I like to eat fruit salad for breakfast during the summer because fresh fruit is oh-so-perfectly light and cooling during these hot months. But recently, my enthusiasm for fruit put me in a compulsive shopper predicament, leaving me with a rather large amount of over ripe mangoes. After scolding myself for buying more than I can possibly consume alone, I decided the best way to save them from the compost was to freeze them. But I had not quite thought through what to do with frozen mangoes.

Then I remembered how delicious vegan ice cream made with frozen bananas is, and thought “Why not try it with some frozen mangoes?” Then this brilliant idea manifested itself--make ice cream for breakfast by combining the fruit and nuts from my morning fruit salad into the recipe! Because I am an adult. If I want ice cream for breakfast, then I should have some. Right?

I figure this recipe is pretty adaptable to any fruit. Just remember, the key to achieving the texture you want is all about the moisture. The more water a fruit has, the “icier” the ice cream will be. You know, more like a sorbet. If you use fatty fruits (think avocado or coconut) then it’ll be creamier. You can also add creaminess with bananas, nut butters, or flax seed, and if you like a sorbet texture, then add strawberries or raspberries. Play around and have fun! It' summer!

Here is my favorite mixture:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 small frozen bananas cut into chunks
• 1 cup frozen mango chunks
• 1/4 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 packed cup spinach
• 1-2 tbsp flax seed (ground)
• 1 tablespoon soy/almond milk

Toppings:

• other fruit
• pistachios
• granola
• vegan biscotti
• dark chocolate
• nut butter

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Enjoy immediately as is, or with toppings. Can be refrozen.

*Image courtesy Flickr creative commons.