This recipe uses tahini to give a delight Middle Eastern twist to a simple raw banana-based ice cream. The addition of vanilla, cinnamon, cacao nibs and sea salt combine to elevate the simple to the sublime.

Tahini gives a rich, nutty flavour to the ice cream. Choose a good quality one that isn’t too bitter.  If you can’t get over the thought of tahini in a dessert, try peanut butter or almond butter instead.

You can pimp this ice cream with some halva crumbled over, adding more texture and a slightly chewy topping. The result? A super, quick and easy, raw food pudding that’s dairy-free, nut-free and with no added sugar.

To freeze the bananas

Peel your bananas and slice them into even pieces. Lay the slices on a lined baking tray and freeze for 4-6 hours until solid, then store them in a container in the freezer. This will ensure that your bananas don’t freeze into one big homogenous lump and you can easily measure out and use the amount you require.

Sugar and resistant starch

The more brown spots on your bananas, the higher the sugar level. Bananas that have just turned ripe (and are no longer green) have more resistant starch. This may sound like a bad thing but resistant starch feeds the good bacteria in your gut because it’s carbohydrates that your body cannot digest so it is forced to the large intestine. If you would like your banana ice cream sweeter, leave the bananas until they are about to move over to the dark side before freezing. If you want to feed your belly microbes, then freeze bananas when they have just turned ripe.

Banana, tahini and chocolate chip ice cream

INGREDIENTS

3 sliced frozen sliced bananas

1 tablespoon tahini or peanut/almond butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon cacao nibs or dark chocolate pieces

Pinch fine sea salt

METHOD

In a food processor or blender, whizz together all the ingredients. At the start the banana will break down into crumbs but keep whizzing and hold your nerve- it will all come together in a glorious ice cream style whip.

For another easy raw food frozen treat, check out the super quick banana choc ices.

If you like the idea of more quick and easy raw food crowd-pleasing recipes, low in added sugar and nuts, and high in the good stuff that builds your immune system and wellness, then have a look at the Raw Chef Low Sugar Foundation Award. I’ve designed it to make raw food accessible, quick and easy - without lots of sugar, gluten or nuts.