As the name suggests, this ice cream is a dream. A sunny summer day filled with green grass, blue skies, and happy people kind of dream. And like most daydreams, this is a good one.

So ice cream, once again, veganified. As odd as that may sound to some, it really is a culinary miracle thanks to freezing temperatures and bananas that turn simple ingredients into creamy, dreamy, luscious dairy-free ice cream. However, if you’ve never experienced banana ice cream before, then you may be rightfully skeptical of so called nice cream. How, just how, can frozen bananas turn into ice cream without making the whole thing taste like a bad bottle of suntan lotion? Don’t you need, you know, cream?! I can’t tell you the science behind it, but I can tell you that frozen banana coins in a high-speed blender render the creamiest and most delicious soft-serve like ice cream around. And I promise it doesn’t taste like bananas.

Now, to amplify up the dreamy banana ice cream factor – we’re adding in fun little ingredients like maca powder, cacao powder, almond butter, and coconut butter. On their own, these ingredients are standouts; together, they’re a dream team. Rich cacao powder picks up the malty flavors of the maca, while almond butter and coconut butter provide an essential flavor and heavenly taste. Of course, all of these ingredients are incredibly nourishing for you and dose you up with all kinds of goodness including plenty of protein and healthy fats from the almond butter, fiber and essential minerals from coconut butter, tons of antioxidants from the cacao powder, and vitamins and energy boosting powers from maca powder.

Of course, this dreamy raspberry chia jam is where it’s at. As my overnight oats with raspberry chia jam continues to be one of the most popular recipes on my site, I figured I might as well post another good use for the red stuff. As chia jam is so simple to make, and raspberries are abundant right now, it seems awfully sensible to whip up fresh jam for banana ice cream all the time. Plus raspberries are packed with beautifying antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber and make a simply sweet and nourishing jam when combined with chia seeds.

Frozen bananas + rich cacao + malty maca + creamy almond butter + decadent coconut butter + sweet raspberry chia seed jam = one totally sweet dream.

Happy National Ice Cream Day ya’ll!

Chocolate Dream Ice Cream with Raspberry Chia Jam

Serves 4

Chocolate Dream Ice Cream:

5 ripe bananas, frozen
1 tablespoon maca powder
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon coconut butter
2 tablespoons cacao powder
½ cup cashew or almond milk

Slice bananas into coins and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Place frozen bananas in the base of a blender, along with maca, almond butter, coconut butter, cacao powder, and nut milk. Blend on medium-low, using a taper or rubber spatula to scrape down sides, until mixture is thick and creamy. Eat immediately (it’s best straight from the blender!!) garnished with raspberry jam, or spoon ice cream into a freezer safe dish, loaf pan, or container and let set in the freezer for 3-4 hours. When ready to serve, let sit out for 5 minutes to warm. Scoop and serve with raspberry chia jam (recipe below) and fresh raspberries. Enjoy!

Raspberry Chia Jam:

1 cup raspberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 tablespoon chia seeds

In a bowl or jar place raspberries, lemon juice, and raw honey. Use a fork to gently mash raspberries into a thick paste. Add chia seeds and stir to combine. Place in the refrigerator to set – at least 2-3 hours. Leftover jam will keep for 3-4 days.