Sweet Potato: The Other 1-Ingredient Iced Cream

It's hot. It's sticky. And, judging by the posts I've written lately, it's very definitely iced-cream season. Sure, you've got your chocolate and vanilla, your rum raisin and your Neapolitan. But sometimes those just don't cut it. Sometimes you want a little dirt candy.

Sometimes you want some freaking sweet potato.

Two plain scoops; one with cinnamon

Sweet potatoes are actually my very favorite food on earth; I love them always and all ways. Grilled and stacked with meaty mushrooms, steamed and tossed with tahini and buckwheat noodles, baked and sprinkled with hot sauce and cinnamon, even baked into that marshmallow-topped casserole my sister is the Thanksgiving master of.

And given their beautiful deep orange color and amazing natural sweetness, as well as the fact that they bake up so easily in almost no time flat, I started to wonder... Could sweet potatoes be the next 1-ingredient vegan "iced cream?"

As it turns out: Yes. A resounding yes. Baked and sliced, these little tubers cream up almost as well as their fruity counterparts, and the possibilities are seemingly as endless. Blend with maple syrup! Add bacon bits or cranberries! Mix in peanut butter or chocolate! Serve topped with mini marshmallows! It's like Thanksgiving for dessert, any time you want it.

And sure, I'm still a member of the obsessed-with-frozen-banana-iced-cream club, but sometimes you just want something…different. Naw'mean? So if you're feeling at the end of your banana rope, give this quirky little treat a spin around the ol' blender blades for a change.

1 medium sweet potato, scrubbed and peeled 1–2 tbs water (or maple syrup!) 1-2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. With a fork, pierce the sweet potato a few times, then place on a lined, rimmed baking sheet and bake until tender (about 30 minutes). Remove from the oven and, when cool enough to handle, cut into 1/4" chunks and freeze until hard (about 2 hours). In a food processor, puree the sweet-potato chunks until the pieces turn to a slightly crumbly paste and add about 1 tbs of water (or syrup) along with cinnamon, if using. Continue to blend until the mixture becomes very smooth, adding up to 1 tbs more water if necessary. When completely smooth, shape into iced-cream balls and refreeze for at least 30 minutes before serving. Top with mini marshmallows if you like!

What should we try to make "iced cream" out of next?? I'm game…