Featured Recipe
Pomegranate Banana Ice
By Kate
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Frozen banana chunks blended with pomegranate juice and creamy cashew milk form a thick, creamy base. Churned then soaked in the freezer to firm up into ice cream. Ready after resting a bit to soften before scooping. Switches up traditional dairy for cashew milk and uses tart pomegranate concentrate instead of juice for depth. Also shaves in a splash of lime juice for brightness. A fruit-sweet, icy treat boasting natural sugars and vitamins, leveraging texture and chilling techniques for rich mouthfeel without eggs or dairy.
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Prep:
15 min
Cook:
Total:
Serves:
6 servings
dessert
vegan
frozen treat
pomegranate
Introduction
Banana base frozen but far from boring. Pomegranate cuts through lush sweetness with vivid tang. Cashew milk gives a punchy creaminess without heaviness or lactose drama. No eggs, no custard fuss. Pure fruit, pure technique. The goal: dense, creamy texture that punches well above its simple ingredient list. The trick’s in freezing and blending timing. Bananas rock hard, blender fights to get creamy — perfect angle to get it just right. Resting after freezing crucial to scoop without flaking. Lime juice at the end brightens and keeps palate awake.
Ingredients
About the ingredients
Bananas have to be super ripe or you lose the sweetness and cream factor. Chop and freeze flat — this lets the blender dance freely instead of slogging through a frozen chunk iceberg. Cashew milk better fat profile than almond, but any mild nut or seed milk works — just mind thinning. Pomegranate concentrate has tang and depth; water it down to keep balance. Skip sugar—the natural fruit sugars hit the mark. Lime juice optional but wise for brightness. Vanilla and salt quiet bitterness and enhance sweetness, even if subtle. Always taste base before the freezer — better to tweak then than once frozen solid.
Method
Prepare Pomegranate
- Simmer 4 oz. pomegranate concentrate with 4 oz. water until warming and mixing fully; cool before use. Concentrate thick, so diluting key for blending. Sets tone, tart but not overpowering.
- Select ripe bananas with plenty of spots. Peel, chop into 1-inch pieces, spread in single layer on tray or freeze in flat bag to avoid clumping. Freeze minimum 6 hours but ideally overnight to ensure solid chunks.
- Load frozen banana chunks into powerful blender. Pour in diluted pomegranate and cashew milk, plus lime juice, vanilla, salt. Pulse at low speed setting to start, then blend on high. Scrape sides several times. Aim for thick, creamy texture; chunks will break down but keep some texture for viscosidity. Adding liquid gradually helps avoid over-thinning.
- Transfer mixture into a loaf pan. Press to level and seal with cling wrap tight to surface. Freeze for 3.5 to 4.5 hours. Will harden but still scoopable once chilled enough. Avoid freezing too long; risk icy texture.
- Remove from freezer about 12 minutes prior to serving. Let warmth melt outer layer slightly for easier scooping — a little resistance still keeps integrity intact. Use metal scoop dipped in hot water for clean portions.
- If too icy, blend one more time with spoonful of cashew milk then re-freeze for 1 hour only. If too liquidy, reduce milk next batch or freeze banana chunks longer. Lime juice brightens, so don’t skip unless allergic.
- Use almond or oat milk instead of cashew for nut-free, but expect thinness increase. Coconut milk lends fattiness but strong flavor. Pomegranate concentrate preferred over straight juice, but not required; juice can be used but increase quantity by 25% to balance tartness. Lime juice optional but brings noticeable lift. Vanilla stabilizes flavors. No added sugars needed because bananas and pomegranate carry natural sweetness.
- Freeze banana flat to keep chunks separate, preventing blender from bogging down on frozen clumps. Use silicone spatula for scraping. Cover loaf pan tightly to avoid freezer odor absorption. Letting it rest before scooping avoids rock-hard digging. Powerful blender or food processor critical here. Otherwise, volume won’t suction and texture will suffer.
Freeze Bananas
Blend Base
Firm Freeze
Serve Timing
Troubleshooting
Substitutions & Notes
Kitchen Tips
Technique Tips
Simmer concentrate to cut raw sharpness, cool before blending. This controls jarring flavor and helps blend. When blending, start low to break frozen chunks, then ramp up. Scraping is mandatory—fruit pulp loves to stick to the blade housing, leaving uneven chunks. Transfer and smooth into pan quickly to avoid melting that sets uneven texture. Freeze tight to keep the ice crystals at bay. Resting post-freeze essential to soften exterior so scoop isn’t a battle. A quick remix of frozen too-icy batches rescues smoothness—just a quick pulse with a little milk then refreeze for an hour tops. Metal scoop warmed under hot water slices through creaminess not chunks. Rock-hard scoops mean impatience in the freezer—don’t do that to your mouth or your patience.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Select super ripe bananas. The more spots, the better. Less sugar from other sources needed. They add creaminess. Slice and freeze flat; prevents clumping. Blender performance matters.
- 💡 Simmer pomegranate concentrate; dilutes the sharpness. Use a deal of water to balance flavors. In blending, start slow. Break frozen chunks first, then speed up. Scrape down sides. That matters.
- 💡 For texture, watch blending time. Enough, but not too much turning it into mush. Freeze for 3.5-4.5 hours, minimum. Too long? Ends up rock-hard. Find that sweet spot.
- 💡 Resting is key. 12 minutes out of freezer helps scooping ease. Use warm metal scoop; cuts through better, no wrestling. Avoid icy scoops, let patience guide.
- 💡 Substitutions work too. Almond or oat milk if nut allergies arise, expect thinner outcome. No added sugars, bananas sweet enough. Lime juice brightens—don’t skip unless allergic.
Kitchen Wisdom
How to tweak texture if it’s too icy?
Blend with a bit of cashew milk. Just a spoonful— then refreeze for one hour. Over freeze leads to ice crystals too.
What if too liquidy?
Reduce milk in next attempt. Freeze bananas longer too. Check and taste the base before that freezer. Fix it before freezing solid!
How to store leftovers?
Keep in a tightly sealed container, avoid ice buildup. Freezing in layers helps too. Check texture before serving it again.
Can I use fresh pomegranate?
Fresh works, but not as concentrated. Use more to balance tartness. Best if used with some water to cut sharpness in flavor.
