Healthy Dessert – Blueberry Chocolate Ice Cream

I suck at diets. Food is just too good! I love to cook, to dine out, and to bake for others. I don’t like putting rules or restrictions on what or how much I eat. Food should be enjoyable, not a stress. That’s not to say I don’t take care of my body. I try to eat whole, healthy things. And I don’t own a car, so I pretty much bike or walk everywhere I go, and this includes an occasional trip to the local yoga studio. But on the flip side, I love a cold, sweet glass of white wine. Artisan bread and cheese are staple foods here in Holland. Warm bread on a Sunday morning? Assorted cheese board after work? Yes please! Ohh, and dessert every night is non-negotiable. I’ve inherited a sweet tooth and am proud of it.

But sometimes my pants start to feel a bit tight, or I eat a porky meal out three nights in a row. And this is when I make a conscious decision to be just a bit healthier for a day or two – to balance things out. That’s not to say I’ll skip on dessert, but I’ll make little modifications, like having grilled chicken instead of fried, or fizzy lemon water instead of Sprite. I have a repertoire of recipes to whip out in these instances, and this next one is one of my all time favorites. Because it’s sweet, it’s filling, and it super chocolaty.

Enter: guilt free chocolate blueberry ice cream.

I have this at least three nights a week. You’ll need three simple things. Frozen blue berries. Light whipped cream. And Dutch cocoa powder. That’s it!

If you’re like me, you will end up eating half of your blueberries before they touch the chocolate! As a Maine gal, I grew up on blueberries. My grandparents have a big old red house in the woods, and as a kid I spent my summers playing in the forest out back, building forts, collecting pine cones, and eating handfuls of fresh-picked Maine blueberries. Yum!These kind might not be fresh, but they’re frozen – the perfect base for a sweet, guilt free ice cream!
Feel free to nibble, but try to save at least a cup of blueberries for this recipe. To turn your frozen blueberries into ice cream, all you’ll need to do is give them a little squirt of whipped cream. Usually between 2 or 3 tablespoons. You’ll also need some unsweetened cocoa powder. You don’t need chocolate powder that’s loaded with sugar – your whipped cream and berries are sweet enough. Add one heaping teaspoon of chocolate powder.And now comes the messy part – mix! Try not to let your cocoa dust fly everywhere. My blueberries could have been colder as they had been sitting out for a bit (confession: I don’t have a freezer!) BUT, if your blueberries are properly frozen, as you mix, your chocolate will blend in with the whipped cream, and your whipped cream will start to freeze alongside the cold blueberries. You’ll be left with a sweet, delicious dairy desert, comparable to ice cream! You could go one step further and whirl your blueberry ice cream in a blender for 15 seconds to make a smooth puree (closer to ice cream), but really, it will taste the same – and trust me, this is one dessert you are not going to want to wait for! Plop a dollop of whipped cream on top for good luck, and a sprinkle of extra chocolate, and dig in!  This amazingly delicious dessert clocks in at only 107 calories. It’s packed with antioxidants and vitamins, and is totally guilt free. If you’re feeling naughty, you could add some chocolate sprinkles, or even serve these guys in a cone. But I prefer to eat them straight from the bowl, on a hot summer night, ideally while watching an episode of True Blood on the projector. Ah, the little pleasures of summertime! Enjoy! x

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