[Recipe] Mouthwatering dairy-free banana split

Did you know that by trimming you consumption of dairy by equal to two glasses of milk a week can save around 80 tonnes of CO2 per year? The reason is that cattle create pollution with their burping, so reducing your dairy products consumption can help cut carbon dioxide emissions. It might sound tough, but there are plenty of great non-dairy milk alternatives you can check out.

Read more about non-dairy milks here.

Of course, make sure you always watch your nutritional requirements.

This is a banana split made with my banana ice cream recipe, which is then divided into vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavours, all topped with various permutations of fruit and nuts to create a completely One Ingredient banana split with all the traditional elements and flavours: from the crushed pineapple, to coconut whipped cream, and even fresh cherries on top!

Makes one 2-4 serving banana split

Ingredients:

• 1-2 fresh bananas
• 4 frozen bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 frozen strawberries, divided
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup fresh or frozen pineapple
• 2 tablespoons cacao nibs
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 3 fresh or frozen cherries
• 2-3 tablespoons walnuts

Prep: Make sure you have 4 frozen bananas in your freezer and a can of coconut milk that has been chilling in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Step One: Banana Ice Cream

Start by making some whipped banana ice cream. I have an entire post on this (see here), but it's incredibly simple: cut up all 4 bananas into very thin rounds, add them to a food processor with a teaspoon of vanilla, and pulse for 2-3 minutes until all the banana pieces are broken down and the mixture is whipped into a smooth soft-serve consistency.

Now, divide this into three equal bowls. One will be vanilla (and it's done, pop it back in the freezer to harden). Add the second third back into the processor with 3 frozen strawberries and whip until the strawberries are incorporated (add this to the freezer to harden). In the final third, add about 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and whip until incorporated (again, add this to the freezer to further harden).

Step Two: Toppings

While the ice cream is becoming a little more firm, prepare the toppings. We'll use crushed strawberries on the strawberry ice cream, crushed pineapple on the vanilla, and cacao nibs (instead of chocolate sauce) on the chocolate ice cream.

Take two ramekins and add a few frozen strawberries to one and a few chunks of frozen pineapple to the other. Microwave these for a few seconds until soft and use a fork to mash them: voila, crushed pineapple and strawberries. Refrigerate these until ready to assemble. Also, set aside 2 tablespoons of cacao nibs.

Step Three: Whipped Cream

Make the coconut whipped cream. Again, I have a separate recipe that describes this process in detail (see here) but it's very easy. A can of full-fat coconut milk should separate into the solids and liquids when refrigerated. To make coconut whipped cream, simply spoon all the solids into a bowl and use a hand mixer to whip into whipped cream. Done.

Step Four: Assemble

Slice 1-2 ripe bananas in half and place them along the edges of a long, narrow dish. Add the three flavours of banana ice cream (which should be a bit more firm by now), top the vanilla with crushed pineapple, strawberry with crushed strawberry, and chocolate with cacao nibs, as shown below:

Finally, add a dollop of coconut whipped cream to each scoop of ice cream, top each dollop with a fresh (or frozen, if out of season) cherry, and sprinkle a few crushed walnuts over everything. For best results, serve (or freeze) immediately because this will begin to melt very quickly.

Be sure to check out Andrew's website for more amazing plant-based recipes!

Find out why he calls himself the One Ingredient Chef here.

Love coffee? READ THIS NEXT: Egg and dairy-free Mocha-infused muffins

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