The thought of ice-cream can bring a smile to the face irrespective of age. Whether it is used as a special treat, to uplift a bad mood or as part of a celebration, ice-cream never fails to please. Most healthy eaters are aware of the fact that ice-cream can pile on the calories and hence refrain from it. Doctors as well as health specialists warn against any commercially processed foods irrespective of their claims of it being completely healthy and natural in the use of ingredients.

Research has shown that ice-cream contains a number of harmful chemicals which also include benzene. This chemical is considered to be America’s single largest food contaminant. Countering the ill effects of store bought ice-cream however does not mean giving up entirely on this treat. Instead, there are several ways in which you can make your own healthy ice-cream at home. Most easily available recipes do not even warrant the use of an ice-cream maker.

The most basic of recipes requires 2 half pints of your favorite whipping cream, a 10 oz package of frozen berries of your choice and 1/2 cup of honey. Wait for the frozen fruit to thaw completely before you begin making this ice-cream. If you choose to use fresh fruit, your ice-cream will be healthier.

Put the thawed or fresh fruit into the blender first. Pour in the whipped cream and top it up with the honey. Blend all of this for a short while till you get a smooth consistency. Pour it into an appropriate container and put it in the freezer to set. Fresh fruits that would work well with this recipe are cherries, blueberries and pineapple.

You can create your own signature dessert by adding a few whole pieces of the fruit you have selected to the mixture before it is completely frozen. Stir in family favorite add-ons like walnuts, cashews, almonds or pecans. But remember to do this when your ice-cream is half set.

This basic recipe is the simplest around and does not need you to invest in an ice-cream maker. What’s more, it also does not call for milk, sugar and eggs. Its simplicity allows even children to make and spruce up their own ice-cream. It also gives you the flexibility of personalizing each ice-cream to the taste of your family members.

There are ways in which you can serve up an instant ice-cream as well. The trick is to chop up fruit of your choice and store them in the freezer. If you would like to make an instant ice-cream, take out the required quantity of frozen fruit. Put this in a blender, top it up with whipped cream or even a bit of milk. Blend till you get a creamy consistency and serve immediately.

A simple twist to the same recipe would be to mix together a selection of frozen fruits like bananas, berries and some milk. Blend this to a creamy consistency and you have instant berry ice-cream to indulge in.

Children love frozen treats and here is a simple and fun dessert to make. Bring in some flavored yogurt of your child’s choice. Invest in some small oddly shaped plastic cups. Grease the cups a bit with melted butter or a dash of oil. Pour the yogurt into these cups and put in an ice-cream spoon in each. Set this in the fridge. When it is time to serve, slowly pull the ice-cream sticks out to get a nicely shaped ice-cream stick.

Cooking a dish from scratch is often considered to be tedious and we tend to rely on packaged foods. But when the method is this simple and the end result delicious and healthy, who can resist.