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Epic Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream Pie

Today I am breaking my longstanding promise of never using chocolate and peanut butter in the same recipe. You see, at one point, my addiction to this combination was so out of control that half the recipes I posted included both chocolate and peanut butter. Things really got ugly when people started calling me the Two Ingredient Chef (for chocolate and peanut butter) 🙂 and I was forced to start avoiding these ingredients. That ends today. This one is just too good…

What we’re doing here is taking my popular banana ice cream recipe and turning it into a multi-layered pie. There’s a chocolate crust made from raw dates and nuts, a peanut butter banana ice cream layer, a chocolate banana ice cream layer, and a topping of fluffy coconut milk whipped cream.

This pie is mostly raw, it includes no processed sweeteners (just fruit), and can be made with a few simple ingredients and a food processor. One Ingredient desserts just don’t get much better than this.

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Makes 8+ servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cup nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.)
  • 6-8 medjool dates
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 5 cups frozen bananas
  • 3 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 2 (more) tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 16 oz can full-fat coconut milk
  • Dark chocolate shavings (optional)

1. The Crust Layer

This crust has become classic in my recipes. By mixing nuts and dates in a food processor, you can create an all-natural raw pie crust that can be used in a million different ways. To make this, combine about 1 1/2 cup of mixed nuts (I used walnuts and almonds) along with about 6 pitted medjool dates, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt. Let this run for 1-2 minutes until fully incorporated. Test it by pinching a small chunk between your fingers. If it sticks together, it’s good to go.

Add this to your pie pan (I used a 10-inch springform pan which was perfect, but a traditional pie tin might work just as well) and use your hands to even it out along the bottom of the pan. Pop the crust in the freezer, meanwhile…

2. The Peanut Butter Layer

These next two layers are basic banana ice cream with chocolate and peanut butter flavorings. Make the peanut butter layer first by combining 2 1/2 cups of frozen bananas (cut into slices) along with about 3 tablespoons of peanut butter. Blend until whipped and completely smooth. Then, use a spatula to spread this on top of the crust and place it back in the freezer.

3. The Chocolate Layer

For best results, allow the peanut butter layer to partially harden in the freezer so that it doesn’t blend when spreading the chocolate layer on top. However, this isn’t completely necessary if you’re strapped for time.

Back in the food processor, combine the other 2 1/2 cups of sliced frozen bananas along with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Again, process until whipped and then spread on top of the peanut butter layer. Return to the freezer.

4. The Whipped Cream Layer

Finally, make some coconut whipped cream to top the pie. As described in this post, a can of regular / full-fat coconut milk will separate into liquids and solids when chilled. The solids can be scooped into a bowl and whisked into a non-dairy whipped cream topping. I like to save this to be added just before serving for the right texture, but it does fine in the freezer as well.

When ready to serve, optionally garnish each slice with some shaved dark chocolate.

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16 Comments

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  1. Ha, I thought I’d check out what your site was up to, since I hadn’t stopped by in a while & saw you’d posted the last recipe 29 minutes ago! Wow, I have good timing! Thank you for this recipe! I love the “healthifying” (that’s an obscure technical word) of banana cream, chocolate cream, & PB pie all in one recipe while also reminding us of ice cream cake! I love chocolate & PB together, so I encourage you to keep up the good work of combining the two in recipes!

  2. This looks so delicious that I may not be able to resist 🙂 One question though: Is it better to soak the nuts before using them for the crust?

    • Thanks, Aga! 🙂 I would not recommend soaking the nuts. With the dates, the crust is already most enough, I don’t think adding additional moisture would be a good thing.

  3. Wow. This pie was to die for. I am not usually much of a pie person, but I loved this pie! My 9 year old saw me looking at the recipe when you posted it and said, “What’s that?” and then when I said we could make it together sometime, he asked me over and over when we could do it until we did it tonight. He did most of the work and was so, so proud of his delicious creation. My fond feelings for the whole experience are only partly from the pie. Thank you for the fun recipe that was so exciting for him (a reluctant healthy food eater) to make.

    • Danielle, this is the greatest comment ever – it made my day to read it 🙂 This is what real food is all about, isn’t it? Thank you so much for sharing your experience and I’m so glad you guys liked the pie!

  4. Hi Andrew, I have been an avid fan of yours for some time now and have enjoyed countless numbers of your creations. This pie was heavenly. I put it together one layer at a time over the last few days and tonight we got to savor its deliciousness. My husband declared it his all time favorite pie.

    • Darlene, that’s awesome!! Thank you for the kind words. I’m so happy to hear that you’ve been enjoying my recipes 😀

  5. I’ve made this pie at least three times now! It is SOOOO delicious and so simple! You don’t even realize that you’re eating bananas! One thing I noticed is that freezing the coconut whipped cream can make the pie very hard to cut. I like to save the whipped cream in the refrigerator until I’m ready to eat the pie, or I just eat the pie without it. It’s amazing either way! Thanks for sharing the recipe Andrew!

    • Oh, that’s awesome, Cait! Yes, the whipped cream can become very hard and it’s best added just before serving. Thanks so much for reporting back and letting me know that you liked it 😀

  6. Love love love this healthy dessert! My family love One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream and I know they’ll love this too! Pinning 😉

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