This 4-Ingredient Banana-Cinnamon Ice Cream Is Exactly What You Need in a Heat Wave

There's no shortage of ice cream on the market touted as "guilt free" for one reason or another. But we decided to take the concept a step further, and create an ice cream that's actually good for you, not just not-bad for you. 

What's so great about our no-cook recipe? Glad you asked!

For one, it's a "nice cream," made with bananas. So many reasons to love bananas. In short, they're a good source of potassium (important for blood pressure), prebiotics (to feed the good bacteria in your gut), resistant starch (hello, metabolism booster) and fiber. Then there's the cinnamon, a secret hero of your pantry. It adds natural sweetness, helps manage blood sugar, contains trace minerals, and is antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory, and heart healthy.

What's more, this ice cream has zero added sugar; vegans can use a non-dairy milk; and you don't need an ice-cream maker to whip it up. But perhaps best of all on hot, steamy days, the recipe requires no cooking whatsoever, so your kitchen stays nice and cool.

Cinnamon-Banana "Nice" Cream

Yield: About 3 cups; serves 4 to 6

4 medium ripe bananas (about 6.5 oz. each), peeled, sliced and frozen

2-4 Tbsp. milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond)

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Generous pinch of salt

In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine bananas, 2 Tbsp. milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Pulse until blended and smooth. Pulse in more milk, if needed. Serve right away (it will have the consistency of soft-serve), or transfer to a container, cover, and freeze to serve later.

Beth Lipton