Let’s take a moment to silently thank Gena for introducing the foodie blog world to the now well-known – and widely enjoyed – Banana Soft Serve. I for one have never tasted anything so decadent that consisted merely of one simple ingredient. When the weather turns warm, I freeze mass quantities of bananas for the sole purpose of whipping them into oblivion and slowly savoring scarfing down the creamy chilled deliciousness.
With the temperature in Boston hovering around 70 these past few days, I found myself caught between two opposing cravings: one was for a cold and creamy sweet treat and the other was for baking something delicious. During the summer, I have a tough time letting go of the homey aromas of baked goods emanating from the oven until the return of crisp fall weather. I decided to take advantage of the seasonally cool temperatures and crank the oven up to satisfy my desire for baking. The ingredient destined for the heat (and, ultimately, the freezer)? Bananas.
I cut up a few ripe bananas and roasted them until soft, caramelized, and fragrant. I allowed the roasted bananas to cool before chilling them in the freezer. Once the roasted bananas were completely frozen, they took a ride in the food processor until silky smooth and creamy.
The roasting process not only intensifies the flavor of the bananas, but also adds a rich caramel hue and sugary aroma. Although the original recipe for banana soft serve closes in on perfection, this adaptation is a special variation that I will certainly be repeating. If you have a bunch of ripe bananas sitting on your counter and are interested in using them to make something other than banana bread, give this Roasted Banana Soft Serve a try!
Roasted Banana Soft Serve
Serves 1-2
Ingredients:
- 3 very ripe large bananas
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Peel the bananas and cut into 1-inch pieces. Arrange banana pieces on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.
- Remove baking sheet from the oven and allow the roasted bananas to cool completely.
- Place cooled roasted banana pieces on a parchment paper-lined plate and freeze until solid. Transfer frozen roasted bananas to a freezer-safe zip-top plastic bag for future use OR proceed to step 6.
- When ready to transform the frozen roasted bananas into soft serve, remove the bananas from the freezer and place in a food processor or high-speed blender. Process or blend until the roasted frozen bananas take on a creamy & smooth consistency.
- Eat immediately!
