I’ve become obsessed with fit ice creams, the ones that are more genuine yet still satisfying to the palate! A good compromise for those who want to get back in shape or maintain a lower calorie intake while still indulging in a true moment of sweetness! This banana and coffee sorbet is almost like ice cream in texture and deliciousness, fresh and light, it will be the perfect snack for those who love this beverage! The combination of the sweetness of the banana and the bitterness of the coffee finds a perfect balance without adding extra sugars. However, for those who prefer a sweeter touch, they can still add one or two teaspoons of honey to the final mixture before freezing it. When serving, you can garnish your cup with dark chocolate shavings or, if like me, you choose the solution without sweetener, opt for much sweeter white chocolate!
If you, like me, always desire something sweet but don’t want to overdo it with calories or the saturated fats typical of traditional desserts and ice creams, try these variants too:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 8 Hours
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATION LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing through my blog helps support me and my work, while it costs you nothing extra!
- 2 bananas (ripe)
- 1 tablespoon coffee (cold)
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant barley (with coffee)
- to taste decorative sugar sprinkles (chocolate)
- grated coconut (optional)
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Food bag
- 1 Coffee maker
- 1 Mixer
Steps
For convenience, I recommend starting the fruit freezing phase the night before, but 8 hours are sufficient. Proceed as follows: peel the bananas which should be quite ripe.
Slice them coarsely on a cutting board into rounds, but if you fear your mixer is not powerful enough, I recommend chopping them into smaller pieces.
Put the banana slices into a food bag suitable for freezing and seal it. Place the bag in the freezer for at least 8 hours, but overnight is better.
Prepare a cup of espresso coffee with your favorite blend without adding sugar. Let it cool slightly and then put it in the freezer for 30′.
After the time in the freezer, pour directly into a mixer both the cold espresso coffee and the frozen banana slices, then also add the cocoa powder.
Finally, add the instant barley coffee which is easily found on the market*.
Run the mixer a couple of times for about 5’’-6’’** until you get a smooth, homogeneous, and creamy mixture.
Serve the ice cream immediately in nice cold cups previously placed in the freezer, and put it back in the freezer for a maximum of 30’, especially if it’s very hot, before enjoying it. Garnish with chopped dark chocolate or, to give a sweeter note, with white chocolate, grated coconut, or whatever your imagination suggests.
And voilà… the banana and coffee sorbet is ready to enjoy!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉This banana and coffee sorbet is consumed on the spot, so blend the frozen bananas only when you plan to enjoy or serve it, since it only takes 5 minutes to prepare!
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣* Instant barley is available on the market plain or with small percentages of coffee, as required for this recipe, or with cocoa. You can choose what you have in your pantry or choose your favorite, it will work just fine. And if you don’t use it, don’t worry, replace it with more cocoa (about ½ teaspoon).
🟣** If your mixer is less powerful, it may take a few more seconds of processing and the addition of 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk (vegetable or cow’s) to make the mixture creamy. The processing warms and melts the mixture, making it less compact, so take small breaks in the freezer to solve the problem.
🟣The combination of the sweetness of the banana and the bitterness of the coffee finds a perfect balance without adding extra sugars, but if it’s not enough for you, you can sweeten your coffee before it cools with a few drops of stevia or a pinch of sugar.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
If coffee is not a preferred beverage, what can it be replaced with?
Simply add cold vegetable milk instead of coffee and replace the barley and coffee with barley and cocoa, or pure barley.
