Activated Charcoal Nice Cream

I’ve only made this recipe twice, but I’m already obsessed with it! If you follow my blog, then you already know that I’m addicted to nice cream (aka ice cream made with bananas). I’ve experimented with several different varieties, and maybe it’s just the idea of eating charcoal colored ice cream, but I love it!

What is Activated Charcoal? It’s a fine black powder that is made by burning organic materials such as wood, coconut shells, peat, olive pits, etc. This process “activates” the substances once they reach a certain temperature and changes their internal structure. The health benefit of activated charcoal is that it latches onto toxins and chemicals in the gut and keeps them from being absorbed. That’s why hospitals have been known to use it in treating poison victims.

Activated Charcoal can be found in numerous beauty products, supplements, and even as a homemade tooth whitener and face mask. But have you tried it as a natural food dye? When added to banana nice cream, it becomes a gorgeous slate color and doesn’t add any weird flavors. Just creamy, delicious, healthy ice cream!

Ingredients You Will Need:

• 2 very ripe bananas, peeled and cut into pieces, frozen overnight
• 2 capsules of activated charcoal
• a dash of ground cinnamon
• non-dairy milk if needed
• optional: toppings (semisweet chocolate chips, coconut flakes, etc)

What You Do:

1. Put frozen bananas in a blender or food processor. Blend until bananas start to become smooth. You may need to add a few splashes of non-dairy milk to help the process, especially if you are using a blender.
2. Add a dash of cinnamon and gently empty the capsules of activated charcoal into the mixture. Blend until creamy and thoroughly mixed.
3. Spoon your nice cream into a bowl and add desired toppings. I used semisweet chocolate chips and coconut flakes.

You can add more or less activated charcoal depending on what shade of grade you want the nice cream to be. Do your research beforehand to make sure you aren’t going way over the recommended dose. I would stick with 2-3 capsules of activated charcoal, but of course it depends on the amount each capsule contains.

Here’s a fun trick I discovered with banana nice cream. Right before you start the recipe, put a couple tablespoons of melted coconut oil in your empty bowl. Add about one tablespoon of cocoa powder and mix together until you have a chocolate sauce. After you make your banana nice cream, spoon it into the bowl and stir the chocolate sauce throughout. It will instantly harden and give you a yummy “chocolate chip” version.

Activated Charcoal Nice Cream

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

This healthy and delicious version of nice cream is easy to make and the activated charcoal gives it a detoxifying property.

Author: Jillian

Recipe type: Quick & Easy

Serves: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 2 very ripe bananas, peeled and cut into pieces, frozen overnight
• 2 capsules of activated charcoal
• a dash of ground cinnamon
• non-dairy milk if needed
• optional: toppings (semisweet chocolate chips, coconut flakes, etc)

Instructions

1. Put frozen bananas in a blender or food processor. Blend until bananas start to become smooth. You may need to add a few splashes of non-dairy milk to help the process, especially if you are using a blender.
2. Add a dash of cinnamon and gently empty the capsules of activated charcoal into the mixture. Blend until creamy and thoroughly mixed.
3. Spoon your nice cream into a bowl and add desired toppings. I used semisweet chocolate chips and coconut flakes.

3.5.3228

• When buying capsules, make sure the capsules themselves are vegetarian and not made of gelatin.
• Again, do your research first. I read that activated charcoal shouldn’t be consumed if you’re on medication because it may interfere with the absorption of the medication. Make sure you are aware of side effects, dosage instructions, and benefits!

The second time I made the recipe, I added a third capsule of activated charcoal to get a darker shade. I substituted the semisweet chocolate chips for my chocolate sauce hack, and I topped it with fresh blackberries. It was delicious! and I love that easy, vegan recipes are not only tasty but all natural and healthy!

Jillian