beet and chocolate ice cream

Confession, I had to make this recipe twice because the first time I made it I practically ate the whole thing out of the pan. Seriously! I didn't even put it in the freezer to let it harden because I made it around 3 pm and my afternoon snacking monster kicked in and I have a weakness for chocolate. But it's cacao powder and beets. Not sugar and high fructose corn syrup. It's vegetable chocolate healthiness! Luckily I made half a batch the first round to see if I really liked it. Yup, I think I might be in love.

Let me give a caveat that I have given up chocolate multiple times and after visiting Switzerland and having the best chocolate in the world, I can't handle most chocolates now unless they are dark and a good quality brand. I'm used to the bitter taste so if you are someone who likes things super sweet then this might be a little too bitter for you. The dates, vanilla and honey add sweetness so you may need to adjust more or less depending on how sweet prefer it. Call it ice cream, frosting, I'm not sure what to call it other than delicious.

I was wasting time on facebook (which I wish I wouldn't do so often) but luckily saw someone had posted a photo of beet and chocolate ice cream. I just discovered I love roasted beets and happened to have some at home that I was going to roast the next day but instead I decided to try this recipe. I know what you are thinking - beets and chocolate? That's disgusting! I hear you, I understand and yet I almost ate half the batch my first go around. It's a slightly sweet, creamy chocolaty blend with a beautiful burgundy beet color. It's pretty and tastes good. Win-win.

It was so easy to make by just blending it up in my ninja and I stored the remains in the freezer. The little remains that there were but remains none the less. Yum! Did I mention yum?

The original recipe comes from the blog by Ashley at PractiGanic. I substituted macadamia nuts or pecans for cashews due to my nut allergy. I haven't tried to use it as a frosting but she recommends it. I imagine it would taste great on some cupcakes!

Beet and Chocolate Ice Cream

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:
2 cups beets, peeled and chopped (raw - not cooked)
1 cups dates, pitted
1/2 cups cashews (macadamia nuts or pecans worked too)
1 large avocado
3/4 cups cocoa powder
1/3 cups coconut oil (unrefined)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp raw honey

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth. 

If you are like me, you can eat it right out of the blender or if you have better self control, put parchment paper down on an 8x8 pan and spread. Store in the freezer. Let it sit out for about 10 minutes to thaw a little so you can scoop it out. Enjoy!