Scooped: Vegan Banana Coconut Ice Cream

Ever leave some bananas out on the counter for too long? Of course you have. Sure, you wanted to eat them. You had great intentions. But one excuse piled on another and now you have a bunch of bananas so ripe they fall apart in your hands. Don't throw those bananas away, especially when they stink to high heaven of gorgeous tropical flavor. Now is when they're perfect for desserts.

I mean, sure, you could make banana bread. You could even make banana bread ice cream. But when bananas are this ripe they all but demand tropical flavor pairings, like coconut and a little bit of rum. Put them together and you get a lush, juicy, and deeply nutty scoop.

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This is how ripe your bananas should be.

Banana is a great ice cream flavor to veganize, and everyone should have at least one solid vegan ice cream in their book. Maybe you have friends with dairy allergies. Or maybe your vegan roommates keep staring with sad, droopy eyes as your churn ice cream after ice cream every week and fill the freezer with lots of frozen dairy.* Consider this one way to make amends.

I am a terrible roommate and an even worse friend.

You've probably heard of one-ingredient banana ice cream, and you can try that, but the texture is a little dense and grainy to my taste. This is a smoother, more milky version that behaves a lot like actual ice cream, and a mix of coconut milk and virgin coconut oil (way more flavorful than its non-virgin counterpart) add powerful nutty flavor. People may not believe you when you tell them it's made without dairy.

Just make sure your bananas are plenty ripe, and don't forget the splash of dark rum. Mai tais are optional, but come recommended.