This weekend here in Los Angeles we were experiencing a record-breaking heat wave. It was 90 degrees. Look, I’m not saying that to rub it in. That heat is miserable to me. I’m like a cranky old woman in desperate need of a nap when it’s that hot. (Not to mention I wasn’t all that fond of the earthquake that followed Monday morning. Earthquakes–they scare the Speckaloos out of me). I say all of that as my transition to talk about ice cream because crafty transitions are what I’m all about (and clearly not so good at). But back to ice cream–it’s what I have been craving the past couple of days. So ice cream I made. In fact, I invented the Fork & Beans’ (online) Raw Vegan Ice Cream Shoppe (not a real thing). Serving up raw vegan milkshakes, root beer floats (though those aren’t exactly raw but still!) and raw vegan banana splits to cool me down.
RELATED: Dairy Free Banana Pudding
Let’s first chat about the raw hot fudge, caramel sauce, and nondairy whipped cream. Then again, who doesn’t want to talk about sweet, rich, decadent sauces and toppings that happen to actually be good for you? Don’t answer if that is you. What’s that you say? Maraschino cherries and sprinkles aren’t healthy for you? If you want to live a life without those, go on with your bad self. I’ll take your portion. Just replace with fresh cherries and omit the sprinkles. But that would be a damn shame…
RELATED: Breakfast Banana Splits
Phew. Are you still with me? Good! Look, I know that this seems like an overwhelming recipe but I promise you when I say that it’s not rocket surgery.* And I’m sure that some of you are thinking to yourselves, why on God’s green earth doesn’t she just buy a damn container of premade vegan ice cream and call it a day? It’s like what I always say: I enjoy this crap. I really do. Oh and did I mention that there is no refined sugar in these Raw Vegan Banana Splits? Maybe that might be a selling point…
*I want you to know that I know it’s actually rocket science.
Refined sugar free, these Raw Vegan Banana Splits are full of fruit and nuts to make this classic dessert into a healthier, more energizing option!
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PinIngredients
For Raw Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream
- 2 c. raw unsalted macadamia nuts or cashews, soaked for 2+ hours, drained
- 2 c. water
- 1 c. (approx.18) Medjool dates, soaked for 2+ hours and drained
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil (optional, for that smooth texture)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- *This will be divided into thirds for the strawberry and chocolate ice cream base.
For Raw Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream
- 1/3 of vanilla ice cream base
- 1 c. frozen strawberries
For Raw Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream
- 1/3 of vanilla ice cream base
- 1/2 avocado
- 2 Tbsp. raw cacao powder (or regular cocoa powder)
- pinch of sea salt
For the Rest:
- 2 bananas, peeled and sliced in half
- Raw vegan fudge
- Raw vegan caramel sauce
- Raw whipped cream
- chopped nuts of choice
- cherries for topping
- sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender (you need this), blend together the ingredients for the vanilla ice cream base until smooth. You want this to be on the thick side but not too thick like nut butter. It should whip up in the blender with some ease. Add 1 tablespoon at a time to attain the right consistency.
- Place 1/3 of the mixture into a container and place in the freezer.
- For the chocolate ice cream: Add 1/3 of the vanilla base, cocoa powder, avocado and salt together in the blender until smooth. Place into a container and place in the freezer.
- For the strawberry ice cream: First rinse out the blender. Add the remainder 1/3 vanilla ice cream base along with the frozen strawberries and blend until smooth. Place into a container and chill in the freezer.
- It should take about 2-3 hours for the cream to set. You will get 2 very large scoops of ice cream per flavor. Top with all the goodies your heart desires.
Nutrition
- Calories: 3879
- Sugar: 219g
- Sodium: 579mg
- Fat: 291g
- Saturated Fat: 47g
- Unsaturated Fat: 35g
- Carbohydrates: 339g
- Fiber: 60g
- Protein: 47g
- Cholesterol: 105mg
RELATED: Raw Skillet Brownies
I don’t know about you but I’m more exhausted writing this recipe out then actually making it. Now let’s go eat raw vegan banana splits, shall we? We deserve it after all, right? I mean, you just read this entire post and I just wrote it. Who brought the spoons?
This recipe looks like it requires a lot of steps, but I think i’ll manage. It looks delicious, especially since summer is coming up!
Oh Man ALIVE!
WOW this looks soooo amazing, can’t wait to try this!
Where can we buy vegan sprinkles?
Wow, this banana split looks absolutely delicious and that too vegan!! I am in!!
Amazing dessert Cara! 😀
Looks so delicious and SO terribly tempting! It’s too late here (it’s past midnight in Barcelona, Spain) but I’d so run to the kitchen and eat this raw vegan banana split. Haven’t enjoyed one in ages…*sigh*.
xoxo
I literally just freaked out when I saw this. The vanilla ice cream base looks pretty simple and delicious =) Thank you for sharing, and I also LOVE the set up and styling you did for this!
Banana splits! Woo hoo! Yummmmm. I was going to say you can up to Alaska to escape the heat…but…we have oodles of earthquakes. They don’t scare me but throw a tornado warning at me and I am gone like the wind. We obviously don’t get those up here. This looks like the perfect dish to beat the heat.
Wow! Even though it was 0C on my walk home (32F yes?) I am now craaaaving this! The pictures are drool worthy and the recipe even more so! I would sooo make the journey to LA to have one if it was possible!
Should we first talk about the fact that you were taking a walk at 32*F???
Yum, this is the most delicious looking banana split I’ve ever seen! Though it barely reached 45 degrees today here in New York, I do sympathize. I lived in the valley for a couple years without an a/c, and I nearly died.
45 degrees–I remember living in Chicago and when it hit 30 degrees I would think, wow, it’s getting warm out 😉 And where in the valley did you live?? That’s where I am! And I barely have an AC. Miserable.
Yes, Chicago winters are the worst. I moved from Chicago to LA in the middle of January. The sidewalks were so badly frozen over that the movers wouldn’t come.
I lived in North Hollywood, but I bet it’s much hotter in other parts of the valley. It was hot enough for me, though haha. I hope it cools off soon 🙂
I’m in NoHo too!! How funny is that?!
Haha, no way! I lived right off Tujunga Avenue. I sure miss NoHo! It’s a really a great area.
Dude. We would have been neighbors!
Oh Lordy Lord!! If it wasn’t for the never ending winter up North in Canada, I would be alll over this banana split, eating it while attempting to do a split (to burn off all the calories):D
Thanks for the recipe, Cara! Looks great 🙂 Bookmarking for warmer days, for sure!
Sounds like Ana needs to make a trip to LA for some ice cream. hehe
Oh wow. WOW. That’s ridiculous! I had no idea that your post was actually about healthy stuff until I read the actual recipes. Don’t you love that? Convincingly indulgent yet good for you! Genius work. Amazing post. I will be getting my mitts into these recipes asap! x
See now, that is the best kind of compliment. Getting healthy food to actually look decadent and not-so-good for you! Hooray, I tricked you 🙂
Wow your recipes look amazing. And your photography is absolutely gorgeous. I stumbled upon your website recently and I’m hooked. But seriously, those photos of the “ice cream” look like real dairy ! Mouth watering . I haven’t been able to enjoy any dairy in quite a long time and sorely miss real dairy ice cream (altho my hips don’t,! Lol). Can’t wait to try your recipes. Thank you!
Good grief Liz, what a super sweet thing to say–thank you so much! I hope you love what you find over here and if you have any questions, just let me know. xo!
Yum
Couldn’t have said it better myself 😉
AHHHH! Love this!! Not so crazy about the heat, and I’m not sure if I’ve ever experienced an earth quake… but definitely filing this one away for a summer picnic/party/potluck!! Great way to celebrate the Spring equinox! 😀
Also, just wanted to make sure you know I LOVE the idea of a F&B ice cream food truck! Brillllliant 😉
You never WANT to experience an earthquake but a raw vegan banana split? Oh yeeeeesssss.
Putting ice cream food truck on the list of things to do. haha
Hi Cara!! Love this recipe!!! Looks delicious and I can’t wait until it is warm enough on the ice coast to make this!!!
About the coconut whipped cream- I actually detail how to do this step by step in one of my YouTube videos! (The video is how to make a gluten free, vegan Pumpkin Roll- the coconut whipped cream starts at about 6 minutes in!)If you’re interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gHvGA7NwGM
https://alovelysideproject.wordpress.com/
xo, Lauren
Perfect, what a great resource Lauren. Thank you for that!
OK seriously you are a fricken genius with all of this. I seriously love how creative you are with your recipes and how much fun you have. This recipe is killer!! I can’t wait to try your ice cream, too. Thanks so much for linking up to my coconut cream tutorial, you’re the best 😉
Well, thank YOU for creating an incredible tutorial that I can refer others over to TY 🙂 hehe.
A vegan banana split bar would be a dream come true…even better if it was in an Airstream food truck that would drive to my neighborhood right now. 🙂
Thanks for the recipes…cheers!
Ooooooohhh a banana split bar, YES! You are onto something here…
UMMM that is a brilliant idea!!! I’d be there in a heartbeat! 😉 Fork & Beans banana split bar / food truck, mmmm! Get on it, Cara! ;D
So bossy! Yes ma’am!
you are an amazing woman. i was actually in panic mode looking through these pictures, thinking about how much i want to recreate EVERYTHING. when will i find the time? i don’t know… but i feel like it’s a must.
No panicking! I will feed you ice cream to calm you down. haha. Come over and I will personally spoon feed you 🙂
I love this ice cream method, I can’t wait to try it! Oh and every topping..YES!
Every topping is a MUST Abby 🙂
LOL. We had a snowstorm yesterday…
We couldn’t be on more opposite spectrums. ha! Praying for a little sun your way…
Love your post about the snow and the heat you are experiencing. We’re in Sacramento and it’s been very nice up here, in the 70’s. Company is coming from the East Coast next week and the Banana Splits will be a great treat. Our friend turned us on to vegan. Thanks.
Hooray! Ice Cream for everyone!!! 😉 xo
These blow my mind! I will def be making! Okay I totally have to ask, do you eat all your recipes? You’re just so skinny I can’t imagine you eating anything that’s not celery! I’ve heard if bloggers making things but not eating them and it is so peculiar to me
haha. Well first of all, thank you JL–I really hope you like this recipe–it was such a fun thing to create! And yes, I do in fact eat what I make 🙂 I need to know if it’s good enough to post here (or at least that is what I tell myself–ha). I fully support a lifestyle of balance, I really do. I never deprive myself or label certain foods “BAD.” If I want potato chips, I eat them (and I do so on a weekly basis–true story!) and I probably drink more scotch than I should 🙂 But the truth is I really do have to work hard to maintain where I am at. If I had to choose between never eating French fries again or working an extra 20 minutes at the gym I would choose the latter in a heartbeat. I love food too much.
Okay, did I give a long response or what??! Much love, xo!
I am a major hot weather person but I live in the Tundra. This year has been so bad I can’t even imagine making or eating ice cream right now, but I’m definitely going to save this for the day when mother nature will allow me to enjoy this!
Okay Nora, I propose this: Let’s trade places 🙂 xo
90 degrees – Really? and who gets excited over a 4.4….hmmm? Makes me homesick 🙁
Now I want that banana split – looks amazing!
XOXOXO
–
My 3 most favorite things about the earthquake:
1). Matt’s reaction. He was literally pulling my arm, dragging me out of my fogging state of mind yelling “Earthquake!!” and trying to get me under a door frame. Funny part? He hit his shin on the bed in the midst of it, making him the one and only hurt victim of such a massive 4.4 earthquake.
2). The look of the new reporter’s face when he realized it was an earthquake. Just utter fear.
3). The news. Stopping everyone on the street to describe what they felt. THEY FELT THE EARTH SHOOK, you dummies!
Move back now! We can share a banana split 🙂 xo
I thoroughly enjoyed your friendly and clever banter. I’m really excited to give the recipe a try; haven’t had a banana split in over 10 years!
Thank you so much Jennifer!! 10 years is waaaaaayyyy too long. Go now. Make splits. Hurry! xo, Cara
Phew. That was more work than making the ice cream! Everything looks so amazingly good (yeah, THAT’s a surprise). Anyway it’s on my increasingly long list of Fork & Beans recipes to make when all those Chiropractors I’ve been seeing finally set my ribs and I am once again pain free. Of course the Cinnamon Rolls would probably do the same because they’re magic. They must be, you made them. <3
Girl, you BETTER get pain free stat or I will have to shove ice cream down your throat until you do 🙂
Did that work?
xo
It will. When do you arrive? 😉 Seriously I’m on the 3d Chiropractor and it’s gonna be a while but the screaming has stopped. See? Earthquakes aren’t the only fun to be had. <3
Laurel, I don’t like hearing that.
I’ll be there in the morning.