Before you continue - this is definitely not an eat everyday treat. Obviously treats are okay in moderation, and the same goes for sweet treats like this. Although they're raw and contain no refined sugars they'll still be high in natural occurring ones due to the dates and banana. This is definitely a snack that should be enjoyed occasionally. I made just the one sandwich whilst making this recipe, which I cut in half and had it on two separate occasions - half is definitely enough! The other discs I made I'm saving for separate snack bars and also save one in the freezer to keep for the recipe going up on Christmas Eve! So... If you're looking for an alternative to an ice cream sandwich that's filled with natural goodness - read on!
These start off life in an incredibly similar way to my homemade snack bars.
For this recipe you'll need:
- 200g pitted dates
- 100g cashews
- 2 tbsp of cocoa powder to make the chocolate sandwich layers
For the ice cream:
- One medium banana (per sandwich)
If you want to eat these sandwiches fairly soon after making them you'll need to pop the banana in the freezer (chopped into thing slices) a couple of hours ahead of making them in order for it to freeze.
For the "sandwich parts"
- Simply whizz the dates and cashews in the blender together. Leave it there for the plain discs or split the mixture in half and add the cocoa powder to make chocolate discs. Compact the mixture into a disc (I've used a poaching ring here), aiming for around centimeter high. Use a wet hand to make it easier to work with this mixture as it can get quite sticky! Repeat this for both flavours until you've used up both mixtures. When you've made a number all your circles place them in the fridge to firm up.
- When you're ready to assemble your sandwich, and your discs have set, blend your frozen banana up until you read a creamy ice cream texture. Place your ice cream in-between two discs and then quickly place back in the freezer for around half an hour until it sets up again.
- Once that's all set you're ready to go! Take out the freezer and enjoy!
Make sure to save a disc and have a spare frozen banana ready in the freezer because I have a super easy recipe coming on Christmas Eve using both! What did you think of this recipe? Let me know on Twitter @afloralcrown your thoughts and if you plan on recreating them.
I'm posting everyday as part of my 24 days of Christmas Fitness. Make sure to check back each day for a new post all the way up until Christmas Day!