Living in the cooler Pacific Northwest, summertime is the only time of year that I crave ice cream. But, when I have a craving, it hits hard.

Luckily there are a variety of wonderful local ice cream shops that feature vegan ice cream, but I still find these versions to be a bit too heavy and sugary. So I decided it was time to create my own “lighter” option that still tasted just as decadent and sweet as any other. And, you don’t even need an ice cream maker to enjoy this one!

For my ice cream, I used frozen bananas with a little coconut milk for the base. You can use either coconut milk beverage or canned coconut milk, but if you want a creamier version opt for the full-fat canned coconut milk. This ice cream can be made using a standard food processor and you won’t need any other special equipment. The bananas add a wonderful sweetness so I didn’t add any extra sweeteners in mine, but you can easily add some agave nectar, maple syrup, or another sweetener of your choice if desired.

Lavender Coconut Ice Cream

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut milk beverage or canned coconut milk

1 – 2 tablespoons edible lavender flowers (depending on how strong you want the flavor)

2 bananas, peeled, chopped & frozen

natural sweetener to taste, if desired

Directions:

Add coconut milk and lavender to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir thoroughly. Let steep, covered, for 20 – 25 minutes.

Strain mixture, reserving milk and discarding lavender. Pour into a freezer-safe container and freeze for several hours or overnight.

Once frozen, break apart the frozen coconut milk into chunks and add to a food processor. Add the chopped banana. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy, adding additional sweeteners if desired. This will create a creamy “soft serve.” If you want harder “ice cream,” put the mixture into the freezer for 15 – 20 minutes to harden, then scoop and serve.