Frozen Chocolate Banana Breeze

I have been thinking about putting together a frozen afternoon treat to enjoy by the pool on a hot day this summer. I wanted it to be low fat, little or no sugar but  satisfying and enjoyable without a sugar rush. That's not asking for much, is it? Last year I bought the Martha Stewart Collection Double Flavor Ice Pop Molds and I filled them with many tasty ingredients, from yogurt and fruit to BBQ Chocolate! This year I wanted something different!

 

A while back I saw Unsweetened Almond Breeze for the first time at our Sprout's Market. My mind started racing with ideas of things I could make. There are 40 calories in an eight ounce serving and has no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. It is smooth and creamy and I knew it would make the perfect base for a frozen treat. I wanted the sweetness to come from a banana and I wanted some chocolate, but I wanted chocolate flavor without added sugar. 

Well, I came up with a frozen treat that I think is great, at least for me. I started out with 1-1/2 cups of the Unsweetened Almond Breeze and to that I added 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract, 1/3 cup of dark unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 smashed bananas. The cocoa powder takes a little time to stir it in because it wants to sit on top of the liquid. Within a couple of minutes it will be completely incorporated. I let it sit for a few minutes after it was all blended and then I added the bananas. 

 I made less mess pouring the liquid using a cream pitcher

Into the freezer

 

  

The possibilities are endless when you have a low calorie/low sugar base. Next time I might add some natural peanut butter to a small amount of the liquid and blend until it starts incorporating. I would start adding more of the liquid, while stirring, a little at a time until all of the liquid is added, making sure it is smooth and not lumpy. 

To use this recipe with dairy and sugar, You can use regular milk in place of the Almond Breeze; you can use 1/2 cup of chocolate chips melted into the milk for the chocolate. You could also add light corn syrup for sweetness and texture.

I'm looking forward to using fresh berries and fruits in the future also. If you haven't tried the Almond Breeze, you really should. It is really good and a great non-dairy product!

Enjoy!

PS  I happened to see the Martha Stewart Double Flavor Pop Molds are 20% off through the Memorial Day Weekend at Macy's. They are very sturdy and user friendly.