Have you heard of a Dirty Banana? I hadn’t until I sailed with Princess Cruises and I have to admit that the name alone made me laugh. Hard. However, the milkshake-like cocktail proved irresistible.

Spoiler alert: adult milkshakes are now on my favorites list. What’s not to love about a frozen drink/dessert combination?

Dirty Banana

This is a Caribbean inspired cocktail that tastes more like a milkshake than a cocktail. This is a super fun treat whether you’re cruising through a dream vacation or kicked back on your own back porch at home.

The Dirty Banana is absolutely unforgettable. And lucky for me? It’s easy enough to make at home in just minutes.

It’s almost too easy. Start by adding ice to the blender. Then add a splash of rum, kahlua, and coffee liqueur, 1/2 a banana, a splash of heavy cream, and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Hit blend and pour it into a glass. Top with whipped cream and sip happily.

The ingredient list might sound long, but you’re only adding a small splash of each liquor and the flavor that is delivered when they’re combined is fantastic.

Oh! I almost forgot. You can make a Not-So-Dirty Banana drink for the non-drinkers and the kids. Just skip the alcohol and add either 1/4 cup of milk or 1/4 cup of cold coffee. (I like both versions!)

Easy Peasy and absolutely delicious too! I probably shouldn’t have introduced my kids to this one, because it’s been dessert every night for a week.

And no, I have not been making one for myself each night along with them. But if anyone wants to visit me and give me an excuse to blend some more of these, I’m game.

Rich, dark, ultra-smooth, and creamy chocolate meets a hint of orange in sweet ice cream like no other you’ve ever tasted.

If you’re skeptical of the chocolate and citrus combination, one taste will be all it takes to convince you. (And if you don’t love the darkest of chocolate, any chocolate you love will work beautifully in this ice cream.)

Chocolate Orange Ice Cream

We tried a Chocolate Orange flavored ice cream while we were in Montreal and Sean declared it the best one he tried throughout our vacation.

It really was fantastic. So, naturally, I couldn’t resist trying my hand at recreating it. Four (maybe it was five ?) batches later, this ice cream has been declared one of Sean’s all-time favorites.

Do you love the chocolate and orange combination too? Don’t miss the EASY to make Chocolate Covered Oranges that my family adores!

Over the years, I’ve made this ice cream with extra dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, regular cocoa powder, and special dark cocoa powder too. It works every single possible way.

Sean and I love it best with the darkest of dark chocolate, however, my boys like it best with semi-sweet chocolate. The final color of the ice cream will be determined by how dark your chocolate is. As you can tell by the photos here, it will vary a good bit.

I’ve made this both with and without orange zest, as well as with store-bought juice. The zest makes a big difference in the results, especially when using fresh orange juice.

Fresh and store-bought orange juice will both work well. The fresh orange juice produces a milder flavor with a little more sweetness to it. The store-bought orange juice was just enough stronger than fresh I preferred it in the end.

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Dairy Free Chocolate Ice Cream that doesn’t taste dairy-free and doesn’t have any hint of coconut? YES! It is possible and it is fantastic!

Dairy Free Chocolate Ice Cream

Oh, friends, I am so very excited over this ice cream. I wanted a recipe for a true dairy free chocolate ice cream with no other flavors in the mix. This ice cream? It delivers that in every creamy, rich bite.

This ice cream has all the awesomeness of pure chocolate ice cream in a dairy-free coconut-free recipe!

We’re celebrating three weeks of new ice cream recipes this summer with a very cool ice cream maker giveaway! Enter to win the Cuisinart ICE-100 1.5-Quart Compressor Ice Cream Maker by CLICKING HERE and submitting your email. The giveaway ends July 8th, 2022.

The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!

Dairy Free Ice Cream Without Coconut Milk

I’ve tried several versions of dairy-free chocolate ice cream and while the texture, when made with coconut milk, is absolutely heavenly, that’s definitely a chocolate coconut ice cream.

This combination was inspired by the Oat Milk Shaken Espresso I shared a while back and a friend mentioning how much she dislikes tasting coconut milk in all of the dairy-free ice cream options that seem to be available these days.

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Two kinds of chocolate and real cream make this the best and easiest homemade chocolate ice cream you can make.

The deliciously rich chocolate flavor of this recipe comes from the combination of both cocoa powder and melted chocolate chips.

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream is one of my family’s guilty pleasures. My boys are forever coming up with combinations and ideas to try.

But nothing beats a classic like chocolate. We use this as a base to add cookies, berries, and all sorts of goodies to when we’re craving something a little different. The options are endless.

When making chocolate ice cream it is important to get a creamy chocolate base with the sugar and cocoa powder fully incorporated into the heavy cream. You will want to stay by the stovetop and continuously whisk your chocolate base so nothing burns.

How To Make Chocolate Ice Cream

To get a rich creamy ice cream not only do I use heavy cream, but whole milk is a must. Making ice cream just isn’t the place to cut calories.

While you’re welcome to make this using 2% or even skim milk, whole milk delivers the creaminess we love.

If you are chocolate ice cream lovers like we are, you’ll want to try this Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunks too. And for anyone with a dairy allergy, this Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream is a great alternative.

What about Dark Chocolate Almond Ice Cream with almonds and just the tiniest hint of cinnamon? Or a Chocolate Orange Ice Cream combination? Don’t knock that one until you try it!

We’re celebrating three weeks of new ice cream recipes this summer with a very cool ice cream maker giveaway! Enter to win the Cuisinart ICE-100 1.5-Quart Compressor Ice Cream Maker by CLICKING HERE an