Word Count: 1561
Time to Read: 8 minutes
Sure, ice cream gives you a temporary pleasure because of its sweet and delicious taste. However, it’s high saturated fat and refined carbohydrate content also increase your risk for obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other very undesirable health issues.
How can you have your cake (ice cream, rather) and eat it too? By learning how to make nice cream!
This great frozen treat is tasty and satisfying. It’s just made with a few more responsible ingredients.
What Is Nice Cream?
Banana ice cream, known fondly by plant based and health conscious dieters as “nice cream” is one of the healthiest and most satisfying guilt free desserts. It’s vegan, paleo, gluten free, soy free, dairy free, gluten free, and naturally fat-free. Plus, it’s cheap and easy to make!
If you want to know how to make nice cream, you’ve come to the right place. We’re breaking down seven delicious recipes that you can easily whip up anytime.
All you’ll need is bananas, a freezer, a blender, and any additional flavors your taste buds desire. Let’s dive in!
How to Make Nice Cream
Every recipe for how to make nice cream has the same main ingredient: frozen bananas.
Bananas pack a nutrient punch that can aid with weight loss, regulate blood sugar and help with digestion. So, not only are you opting out of the unhealthy side effects of eating dairy and refined sugar packed ice cream, you’re actually benefitting your health with a nutritious choice.
Making nice cream is easy and quick, so long as you have frozen bananas on hand. To get them just right, read on for our tips and tricks on the best way to freeze bananas for nice cream.
Step One: Freeze the Bananas
To know how to make nice cream, you have to know how to properly freeze bananas.
You’ll need approximately two bananas for a typical nice cream serving, depending on their size. The best part about nice cream is that it’s guilt free, so you can have a double serving or more if you want!
For the best nice cream, you’ll want to freeze the bananas when they are at peak ripeness, which is indicated by a yellow peel with several small brown spots.
If you freeze the bananas before they are ripe, your nice cream won’t be as good. Riper bananas produce a sweeter, caramel like flavor that is key for the best taste.
Before you freeze the bananas, be sure to peel them. If you freeze bananas with the peel on, it will be very difficult to remove, plus it turns an unappealing blackish color.
Next, take your peeled bananas and break or cut them into smaller pieces, about a half to one inch long. Then, place the pieces in a freezer bag and let them freeze up for a few hours or overnight.
In a sealed bag, frozen bananas will last for a few weeks so you can always keep them around for a quick and delicious treat.
Step Two: Blend and Enjoy!
Once your bananas are frozen, you just add them to a high powered blender or food processor with a touch of almond milk or other non-dairy beverage of your choice, plus any additional ingredients. Then simply blend it up, and enjoy!
The nice cream is best when it is blended to a smooth, soft serve like consistency. If you blend it for too long, the bananas will start to melt.
Every blender and food processor is different, so you may have some trial and error when you’re figuring out how to make nice cream with your machine.
You can either enjoy the nice cream right away or place it back in the freezer for a thicker, firmer texture.
Now Let’s Get to the Recipes!
When it comes to how to make nice cream, the flavor possibilities only have the limitations of your imagination!
The base flavor of just frozen bananas alone is great. You can also add some almond milk, a dash of salt, and an eighth teaspoon of vanilla extract for a more flavorful option.
The almond milk (or other nondairy beverage) eases blending while the salt helps balance and enhance the sweet flavors.
When you’re craving something more adventurous, however, check out one of these super decadent options.
1. Mint Chocolate Chip
Ingredients you’ll need per serving:
- 2 frozen bananas
- 1/8 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- 1 tablespoon chocolate chips or cocoa nibs
- a few spinach leaves
- a pinch of salt
Place the frozen banana pieces, peppermint extract, spinach leaves, and salt in your blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add the chocolate chips or cocoa nibs for only the last few blends to maintain a “chip” size, crunch, and texture.
Don’t forget the number one how to make nice cream tip: if your ingredients aren’t blending, add a bit of almond milk to help the process along.
This recipe creates a nutrition packed version of the real thing that you’ll absolutely love. The spinach won’t change the flavor, so it’s just an optional bonus for color and a few extra nutrients.
Optional: Serve with mint leaves for garnish.
2. Peanut Butter Chocolate
Ingredients you’ll need per serving:
- 2 frozen bananas
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup almond milk
Place all of the ingredients in your blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
This recipe is even better with a little extra freezing time after it’s blended together because it freezes to a thick, creamy, scoop-able texture.
While the peanut butter adds some healthy fat to this recipe (so it’s no longer fat-free), you’re also getting some satiating protein into your treat as well.
Can’t have peanut butter? This recipe is just as good with almond butter!
Optional: Serve with chocolate chunks for garnish.
3. Mocha Latte
Ingredients you’ll need per serving:
- 2 frozen bananas
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coffee or espresso beans
- 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- a dash of cinnamon
- a pinch of salt
Place all of the ingredients in your blender or food processor and blend well.
If you love coffee and chocolate together, this will be your favorite guilt free indulgence.
Optional: Serve with crumbled chocolate chunks or an espresso bean for garnish.
4. Peaches and Cream
Ingredients you’ll need per serving:
- 2 frozen bananas
- 1 fresh or frozen peach (pitted of course)
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- a pinch of salt
Place all of the ingredients in your blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Out of peaches? This sweet treat is just as good with nectarines or mangoes.
Optional: Serve with a peach wedge for garnish.
5. Snickerdoodle
Ingredients you’ll need per serving:
- 2 frozen bananas
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2-3 Medjool dates (pitted)
- a pinch of salt
Place all of the ingredients in your blender or food processor and blend until smooth. The dates will level up the sweetness and thickness of this yummy recipe and the cinnamon sugar taste will be sure to satisfy that sweet tooth.
Optional: Top with ground cinnamon or serve with a cinnamon stick for garnish.
6. Pina Colada
Ingredients you’ll need per serving:
- 2 frozen bananas
- 2/3 cup pineapple chunks
- 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk
- optional coconut flakes
Place all of the ingredients in your blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
This tropical treat can be made with fresh pineapple or canned pineapple chunks (just drain first!). Full fat coconut milk comes canned as well.
While full-fat coconut milk is clearly not fat-free, it is packed with fiber, vitamins C, E, B vitamins, iron, calcium, magnesium, and more.
Serve with a pineapple chunk and/or a cherry for garnish.
7. Berry Bliss
Ingredients you’ll need per serving:
- 2 frozen bananas
- 1/2 cup berries of your choice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- a pinch of salt
Berries are packed with antioxidants and super health boosting vitamins. You can make this recipe with fresh or frozen blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, or all of them combined!
Place all of the ingredients in your blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Optional: Serve with a fresh berry garnish.
Now Go Whip Up Some Nice Cream!
Now that you’re an expert on how to make nice cream, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test!
The best part about these recipes is that you can eat them as dessert, as a healthy snack, or even serve yourself a big portion as a meal. What other dessert can do that?
Let us know which of these recipes you try or any other nice cream recipes that you love by leaving a reply in the comments below. Got some tips and tricks on how to make nice cream that we missed? Share those with us in the comments too!
For more mouth watering vegan desserts like strawberry cheesecake bites and double chocolate cookies, check out this post.
Don’t forget that living cruelty-free isn’t just about what you eat, it’s also about what you put on your skin too! Check out this great article on vegan skin care once you have your sweet tooth satisfied.
