The Easy Ice Cream Bar Recipe We Can’t Stop Making

I’ve spent most of my life living on the plus side, if you know what I mean. When I step on the scale it snarkily reads, “One at a time, please!"

However, I do make for great shade in the summer and extra warmth in the winter, and I haven't had anyone complain about that yet!

Recently I've been more mindful of my sweet tooth and I've been looking for more healthful recipes to help assuage my cravings for homemade cookies.

Recipes like this cookie dough banana ice cream bars recipe have made all the difference and helped me add a little more balance to my everyday eats.

These bars don’t just make my belly happy, they make my soul happy, too!

Why We Love These Cookie Dough Banana Ice Cream Bars

In a word, these cookie dough banana ice cream bars are unbelievably good. Really - it's unbelievable how good they are, especially with the ingredients!

Someone somewhere is in a test kitchen figuring out how to make nutrient-dense good for you desserts without sacrificing flavor or texture.

Frankly, it’s above my paygrade, but I whole heartedly appreciate and applaud their efforts. These ice cream bars are no exception, that I can promise you.

With a flavorful, nutty crust, a layer of cookie dough, and another layer of frozen bananas all dipped in chococlate, these ice cream bars are a chart topper.

Cookie Dough Banana Ice Cream Bar Ingredients

To make these ice cream bars, you will need:

• Cashews - The foundation of the crust for these ice cream bars is none other than my favorite of all nuts - cashews!
• Dates - Arguably the star of the show here, dates are the other main ingredient in the crust. They add so much sweetness.
• Chickpeas - Yes, chickpeas. Or garbanzo beans if you prefer calling them such. Chickpeas make up the basis of the cookie dough layer. Yes, really. Stick with me on this one!
• Peanut butter - Both natural peanut butter and powdered peanut butter are also a key ingredient in the cookie dough layer.
• Chocolate chips - Is it even cookie dough without mini chocolate chips? You'll also need mini chocolate chips for melting and dipping.
• Bananas - Bananas are sliced, frozen and then whipped to create a creamy banana ice cream layer.

Get the complete cookie dough banana ice cream bars recipe!

How to Make Cookie Dough Banana Ice Cream Bars

Like I said, someone somewhere is a genius figuring out how we make chickpeas into cookie dough. Let me break it down for you:

The Crust

Instead of using cookies or graham crackers, this recipe calls for dates and roasted cashews. It might not sound like it works, but I assure you it does.

Use a food processor to blend the nuts and dates then add a touch of water and it gets crumbly. Press it into a square baking pan and you've got crust!

The Cookie Dough

We’re starting off with chickpeas. These delicious morsels are a nutritional powerhouse that are high in protein and fiber and great for diabetics.

Toss those into a blender with a few other ingredients like peanut butter, agave nectar, peanut butter powder, and vanilla extract and blend until smooth.

Once you’ve reached your desired consistency, fold in your dairy-free chocolate chips and pour over your prepared crust.

The Banana and Chocolate Layer

We could’ve stopped at the cookie dough, but where’s the fun in that?! This is a simple step involving frozen bananas that are blended until ultra-smooth.

Take your bars out of the freezer and add your banana layer and put everything back in the freezer for at least 4 hours to set up firmly.

Once solid, use your microwave or a double boiler to melt the rest of your mini chocolate chips that didn't make it into the chickpea cookie dough.

Cut your bars into squares and quickly dip them in the chocolate. Place on a baking sheet them pop them back into the freezer until the chocolate sets.

More Favorite Summer Treats

Maybe all the chocolate isn’t your thing, and you’d rather eat it like an ice cream cone or in a bowl. No problem. We've got a sweet tooth fix for that!

This banana ice cream with cookie dough recipe is nearly identical, with a few slightly different steps that makes it a bit more like a traditional ice cream.

Our homemade peanut butter ice cream recipe has a crunchy, mousse-like texture all scooped up and served in a homemade chocolate cone.

Is mint chocolate chip more your speed? Give our homemade avocado ice cream recipe blended with chopped chocolate a try!

Peanut butter lovers, don't miss any of our epic peanut butter dessert recipes - from peanut buter brownies to mousse pie, every recipe is delicious. 

If you need more ideas, here are 10 favorite summer desserts sure to make everyone in your house very happy. Good luck deciding which to make first!