Blueberry, Banana, and Peanut Butter Frozen Treat

Remember when you were a kid and your parents told you you're not allowed to have ice cream for breakfast? Well, guess what, Mom - it's my kitchen now, and I'll eat what I want! I love making this kind of delicious ice cream alternative for breakfast or lunch on a hot summer day. It's much healthier than ice cream, completely dairy-free, and a great pick-me-up when you need a little sweetness in your life.

For this particular dish, I used my Yonanas frozen dessert maker. Normally, I'm not a huge advocate of single-use kitchen toys (as I outline over in my pantry staples piece), but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I love this thing and use it often. Since I know not everyone has one, though, for this recipe I've tried to offer some alternatives tools that are a little more common.

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Ingredients

• 2 frozen bananas, left on the counter to soften for 5-7 minutes

• 1 cup of frozen blueberries

• 2 tbsp peanut butter powder+

• 1.5 tbsp water

• 2 tbsp chopped nuts (optional)

• 2 tbsp fresh blueberries (optional)

Directions

• Start by preparing your peanut butter. Begin by mixing the powder with 1 tbsp water. It will probably be a little thick and chunky, so mix in a little more water in small increments until you get it to a consistency that you like. It should be a little runnier than normal peanut butter because you need to be able to pour it. The consistency is totally up to you and your tastes, though.

• If you're using a Yonanas (or similar frozen treat contraption) start by adding half of a frozen banana and letting it run through the machine (follow the typical instructions for your device). Next, add in a quarter cup of frozen blueberries. Alternate between banana halves and frozen blueberries until they've all been sent through.

• If you don't have a contraption like this, you can toss everything into a food processor or blender and carefully blend until everything is combined. You don't want to put them through for too long, or you'll lose the ice cream like consistency, and get something more like a chunky smoothie. Alternatively, I've read that an immersion blender can also get the job done. I haven't tried this, though, so I cannot give good advice on how to make this work. Play around with it, though! No harm in exploring!

• Serve into a bowl if you've used a method that doesn't spoot your treat directly into one.

• Once everything is nice and combined, it's time to add your toppings! Start by drizzling the peanut butter all over the good stuff. Top with whatever you want! I used a few "chopped" walnuts (broken up by hand), and a couple of tablespoons of fresh blueberries.

Notes

+ it's completely fine to use any other kind of nut butter here - it's your dish, make it however you want! If you don't have peanut butter powder, pre-made stuff will work, too. Just slowly mix in little bits of water until it's at a consistency that allows you to pour it over your treat.