Have you seen the Dibs ice cream treats before? In wandering through the freezer section of the grocery store in the past I’ve seen this frozen dairy dessert. Really that’s what it says on the container. Look at the ingredient list and you understand why.
With ingredients like corn syrup, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, and propylene glycol monostearate, it hardly qualifies as ice cream. Sure there’s some milk and whey, but mostly it’s a long list of difficult to pronounce ingredients and additives. Why eat all of that scary stuff when you can have these oh so delicious and healthier Banana Nice Cream Bites?
These little ice cream bites are made with just 10 pronounceable ingredients over 3 layers and are so simple to make. And there’s banana, peanut butter and chocolate, does it get any better than that? These bites start with a simple crust made from peanuts, almonds and dates combined in a food processor. Simple and perfect for holding the next part of this treat.
Frozen bananas or nice cream, make up the “ice cream” layer of these bites. I have no doubt you have heard of nice cream, but if you are new to the nice cream party, it is simply frozen bananas blended until creamy and the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Incredibly simple and so delicious. A chocolate drizzle completes these little treats because well peanut butter and chocolate are made for each other. I drizzled the chocolate mostly because I was down to one chocolate bar in my stash and wanted to have some left to eat later, but I think completely dipping them would be great too.
Along with our irresistibly smooth and creamy banana “nice cream” filling is a healthy hit of protein powder goodness that no store bought offering would have. They just have loads of carbs and unhealthy stuff. Not a thought to a healthy treat that will actually build health rather than take away from it.
The idea of this recipe was to improve the macro balance (protein, carbohydrate, healthy fats). This is not about calorie counting: It’s about paying attention to key nutrients and taking in the daily recommended portion your body needs to maintain your energy levels and overall wellbeing.
What are three reasons why proteins are important in a healthy balanced diet? Eating high-protein foods has many health and fitness benefits, including:
Speeding recovery after exercise and/or injury
Reducing muscle loss
Building lean muscle
Helping maintain a healthy weight
Curbing hunger
A well-balanced diet with proper ratios of macro nutrients (protein, healthy carbs and fats) provides all of the: energy you need to keep active throughout the day. nutrients you need for growth and repair, helping you to stay strong and healthy and help to prevent diet-related illness.
When you find your optimal balance and amounts of macro nutrients, you take a major step toward reaching your health goals and this balance has been improved in this recipe by the addition of healthy protein. As well as being really easy to make, these nice cream bites are healthier than your average treat as they are made with wholesome REAL food ingredients. They are ideal for a grab and go breakfast or an any time dessert or snack.
The whole family LOVED these bad boys; they were gone in under 24 hours. They passed the test of some of the hardest dessert critics (my family!). Most said that their chewy texture reminded them of a candy bar.
This recipe is a fun twist to classic ice cream where the main ingredient is banana and makes this the creamiest texture! It sounds too good to be true doesn’t it? Ice-cream just out of bananas. It tastes like ice-cream and it is so damn good! This is definitely one for the recipe bible.
You can satisfy an ice cream craving guilt-free with this “nice cream”! Seems so simple, that it feels like you are cheating a bit… but to be honest – it’s delectable stuff. And let’s face it, why make it complicated when something this simple can taste insanely delightful! Once you start making nice creams, you will stop buying store bought ice creams, the creaminess it has is nothing less than any ice cream and the plus point is, it is absolutely healthy!
Be assured this recipe is a ‘healthified’ take on traditional sugar-loaded ice cream bars. For those days where you are craving a candy bar, but want a healthy, delicious, low-effort way to enjoy the same sweet treat, I’ve got you covered with this recipe that tastes WAY better than any store bought version.
Banana Nut Nice Cream Protein Bites
Ingredients
Base Crust
- 1 cup peanuts, roasted, unsalted
- 1 cup dates, soaked 30 minutes and drained
- 1/2 cup almonds
Nice Cream Layer
- 4 bananas, sliced, frozen
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup protein or collagen peptides powder
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Drizzle
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
Instructions
Base Crust
- Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or dish with parchment paper on the bottom and sides leaving some over hanging to act as a handle to get the bites out easier for cutting. Or use a silicon pan.Combine peanuts and almonds in bowl of food processor and pulse until nuts are broken down and crumbly. Add dates and vanilla and process until thoroughly combined. Mixture should hold together when pressed between fingers. Scoop out into the lined pan and spread out evenly with a spatula or back of a spoon. Place in freezer while you prepare ice cream layer.
Nice Cream Layer
- Put bananas, honey and vanilla in a food processor and blend until creamy. You may need to add a splash of milk to get things moving depending on your processor. You may also need to stop and scrape down sides as you go. Add peanut butter and protein powder and pulse to combine. Remove crust from freezer and pour ice cream over the nut layer spreading evenly. Return to freezer for 1-2 hours until ice cream is firm. Remove from freezer and lift bites out of baking dish. Trim the edges if desired, and cut into 10 bars or more smaller squares. Place on a baking sheet and return to freezer while you prepare chocolate.
Chocolate Drizzle
- Place chocolate chips and coconut oil in small dish and microwave with 20 second bursts stirring between each one until melted and smooth.Or use double boiler method - (pot of boiling water with a bowl resting on top) melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil together.Remove ice cream bites from freezer and drizzle melted chocolate with a spoon, or dip half or all of each bite in the melted chocolate. It should harden very quickly, but if not return to freezer to set. Store in freezer until ready to enjoy!
If you are looking for more delicious, healthy, protein-rich, no bake desserts and treats to help you reach your health, wellness and fitness goals, you will love my collection here: Blended Bites
