How to Make Smoothie Ice Cream - 15 Mins - Healthy Dessert

This recipe was created for my family out of necessity: I love dessert, my family loves ice cream, we try to eat healthy and the three did not mix well.

The smoothie ice cream tastes very similar to homemade ice cream, but a batch can be created in less than 15 minutes. It's great for families on-the-go too!

Needed Items/Ingredients:

Blender
Long handled spoon or spatula
frozen strawberries
fresh fruit (any fruit that you like best or have on hand)
milk and/or 100% fruit juice
storage containers - I prefer to use canning jars


*For my smoothies, I used lots of fresh grapes and one plum,with 1/2 fruit juice and 1/2 milk (for the liquid).

If your fresh fruit is large or pitted, cut it into chunks and/or remove any pits, so as not to damage your blender. The type of fresh fruit that you use really doesn't matter, so chose ones that you like best or that you currently have in your kitchen.

Place a handful of the frozen strawberries in the blender. Next add an equal amount of fresh fruit as frozen strawberries. Finally add in your low-fat milk and/or 100% fruit juice. The liquid should just cover the frozen strawberries.

Place the top on the blender and use the 'ice crush' feature until the strawberries are chopped up. You will need to pause the blender and push the strawberries towards the blade a few times during this process. Just make sure that you do not stick the spoon into the mixture until the blades stop spinning and only start the blender back when the top is returned.

Next use the 'smoothie' button on your blender to throughly mix all ingredients. Again you may need to stir the mixture during this process.

Take the top off and check the taste and thickness. If the smoothie is too thick - add more milk or juice, if it's too thin - add more frozen strawberries.

TIPS:
If the smoothie is too thick - add more milk or juice, if it's too thin - add more frozen strawberries. To add sweetness add more fruit juice or a bit of honey, if it's too sweet add unflavored yogurt or more milk.

When your mixture tastes to your liking and is the right consistency (thickness), pour the liquid into your containers, and return the lid to the containers. Finally place each smoothie into the freezer.

Let set for a few hours, and then enjoy!


TIP: You can also substitute the frozen strawberries for any other frozen fruit. I've enjoyed using blueberries and pineapple chunks before.