How to make Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Me Up at home using a healthy banana ice cream recipe and easy raspberry chia seed jam
Hands in the air if you’re one banana bread recipe of a minor breakdown… Okay, glad we got that off our chests. Of course it’s lovely to see so many people baking and sharing their wares on the world wide web – I’m just hangry – but if you’re a bit bored of the same-old and you’ve got some ‘nanas that are super speckled and need using up sharpish, this healthy peanut butter and banana ‘ice cream’ is a great no-bake alternative. A good one for the little ones to play around with too if you’re looking for ideas on what to do with kids in lockdown!
It’s healthy, satisfying and 100% inspired by a craving for Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Me Up ice cream with the tangy jelly core (that me and my other half once demolished an entire tub of on a 15 minute bus ride). I served mine in paper cups for the full scoop it out of the tub in front of a film effect. I didn’t have any peanut butter cups or choc chips so ticked the chocolate fix box with a thin disc of chocolate to smash through over the top.
(Makes 2 large portions or 4 small portions)
- 1 cup frozen raspberries
- 1 cap of vanilla extract (OR a squirt of honey/maple syrup)
- Tablespoon of chia seeds
- 4 pre-frozen (sliced) bananas
- 3 heaped tablespoons of peanut butter
- Scoop of protein powder (optional) – vanilla, banana or PB flavours would work best
- A handful of chocolate (dark works best)
Non-edible requirements:
- Tin foil
- A full packet of Lockets – yes, the cough sweets… just go with it.
- 2 paper coffee cups (or 4 smaller paper tubs)
How to make the homemade raspberry jam:
- Put your frozen raspberries in a saucepan on a low-medium heat with a small splash of water.
- Once they start to break down (just mush them with your spoon if they need a bit of encouragement), add in your vanilla extract and chia seeds.
- Stir until everything is combined and jam-like.
- Set aside to cool then pop in the fridge to chill and set whilst you get on with the rest…
My healthy banana ‘nice cream’ recipe:
- Chuck your bananas, peanut butter and protein powder into a blender.
- Add in a splash of milk or water then blend until smooth.
- If your blender is struggling, slowly add in another splash of milk or water to loosen the mixture slightly.
Now it’s time to piece everything together…
This is where it gets a little bit strange but stick with me…
- Wrap a clean and unopened packet of Lockets (or something similarly cylindrical) in some kitchen foil.
- Hold the contraption straight down the centre of each cup so it stands up straight and pour your ice cream mixture into the cups around it.
- Place into the freezer to solidify with your makeshift corer still standing in the centre, ensuring the cups have room to stand upright while they freeze.
- After 2-3 hours remove your cups from the freezer and pull out the placeholders – you should be left with an empty core ready to be filled with jam.
- Fill the core with your homemade jam – I did this with the handle of a teaspoon but a piping bag would have been much easier had I thought it through. *Eye roll*
- Melt your chocolate and then smooth a thin layer over the top.
- Place back in the freezer for around 30 minutes – or until you’re ready to tuck in!
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If all that sweet talk has got you hankering after something savoury now, here are a few more recipes for you to sink your teeth into:
Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink Double Gnocchi
Fakeaway-style Shredded Satay Chicken
Coconut Crusted Cod & Feta Stuffed Pepper
If you do give any of them a go, don’t forget to send me a photo on Twitter or Instagram: @hihungryharriet