Banana Nice Cream
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Here's a healthy nice cream recipe that keeps things simple while satisfying your sweet tooth. It's smooth, creamy, and tastes just like chocolate soft serve. Plus, you only need three ingredients and 5 minutes to make it!
Making ice cream with bananas is THE BEST! Try our healthy, 3-ingredient chocolate banana ice cream and our peanut butter banana ice cream.
This nice cream recipe is what we make when we're dreaming of something sweet but it needs to be healthy. It tastes just like our favorite chocolate soft serve ice cream without all the added sugar. It also happens to be easy to make, it's vegan, and kids love it, too!
What is nice cream?
Nice cream is a delicious frozen treat made by blending frozen bananas until they're smooth and creamy. It's a healthy sugar-free and dairy-free dessert that tastes just like soft serve. The most basic nice cream recipes use only one ingredient: frozen bananas!
Ingredients needed
With just a handful of healthy ingredients that you're likely to have on-hand, you can make chocolate nice cream too! Here's what you need:
- Frozen bananas: keep in mind that the riper the banana is, the sweeter it will be. The spottier, the better! Make sure they're frozen because that's where the creamy āice cream' texture comes from.
- Cocoa powder: we use cocoa powder but you can also use cacao powder if that's what you have on hand. We use cocoa powder because it's a bit sweeter and less bitter than cacao.
- Almond butter: almond butter adds flavor, creaminess, and and a bit of protein to this plant-based treat. Peanut butter also works wonderfully.
- Almond milk: if you don't have a high-speed blender, a splash of almond milk helps with the blending. You can also use other milk alternatives like soy milk, oat milk, or coconut milk.
- Chopped almonds, chopped chocolate, or mini chocolate chips: optional, for topping.
How to make nice cream
Grab your high-speed blender or food processor and let's go! This chocolate banana nice cream is an easy-to-make treat with a short list of ingredients. Here's how it comes together in a few simple steps:
- Slice and freeze the ripe bananas. We do this by laying them out in a single layer on a baking sheet before putting them in the freezer so they don't stick together.
- Add all the ingredients together in your high-speed blender or food processor, adding a splash of milk as needed.
- Blend until the texture is smooth and creamy.
- Serve right away with any or all of the toppings! You can also freeze it for a few hours until it's scoopable.
How to make a single serving of nice cream
It's easy to make a single serving of this guilt-free vegan dessert. Use just one frozen banana, two tablespoons of cocoa powder, and one tablespoon of almond butter.
More topping ideas
The options for nice cream toppings are endless, but here are a few other favorites we love:
- Sliced bananaĀ or fresh berries
- Coconut whipped cream
- Cacao nibsĀ or hemp hearts
- Toasted coconut ribbons
- SprinklesĀ we love these no dye ones (for kids of all ages)
Tips for the best nice cream
Nice cream is our go-to healthy treat and while it's easy to make, we've learned a lot in the process. Here are a few tips to making the perfect nice cream:
- Use a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix) or food processor fitted with an ās' blade. These kitchen appliances have the power needed to blend up the frozen bananas into a creamy consistency that mimics soft-serve ice cream.
- Scrape the sides and use the tamper. Because it's thick, you'll likely need to stop a couple times and use the tamper or a spatula to move the ingredients closer to the blade.
- Freezing bananas is the key ingredient in nice cream. To make them easier to blend, them sit out for 5 minutes to soften just a bit.
- Enjoy it right away. Nice cream is best enjoyed right after its made so don't wait to dig in!
- For thicker ice cream consistency (rather than soft serve), transfer the mixture to a loaf pan, freeze it for 2-3 hours, and scoop it into bowls with an ice cream scoop.
More nice cream flavors to try
To switch up the flavor of your banana nice cream, try one of these ideas:
- Berry banana nice cream: leave out the cocoa powder and use a Ā½ cup of frozen berries like strawberries, blueberry, or raspberries (or a mix).
- Cherry chocolate nice cream: add a Ā½ cup of frozen cherries and blend until smooth.
- Chocolate peanut butter nice cream: swap the almond butter for smooth peanut butter for that classic Reese's flavor combo!
- Protein nice cream: add a scoop of your favorite chocolate or vanilla protein powder to give this ice cream a boost. Use a vegan protein powder if needed.
Recipe FAQs
Can I freeze nice cream?
Banana ice cream doesn't freeze very well. We enjoy it best right after it's made, as soft serve. If you've made more than you can eat and need to freeze some for later, freeze it in a small, airtight container. You'll need to let it sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before you can eat it as it will be solid when frozen.
It's not very sweet. How do I make it more sweet?
Nice cream isn't as sweet as traditional ice cream (which is okay with us) but if you'd like it sweeter, add some maple syrup, honey, or a medjool date.
Can I use a different kind of nut butter?
Yes! You can pretty much use any other nut butter like peanut butter, cashew butter, tahini, or mixed nut butter. It will have a slightly different taste but will still do the trick.
Is nice cream healthy?
It sure is! Bananas are full of nutrients, fiber, and natural sugar. Cocoa powder contains antioxidants, while almond butter is a good source of healthy fat and protein. This is one ice cream recipe you can feel good about eating!
More nice cream recipes
Banana Nice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium frozen bananas
- Ā½ cup cocoa powder
- Ā¼ cup almond butter
- Ā¼ cup almond milk (only use if you don't have a high-powered blender!)
- Chopped almonds and chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Slice the bananas into coins and freeze them overnight on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.4 medium frozen bananas
- Place the frozen bananas, cocoa powder, and almond butter in your high-powered blender or your food processor. Note: if you are using your food processor, you will need to add some almond milk to help it blend. Start with Ā¼ cup and add more as needed.Ā½ cup cocoa powder, Ā¼ cup almond butter, Ā¼ cup almond milk
- Blend on high until smooth, using your plunger to help push the bananas to the bottom of the blender.
- Serve immediately with any or all of the toppings or freeze for 3-4 hours for a scoopable consistency.Chopped almonds and chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our ice cream recipes!
