VeganMoFo 1: Raw Chocolate Hemp Seed Ice Cream

I can't believe a whole year has passed since the last VeganMoFo (Vegan Month of Food)!  I participated for the first time in 2012.  It gave me a chance to resurrect this little blog, which I first initiated in 2009, but let fall by the wayside for a few years.  Oops.  I was pretty exhausted after last year's VeganMoFo, but also thrilled to read so many creative vegan-themed blog posts from around the world on a daily basis.  It also gave me an opportunity to connect with other bloggers via blog comments, Instagram, or Twitter.  It truly is a special month.  Like last year, I don't have a VeganMoFo theme...unless "anything goes" counts as a theme. :)

To kick off VeganMoFo 2013, I thought I'd post something sweet and simple: ice cream! Autumn is right around the corner, but before I go crazy with pumpkin-mania, here's a cool and refreshing four-ingredient dessert in honor of the warm and sunny days of summer.

Makes about 4 servings

3 bananas
3 tablespoons raw hemp seeds
3 tablespoons cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon maple syrup

1. Peel and slice the bananas into about 1-inch thick pieces.  Place in an airtight container and freeze for about 3 hours.
2. Blend the frozen bananas, hemp seeds, cacao or cocoa powder, and maple syrup in a blender or food processor until smooth.
3. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for another hour or so until firm.

Okay, so that was almost too easy.  I said it would be sweet and simple!  The irony here is that I'm not an ice cream person at all.  I rarely eat it.  But I had to try the frozen banana technique.  I'm so glad I did because this was such a delightful treat...creamy, not too sweet, and healthy.  You can omit the hemp seeds if you don't have any.  It's just that my new obsession is to put hemp seeds in and on everything. :)

Enjoy!  And let the VeganMoFo games begin!