi Monique,
Thank you for the inspiration, I intend to make these tonight. I live in Australia and I don’t think we have graham crackers here, so I will have to substitute with something else. I was wondering if you have passion-fruit available where you live. I have always had a hard time getting them whenever I have visited the U.S, but if you can get your hands on some, you should try banana/ passion-fruit “ice- cream”….it is amazing ! You may be able to buy the pulp in a can at the supermarket. Thanks for the recipe.
Helen
A very fresh idea!I will be making the Strawberry icecream sandwiches with my residents at the retirement home. Thank you!
Paula wants to know
I really want to try the bananas & strawberry ice cream sandwiches, but I am allergic to bananas. Do you have a replacement for that?
Paula wants to know
I really want to try the bananas & strawberry ice cream sandwiches, but I am allergic to bananas. Do you have a replacement for that?
Try pineapple instead
I’ve been looking for a healthy ice cream type dessert for my husband who has heart issues and on a strict diet. I made this today and we were pleasantly surprised at how good they are. Since strawberry season is pretty much over I knew they wouldn’t be too sweet so I added 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup to the frozen banana mixture before blending and it was a success! From following heart healthy recipes – maple syrup is one of the recommended substitutes for sweeteners. So just a healthy option to consider. Also used wax paper instead of parchment paper and it was difficult to remove the mixture from the wax paper so next time I will try parchment paper instead. Thanks for the recipe – you made my husband very happy!
Do you cover the mixture when put in the freezer? Also, why would the mixture turn icy like and very hard?thanks for your assistance. By the way, your recipes rock.
You don’t have a problem with the banana getting too hard when you freeze the sandwiches? I want to make brownie ice cream sandwiches with a healthy brownie recipe I have and banana cream, but I’m worried if I put the whole sandwich in the freezer after assembling the banana part will get rock hard. I could add a few tablespoons of milk when I process, but then the worry is it getting too soft..
This sounds DANGEROUS – Freeze bananas, blend to create a cream (now defrosted) and RE-FREEZE Once recipe completed.
NO FOOD (EVER) SHOULD BE FROZEN AGAIN AFTER PREVIOUSLY BEING DEFROSTED!!!!!!
Actually that isn’t true. Some foods can be refrozen successfully and safely. The bananas are still super cold when they go back into the freezer. Perfectly safe.
It’s true it turns out perfect- I just made this wonderful recipe and it taste amazing!
great healthy treat!
I spent the weekend with my family and I wanted to make a healthy snack so my nephews will understand snacks can be healthy and still taste delicious. They loved them; however my mom loved them more. She didn’t want to share. Needless to say, she has been munching on them all weekend.
oh this is cute. i wanna try this now, i cant wait any longer! im salivating for this cute sandwiches!
I love this easy and healthy treat.
I love ur amazing recipes even thought im not ann adult!
Do you have to freeze the banana first? Can you mix the bananas up, add the strawberries, and then freeze.
Can you use foil paper instead of parchment paper?
Okay, see you’re wrong. This recipe looks great and I **WILL** try it; but now you gotta post the Dove chocolate cheesecake, caramel pecan streusel pound cake, sour cream cake doughnuts, AND the carrot cake cookies recipes!!!!!
I agree!!! Lol monique you are the best I made so many of your recipes, can we get a moist lemon cake recipe pleassse
Thank you for the healthy option I will def be making these sometime soon.