Soymilk Ice Cream Favorite: Classic Diner Banana Split

Soymilk ice cream is an excellent alternative to regular dairy ice cream. If you're vegan or have a dairy allergy, enjoying delicious ice cream treats may seem out of the question. But don't despair - soymilk ice cream tastes every bit as good as dairy ice cream. It's available in many grocery stores and supermarkets, and comes in a wide variety of flavors.

But what about toppings? The dessert sauces most commonly found on grocery store shelves typically contain dairy products, which makes them off-limits in a dairy-free lifestyle. The good news is, it's easy to make your own dairy-free versions of your favorite sundae toppings right in your own kitchen. All you need are the right recipes.

Here's a dairy-free version of the classic diner banana split, drenched in decadent fudge, strawberry and butterscotch sauces. You'll never guess it's dairy free! This version serves two.

Soymilk Ice Cream Classic Diner Banana Split

Ingredients

Strawberry Sauce:
6-8 strawberries, hulled
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon sugar

Chocolate Fudge Sauce:
2 tablespoons Butter-Flavor Crisco
4 tablespoons soy milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 package semi-sweet chocolate chips (Read the label to ensure they're dairy free. Tip - the least expensive brands usually contain no dairy)

Butterscotch Sauce:
5 tablespoons Butter-Flavor Crisco
1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup soymilk
pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large, ripe bananas
2 scoops each of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry soymilk ice cream
Maraschino cherries

Directions

Combine all the strawberry sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until the berries are coarsely chopped. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until ready to assemble the splits.

Make the chocolate fudge sauce by combining the Crisco, soymilk, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the chocolate chips. Continue to stir until all the chocolate is melted and the sauce is smooth. Remove it from the heat and set aside.

Make the butterscotch sauce by combining the Crisco, brown sugar, corn syrup, soymilk and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a boil. Let it boil for two minutes without stirring. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes, whisking it occasionally. Stir in the vanilla.

To assemble the splits, cut each banana in half lengthwise and place the halves on either side of a banana split dish. If you don't have split dishes, cut the banana halves in half to make four pieces, and arrange them in a serving bowl. Place one scoop each of the vanilla, chocolate and strawberry soymilk ice cream in each dish. Ladle the chocolate fudge sauce over the chocolate scoops, the butterscotch sauce over the vanilla scoop, and the strawberry sauce over the strawberry scoop. Place a maraschino cherry on top of each scoop and serve immediately.

Favorite Food Dehydrator Recipes

It's time for school once again and with that comes money for clothes, books, lunches and extracurricular activities. In addition to all of this, you need to have snacks and after school treats so the kids don't raid the refrigerator as soon as they come through the door. As I was making my shopping list, I was able to leave off quite a few items. It was a great summer for fruits and vegetables and I really took advantage of this. My Excalibur dehydrator really came in handy making fruit rollups, banana chips, raisins and dried peaches. Get creative this year and count the dollars that you'll save.

How to Make Fruit Rollups

I had tried this recipe using strawberries last summer but now I am being overrun with apples so I decided to give it a shot. They're wonderful. Apple fruit leathers put you in the mind of apple pie without the sugar and starch. Peel enough apples to make 2 cups and cut up into chunks. Blend the fruit until it's a smooth pureee. Add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice of 1/8 teaspoon of ascorbic acid to keep from discoloring. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of honey for sweetness, sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg and pour onto the dehydrator tray (fruit leather tray or Teflex sheets). Dry at 140 degrees for 6-8 hours. Check the product to make sure it's not soft then remove, cool, roll up, wrap in plastic and you're done!

How to Make Banana Chips

Banana chips have to be the easiest treat I've made so far. I used to save my ripened bananas and create banana nut bread for the winter months. After making a couple of loaves this year, I thought of all of the sugar that this took. No wonder the kids bounced off the walls! My Excalibur is large enough that I can cut up 17 bananas to 1/4 inch thickness, soak in 1/4 cup lemon juice for 15 seconds, lay out and dry at 150 degrees. Depending on how you like your dried bananas, start by drying for 24 hours and check. Dry until you get the consistency that your kids like.

It's Been a Great Year for Grapes

Have you ever purchased those little boxes of raisins at the store for treats? Wow, are they expensive! And to think that you can wash, dry off and throw your grapes into your dehydrator for a few hours and spend just a few cents for electricity. I will never buy raisins again. The juice may evaporate but the vitamins and antioxidants are sealed into the raisins and more pure than any you could buy that's been treated with additives and chemicals.

Dried Peaches to Die For

Peaches are a delicacy at my home because they are usually so expensive but this year, my neighbor's tree worked overtime in producing more than she could possibly keep. I took advantage of this and made these dried peaches. Cut your peaches in half then peel. Remove the seed and quarter. Buy some fresh limes and make your own limejuice to pre-treat your peaches. Dry in your dehydrator at 135 degrees for 6 to 20 hours (depending on thickness of the peach slices and your dehydrator), until pliable and remove and cool. What a treat!

Trail Mix at $6.00 a Bag? Not!

In addition to all of your great snacks that you have just made, why not turn some of these into a special trail mix for the kids? Banana chips, raisins, peaches and apple chips, mixed together with some coconut and assorted nuts will put those store bought varieties to shame. And you know that they are all natural and a great pick me up without the sugar and salt.

Which Dehydrator?

Many consider the Excalibur Dehydrator the finest dehydrator you can buy. The only machine with a unique Parallexx Horizontal Airflow Drying System, it makes fruits and vegetables fresh and free from preservatives and additives, something you never knew had a funny taste until you have experienced the real thing. Junk food begins to taste just like junk once you have prepared your own fruit by drying with the Excalibur. The thanks you'll get from your family and friends, plus the money you save, makes the best worth getting and using regularly.