No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches

I�m not going to lie to you and tell you that these all-natural healthy-ish ice cream sandwiches replace the classic vanilla ice cream plus chocolate chip cookie combo. Because sometimes a gal just needs a scoop of full-fat, full-dairy ice cream between two buttery, sugary cookies. This gal dreams of that combo daily.


But alas, this gal is almost 30, and moderation has recently joined cookies and ice cream (not to mention nachos, pizza, pork, cats, friends, family, and sunshine) in my list of life�s most important things. It�s tough out there for a five-foot tall gal with a dessert addiction and hips that don't lie. Extra cookies just have no where to hide on this short frame. And that's why sometimes we need desserts with a little less butter and a little less sugar, because I seriously eat dessert every single day. Now, that's not to say these don't have fat and sugar. But it's the good kind! 

I've made Ashlae's no-bake cookies about 6 times since she posted the recipe. I just gotta have 'em in the freezer at all times. They're rich and creamy, and taste like a grown-up version of the classic no-bake cookie from elementary school. And they're made with just 5 ingredients (plus salt), which I always have in my house. Seriously obsessed. The other day, in a moment of weakness (shortly after dipping a tortilla chip in bacon grease�genius or terrifying, I�m not sure), I topped one of these cookies with a spoonful of ice cream, and it was magical. 

I wanted to keep the natural, minimal-ingredient thing going, and what goes better with chocolate and peanut butter than banana!? So, here we have thin, creamy layers of chocolate-peanut butter-oat no bake cookies, with 2-ingredient banana ice cream in the middle. It�s basically oatmeal and a banana, so I�ve been having it for breakfast. And it�s practically a protein shake, so I�ve definitely been chowing down on these before working out. Honestly, I can�t stop eating these, and I think I have a problem. Help? 

Help yourself to a batch of these no-bake chocolate peanut butter banana ice cream sandwiches, is more like it! 

No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream Sandwiches
Cookies from Oh Lady Cakes

Plan ahead, there a few separate freezing steps, but trust me, it�s simple and worth it! 

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup cacao powder
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other all natural nut butter)
Pinch of sea salt
1 cup rolled oats

3 bananas, peeled, chopped, and frozen solid
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

To make cookies: Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. Add coconut oil through sea salt to a small sauce pan, and heat over medium, whisking until everything is melted and combined. Remove from heat and stir in oats. Spread mixture evenly in bottom of parchment lined dish. Freeze up to two hours, until solid. 

To make ice cream: Add bananas to a food processor, and blend until creamy (at first, the mixture will look crumbly, but eventually it all comes together in a smooth, creamy soft-serve), then add vanilla and blend until just combined. 

To assemble: Using a sharp knife, cut frozen cookie layer in half (just lift the parchment out of the dish to a cutting board, then put half the cookie back in the dish). Top half the cookie evenly with ice cream, then gently place the other half on top and smooth the edges. Freeze at least over night, until totally solid. Cut using a sharp knife while fully frozen. They melt pretty quickly, so enjoy right out of the freezer! 

Peanut Butter Date Shakes

I feel like I've been really boring on here lately. I'm sorry! I've made and eaten plenty of tasty things this month, but most of them are quick little salads, soups, or thrown together bowl-meals, none of which are particularly blog worthy. 


I do have some more donuts to share with you soon, but I need to make them again for photos� and I have a cold (seriously!? As if I wasn't already sick for the first two months of the year�). I don't want to germ-up a bunch of donuts that other people are going to eat, and I certainly don't need 12 amazingly delicious donuts sitting around my house. I will eat every single one. Donut will power is not a thing. It doesn't exist. So, I want to be sure I can safely share with friends before I make them again. Because coconut. And ginger glaze. See what I'm saying about will power? 

In addition to quick little dinners, I've been using my Vitamix like crazy. I know they're expensive, but guys� I'm telling you� life changing! I used to make smoothies like once a month. My old blender sucked so bad, it took forever to blend everything up, and was just an all-around pain in the ass to use. So I saved up my credit card points, and used them to get a Vitamix. Now I blend things almost daily! Sometimes twice daily. Even thrice daily, on occasion. Fruit & veggie smoothies, creamy soups, nut milks and butters, hummus, bean dip, sauces. All thing things. I highly recommend a high-powered blender (for a more affordable option, my parents have a Ninja, and love it). 

My favorite treat lately has been this peanut butter date shake. It tastes milkshakey, but is full of good for you stuff like peanut butter, banana, almond milk, dates, and oats. I won't lie and say this is a low calorie shake, because it's not. But everything in it is natural and healthy-like, and it's a major protein boost. It's quick and easy to make, so perfect before early morning workouts. Just kidding� I don't work out in the mornings, who do you think I am? I wish I was a morning person, but no matter how hard I try, it just doesn't happen. I'm pretty sure my REM sleep kicks in at 8AM. So instead I have this shake as an afternoon snack, dessert, or late-morning breakfast.  

Peanut Butter Date Shake

Makes 1 big shake, 2 small ones

3 pitted dates (I used the large medjool dates. If you like it less sweet, start with 2, and the 3rd as needed)

1 banana (the riper it is, the more you'll taste it--I go for less ripe)

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (plus more if needed)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1 overflowing cup of ice

Depending on your blender, you may need longer blending times. I add everything except the ice to the blender, and blend until it's all smooth (the dates take awhile). Then, since the long blending time has likely warmed up the mixture, I add my ice last, and blend until smooth. Taste test as you go. Add more peanut butter or vanilla if you want, or more almond milk if you like a runnier shake. Sometimes I also add toasted coconut!

Note: This post is in no way affiliated with Vitamix, I just happen to be obsessed with mine, and all opinions are my own. 

Halloween Peanut Butter Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

Let�s talk about trick-or-treating for a minute. Do you only give candy to little kids, or will you also shell out for bigger kids (ahem, cough, adults)? I guess who you give candy to is your business, but I think, in the spirit of Halloween, anyone who takes the time to put on a costume and knock on your door should at least get a bite-sized Snickers. Just sayin.

But maybe I feel this way because I didn�t have normal trick-or-treating as a kid (and because I love Halloween and I�m all about everyone at every age getting festive!). We lived in the woods, down a long driveway, with only about 10 houses within a mile on either side of us. So Amanda and I didn�t really get that door-to-door experience. Instead, my parents would drive us from house to house, hoping our neighbors would be home and would have candy.

We always lucked out at the bottom of our hill, when we hit Hank & Vesta�s house. They were an adorable little old couple, who always bought loads of Girl Scout cookies from us, and always handed out fresh made popcorn balls for Halloween.

Eventually I got �too old to trick-or-treat� (which doesn�t actually exist�that�s like saying you�re too old to believe in Santa� um, also false), and Hank & Vesta�s house sold and became a winery, and I grew up and moved to Seattle, and I developed this weird thing where I like popcorn but thinking about eating it makes my teeth hurt, and I totally forgot about popcorn balls.

That is, until I saw these amazing brown butter marshmallow popcorn balls! WHAT! Guys, we�re talkin� rice crispy treats, but with popcorn. Genius work here. The brown butter mallow combo is amazing as-is, but I decided to gussy these up a bit for Halloween, with orange and black Reese's Pieces that get all melty and peanut buttery. It's pretty amazing. 

And guess what� if you come knocking at my door on Halloween, all costumed up and saying those magic words (minus the smell my feet part), I will definitely drop one of these in your candy bucket, whether you�re 4, 14, or 45. Especially if you�re 45.    

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

Adapted from Love + Cupcakes

Makes about 30 2-inch balls. The original recipe has instructions for popping your own popcorn. I'm lazy, so I used 3 bags of lightly salted, unbuttered microwave popcorn. If you make your own, or use unsalted, just add a bit of sea salt to the mallow mixture. Also, the standard bag of mallows I found was 16 ounces, so I just didn't use the whole thing. One more thing: be sure to not get the unpopped kernels in your mix... they make for a hard little surprise when you bite down (trust). 

7-8 cups popped lightly salted popcorn 

1- 10oz bag marshmallows

1 stick butter

1.5 cups Reeses Pieces candy 

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and set aside. 

In a large pot (I used a big stock pot), melt butter over medium heat, stirring until lightly browned.  Turn heat to low, add marshmallows, and stir until melted. Remove from heat, and add popcorn. Stir (sort of gently) until all the popcorn is coated. Add about half the Reeses, stir and fold, and add the rest. Stir a few times�some of the candy will stay whole, and others will split and ooze out yummy peanut buttery goodness. Lightly coat your hands with butter or coconut oil, and get busy rolling. Let popcorn balls cool on wax paper.