Wild Blueberry Banana Soft Serve w/ Wild Blueberry Honey Sauce (DF)

Take a Walk on the Wild Side to the frozen section of your food market, and you'll (hopefully) find packages of wild blueberries ~ affordable, nutritious and jam-packed with flavor.

Wild blueberries “... are not pampered like the cultivated blueberries, which are bred for sweetness, size and ability to withstand shipping. They produce these [wild] berries under extreme stress, building up the photochemicals that help them withstand harsh wild conditions [and may better help us reduce chronic illnesses].”*

Why a cool dessert in the middle of winter? It’s another way to enjoy bananas, honey and berries that boost immunity and help reduce inflammation any time of the year. Either wild or cultivated, give this blueberry treat a try!

My Paleo Marin Rating:
Wild Blueberries: 5 Persimmons
Cultivated Blueberries: 2.5 Persimmons

Ingredients:

Note: Chop two bananas into 1/2” chunks, and freeze for 3 hours minimum before starting recipe.

For the Sauce:

Wyman’s Frozen Berries
at Whole Foods for $4.99

1 cup (about 5 oz) + 1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries, thawed in a colander at room temp for 15 minutes
2 Tablespoons honey (or maple syrup for vegan)

For the Soft Serve:

2 ripe bananas, previously chopped and frozen
1 cup (about 5 oz) frozen wild blueberries

Directions:

For the Sauce:

1. In a food processor, add 1 cup of the thawed berries and the honey. Pulse 6-10 times, until the sauce is just starting to blend together (some blueberry chunks should remain).

2. Pour in a container, and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of whole thawed berries. Set aside, or cover and put in the fridge for later.

For the Soft Serve:

1. In a food processor, add the frozen banana chunks and the frozen wild blueberries. Blend until the  mixture has the consistency of soft serve ice cream, about 1-2 minutes.

2. Serve in bowls, and top with the wild blueberry sauce.

Best eaten right away, but to serve later, freeze the soft serve, and keep the sauce in the fridge. Let soft serve thaw at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

#paleo #dessert #softserve #smoothie #wildblueberries #blueberries #bananas #honey #Wymans #healthyeats #autoimmune #maplesyrup #vegan #dairyfree #glutenfree

*New York Times article: "Are Wild Blueberries More Nutritious than Farm Raised?” link here. (Conclusion: maybe slightly - but I found much more flavor in the wild ones).

Further reading: “Health benefits of fruits and vegetables are from additive and synergistic combinations of phytochemicals,”  Oxford University Press, link here.