The Ice Cream That Asks Almost Nothing of You

3 ingredients, 1 blender, and very ripe plantains carrying all the sweetness, so nothing else needs to be added. This little ice cream is a good example of how much flavor whole food can carry entirely on its own once you know how ripe to let the fruit get.

Plantains are a source of potassium, involved in steady fluid balance and the everyday work of your muscles and nerves, and when they are very ripe their natural sugars concentrate, so no honey, maple, or refined sugar is needed at all here.

There is a real reverence in keeping a recipe this simple. Stand at the counter, blend the fruit, and give yourself something cold and sweet made entirely of real food. That is its own quiet form of care.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe plantains (the riper the better, mostly black skins)
• 1/3 cup coconut cream
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Note: the source confirms that boxed creamed coconut diluted per its package directions works here, as does the firm layer skimmed from a chilled can of coconut milk.

Method

• Add the plantains, coconut cream, and cinnamon if using to your blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth, stopping to push the plantains down and stir if they clump.
• To finish in an ice cream maker, churn per your machine's directions. To finish without one, pour into a freezer-safe container and freeze for about 30 minutes until half-frozen, blend smooth a second time, then freeze again until it reaches ice cream texture.

No-churn freezer variation

If you do not have an ice cream maker, the freeze-then-re-blend step above is your method. Freezing for roughly 30 minutes, re-blending, then freezing again breaks up ice crystals and gives you a scoopable texture without a machine. Exact timing depends on your freezer (verify).

*Adapted from a-clean-plate*