Tons of peanut flavor in the form of creamy ice cream and chewy date chunks, this Chunky Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream is a healthy breakfast or dessert!
When it comes to food holidays I am usually a beat behind and a day too late. Actually that is pretty much true when it comes to trends in general, but that’s a conversation for another time.
Did you know March is National Peanut Butter Month? (Just peanut, not butter–see how lost I am with this stuff?!)
If the answer is yes, then I applaud your peanut butter awareness and hope you have been living it up with all things peanut for the past 19 days.
If the answer is no, then hi friend we probably have a few things in common. And we have some peanut catch-up snacking to do too!
That I can help with…
Thankfully this peanut celebration lasts for a whole month–plenty of time to get my peanut recipe act together. And thankfully I have some amazing blogger friends who are not only more on top of the food celebration calendar than I am, but who are also joining me today and each sharing a peanut butter treat too. So that means 6 epic vegan peanut butter recipes to choose from. Or hey, there are still almost 2 weeks of March left, so you could even try them all!
I know I said it is technically National Peanut Month not National Peanut Butter Month, but peanut butter is by far the best form to eat these legumes in if you ask me. Creamy, rich, salty, sweet, and the perfect pair for chocolate. A few of the recipes in this bunch went in that delicious direction, but I stuck to straight peanut butter in the form of Peanut Butter Chunk Nice Cream.
Peanut butter nice cream is delicious all on it’s own. But for something a little more fun I added chewy, oversized, homemade peanut butter chunks to the mix. The chunks are made with just 3 ingredients–medjool dates, peanut flour (or powdered peanut butter), and coconut flour for coating. The coconut flour is optional, but helps control the stickiness.
You might be thinking: Why not just use peanut flour for coating? Because a few minutes after dusting it on that peanut flour will magically disappear, absorbed into the sticky chunk center. Coconut flour stays put and keeps your fingers date-stickiness free while rolling or snacking. Oh yes, those chunks do make a delicious snack all on their own!
For the nice cream (if you can resist the chunks long enough to get to this part), you can use more powdered peanut butter or regular peanut butter. The real stuff makes it extra rich and creamy, so that’s what I went with.
Two perfectly complimentary textures, only 5 simple healthy ingredients, and TONS of peanut butter flavor! Chopped peanuts on top are a nice touch too, or chocolate chips wouldn’t be such a bad idea in that spot either.
And now for more peanut butter goodness from a few fabulous blogger friends…
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownie Cups from The Coconut Diaries
Peanut Butter Blondie Brownies from Healthy Helper
Chocolate Chunk Coconut Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies from Love Me Feed Me
Raw Peanut Butter Banoffee Tarts from Choosing Chia
Peanut Butter Banana Chai Oatmeal Scones from Athletic Avocado
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With tons of peanut flavor in the form of creamy ice cream and chewy date chunks, this Peanut Butter Chunk Nice Cream is a healthy breakfast or dessert!
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Date Chunks
- 8–10 pitted Medjool dates
- 1/4 cup powdered peanut butter
- 1 tbsp coconut flour
Nice Cream
- 4–5 frozen bananas
- 2 tbsp peanut butter (or powdered peanut butter)
Instructions
- In a blender of food processor, combine the dates and powdered peanut butter. Process until it forms a sticky ball of dough.
- Roll into bite-sized chunks. Toss to evenly coat with the coconut flour. Set aside.
- Blend the nice cream ingredients until creamy and smooth.
- Stir in the peanut butter chunks saving a few for on top.
- Serve immediately as soft-serve or freeze for approximately 1 hour for a firmer, scoop-able ice cream.
- Top with additional chunks and a sprinkling of chopped peanuts. Enjoy!
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I’m definitely all about the nice cream, and I’m a huge fan of chunks in mine. I love dark chocolate, but I regularly take bits of energy bites/balls and break them up inside. And now it looks like I will have to make these peanut butter versions and put them inside . . . because how can you go wrong with a peanut butter and nice cream combination?
Mmmm but big chocolatey chunks in here would kinda be extra perfect?? It’s hard to wrong with nice cream period, but especially when these more dessert-y flavors get involved–so yum! Thanks Laura and wishing you a wonderful week!
This is a beautiful mug of peanut butter nice cream and I love the chunks in it! That would give it that cookie dough ice cream texture, major yum! Is that the mug I sent you?! It looks familiar, haha 😉 It looks even more beautiful with swirls of ice cream!
I did not know this was National Peanut Month, but funny since I happened to whip out the peanut butter today myself. Which is rare since I don’t eat it often. I made peanut butter balls today myself but they involved chocolate 😉
I can see how perfect this will be now that the weather is so nice out and warm now, that’s when I start thinking about ice cream more and more. All those other peanut butter recipes look to die for as well, I’m really drooling over the scones with all that frosting on them! This looks delicious Natalie and I love that you added bits of peanuts on top as well, love the texture contrast!
It is the mug!!! You can see now how long I have been sitting on this recipe, all the way since back when I told you I used the mugs. I may have gotten a little ahead of myself with the ice cream recipes lol. I really don’t eat it much either, sorry peanut but cashew is tastier in most instances. But with chocolate it’s still my favorite. Somehow I’m not surprised to went that direction, and I am quite excited to see this deliciousness!!?
Cannot believe the creaminess and peanut buttery-ness this has! Oh my goodness! These is nothing more that I want right now than a GIANT bowl of thisssssss <3
Gah we need just a massive peanut butter party right about now with all these treats in one room!! So. Much. YUM!
Such a beauty! I want to add those peanut buttery chunks of joy to just about everything I eat! Thankfully I have some bananas almost at the perfect freezing ripeness so I can make this creamy dreamy banana goodness. Every one of these pictures kills me – so beautiful!
If only we were in closer proximity I have a feeling your cookies in place of those chunks would be pretty marvelous for texture and flavor and all the ice-creamy-meets-cookie reasons??
Yeah I definitely don’t think I’ll make it long enough to get to the Nice Cream part… Stunning photography as always! I’m drooling over this.
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Hahaha! Both of our recipes seem to have that stop halfway through and start eating risk factor going on don’t they? 😀 Thanks Kim!
This ice cream looks absolutely delicious Natalie! the peanut butter date chunks are such a great idea too, and I love how healthy and natural the whole recipe is! Pinned! <3
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They are a delicious little snack all their own! But I love something chunky/chewy hidden in my ice cream, the textural contrast is so yum 🙂 Thanks girl!
Nat you killed this recipe!! I love how so many of us were on the same page of using peanut flour in our recipes!! It’s just SO good! Love that this uses dates as well. You know my love affair with dates! 😉 Can’t wait to try this for a cool, creamy treat!!
Dates and peanuts pair quite well, don’t they? My ice cream on top of your blondie brownies would be amazing–dreaming about that now!! Peanut flour is awesome stuff, so easy to work into recipes and quite the potent peanut flavor too! It was a delicious bunch for sure 🙂
UM, how’d you know that I NEEDED peanut butter nice cream today??? How?? I’ve been planning on whipping up some PB nice cream for ages… but now that I can just stare and drool at yours, perhaps I’ll delay such plans. 🙂 Also, March is National Peanut Months??? Whaaaaa? How did I not know this?? I should be on their official list or something by now… Haha. Those PB date chunks are making me drool like crazy! What can I do about getting a couple of these to come my way?? Happy Monday, nay Happy National Peanut Month to you, my bestie! Love ya to the PB Moon and beyond. xoxo
You didn’t even know about this month long peanut party and yet you still managed to pull off a perfectly peanut recipe for the occasion! Or actually a few now, huh? Knocking out two holidays with one cute little egg recipe 🙂 The only way you are going to get a mug full is in exchange for an entire carton of peanut butter chocolate-squiggle eggs. Or better yet, let’s combine it all in one big messy bowl and grab a couple of spoons! Sound good? ❤️❤️?
I am SO with you regarding the food holidays – so fun, but way too many for me to even wrap my head around keeping up with! I’m thankful you’ve brought the peanut one to my attention, though – and I totally agree that there’s no other way to eat peanuts than in the form of beloved peanut butter! I’m sooo obsessed with texture especially in desserts, so this nice cream looks absolutely perfect. Plus, any time the words “peanut butter” and “chunk” are in the same sentence, you know it’s going to be good!! More peanut butter = better, always.
Well this is loaded with peanut butter so I like your logic! Seriously I almost added some chocolate chips just to break up all the peanut butter flavor towards the end of the mug haha…I love it when chocolate can solve snack problems 🙂 But hey it’s peanut butter month, so might as well go all out! I say all the food holidays need to be a month long to give us a chance to coordinate a recipe appropriately, it’s only fair 😀
I made this for dessert tonight and I’m happy/sad to report it’s all gone! The peanut date balls were incredible and we’re lucky there were any left to mix in the nice cream since I ate one for every 2 I rolled! I sprinkled some chopped peanuts and a little grated chocolate on top because chocolate ? Another fantastic recipe Natalie!
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Those little chunks are dangerous, aren’t they?! Maybe I should’ve nixed the coconut flour, now they are too easy to grab with no sticky finger evidence even? Hehe I am so happy you liked them and the whole ice cream situation altogether!! “…because chocolate” ? best logic ever. Thanks Diana❤️
Heh. I’ve soooo been there trying to coat things in peanut flour ?
And peanut month?! Let me describe what happened in my brain when I read that:
“peanut month? MONTH? whaaaa? …month… hmmm… what are the other 12 months filled with? And wait, is a month limited to 1 food per month? if so what happens to all the other food?! If I had to choose only 12 foods because there are only 12 months, what would they be? Well peanut butter would definitely be one of them… also bananas. And maple syrup.. But wait, which “nation” is it again that declared a national peanut month? Maybe the other 11 food choices can be based around that… Oh wait, whoah there brain! — I’m here to read about Natalie’s chunky peanut butter nice cream” ???
bahahaha!! I am totally cracking up at this brain narration?? I’m guessing there can be more than 1 per month otherwise National Celery Month would’ve been booted long ago (it’s May btw, in case you wanted to plan ahead?). I love ya soup, but not THAT much. Not enough to a lot you one of 12 precious spots. Or we would have to move to a different country each month based on which one had the current best food holiday…oh boy this is getting tricky? Hmm now I am wondering what 12 I would choose…? Oh I love the way you think, thanks for the laugh❤️
definitely a pass on celery month ? Also kind of disappointed my birthday month is celery of all things 😮
Well it’s also chocolate custard month if that makes you feel any better 🙂 Yes I did have to look all this up ha!
I think I officially have the randomest food month ever ?
Well, I had zero clue it was peanut month…but then again, I am always behind or missing these fun food days/months! This looks like the PERFECT way to celebrate peanut (butter). Oh, my goodness! Those little date bites look dangerous and after seeing the remake on Diana’s Instagram page, I have learned that they in fact are. Whenever we indulge in a cookie dough or chocolate chunk ice cream, we’re always digging for the chunks…and they’re always so little. Now THESE are the kind of chunks we love! What a fun recipe, Natalie! I think I still have some PB powder in our pantry, so I’ll have to make this for Willow. I’ll have to check out the other PB recipes here, too! xo
I found a master food holiday calendar online while I was writing this, and it’s no wonder we are lost and behind all the time because they are about as random as can be? Who comes up with this stuff?? Yes the chunk digging–my favorite part about mixins! I was that kid who would put a carton of ice cream back in the freezer that seriously looked like a sculpture or something because I had dug out all the chunks and just left the ice cream for someone else?? Oddly enough no one ever wanted it? Those chunks are almost as dangerous as chocolate chips…almost☺️ Thanks for reading! xoxo
How did I not know March was peanut month?! Oh my… I guess we have something in common. Hah. On my defense, I was busy with March being nutrition month and I live with a peanut allergy, so I can’t eat peanut butter this year (oh how I miss it!).
I’m trying this recipe as soon as I can though! Happy peanut month! 🙂
Hehe welcome to the behind food holidays club? Oh that would be tricky! Maybe just grab a jar of a different nut of seed butter that you both can have and give it a shot! Creamy ice cream richness in other nutty flavors is good too?
Yes, I’ve fallen in love with sunflower seed butter this year! truly addictive. 😀
Oups, I live with a friend that’s allergic to peanuts if that makes more sense! 😉
Hello!! I love your page and all the dessert you create, but I would like to know the brand of your blender, because I am looking to buy me a good one and I am not sure which brand is the best to blend everything, and make dough with nuts and all of that.
Can you please help me????
I use a Vitamix blender for all my recipes and videos, and I absolutely love it. It does everything–smoothies, ice creams, nut meals/flours, nut butters, etc–I highly recommend it! But I must warn you they are not cheap, although mine has lasted me many years already and is still going strong. Hope that helps!
I’ve never had powered peanut butter before but I decided to give it a go to try this recipe. I was not disappointed. This is a very decadent and delicious recipe! Will definitely make again. Thanks.
I love the font used when leaving a comment. It looks different than before.
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Oooh fun, I’m so glad you went for it! I am always amazed by how strong the flavor is with the powdered peanut butter, it’s fun to have another form to sneak pb into recipes with. Yes it is a different font, I’ve been doing some website tweaking. Happy that you like it, always good to get another opinion because I can be very indecisive with this stuff 🙂
I’m the same. I can spend a lot of time debating the right font to use!
Haha but it’s kinda fun too 🙂
WOW! This looks so amazing and yummy! Especially seem to be more than addictive… i mean PB AND DATES!
😉
But: Can i substitute the coconut flour with something not soooo expensive (it’s quite expensive here) 🙁
Thanks for your answer and help in advance! 🙂
Mmm yes, such a delish combo! You can just leave off the coconut flour, the chunks will be stickier that way but once you mix them into the ice cream it will be fine 🙂 Enjoy!
WOW #2! (What a fast reply!=
Thank you very much Natalie! 🙂
And especially for understanding the second sentence… it seems “the chunks” got lost somewhere… oO
Thanks again, now i can try this amazing (n)ice cream! 🙂
I made them without the flour and put the sticky mass in the freezer for about 30 minutes. It was easier to work with and tasted great.
Another great tip and review! i’ll that thanks! 🙂
Yay!! I am so happy that worked 🙂
This sounds and looks completely delicious! I love peanut butter best of all. I love the combo of coconut flour and dates here!
So many yummy ingredients in this mug, kinda reminds me of the deliciousness of a PB stuffed date but inside out! And colder of course 🙂 Thanks Jessie!
My life has been forever changed by nice cream, and I thank heaven for that every day! LOVE this version- the PB is a perfect compliment!
I know what you mean Karly, ice cream for breakfast on the regular and I can still feel healthy about it–amazing! I’m getting so excited for all-the-ice-cream season already 🙂
I love chunks along with ice cream. I ever eat from https://goo.gl/MUK46S. They are so tasty
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Mmm me too! The two different textures altogether in one bite is so yummy??
Trying this right now!! So amazing. The peanut butter chunks are genius!
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They are like their own little chewy chunk treat, right? I hope the ice cream part comes out just as yummy! 🙂
Just wondering, with that many bananas, how does it not taste like only bananas? I’ve made other “nice creams” before that had bananas, even with other ingredients, that’s all I could taste. I do like bananas but that wasn’t the taste I was going for.
Hmmm maybe it’s just a personal opinion then. When it comes to nice cream, if there are other strong-flavored ingredients like chocolate or peanut butter or even berries I really don’t taste the banana. Maybe your palate is just more sensitive than mine, but in that case you will likely taste the bananas here too 🙂
Hi Natalie 🙂 you never cease to amaze me with your creative yet simple food creations! One question: I have raw peanuts, can I turn them into flour with my blender / food processor? If yes, should I roast them before or process them in their raw form? I await your reply and thanks in advance!
Hi Christina! Raw peanuts can be ground into peanut flour, but not the same kind of peanut flour/powdered peanut butter as I used here. Powdered peanut butter has the fat/oil removed so it’s almost fat free and VERY absorptive because of that, so not the same thing. However since these chunks are pretty simple, in this case grinding peanuts and then adding dates and processing it all will work to make the chunks too! Hmm I would probably roast them first, but really either way will be fine😊