Healthy Nice Cream (Print Version)
Creamy frozen fruit dessert ready in minutes. Naturally sweet, vegan, and perfect for hot days.
# What You'll Need:
→ Base
01 - 4 large ripe bananas, peeled, sliced and frozen
→ Flavor Variations
02 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for classic vanilla)
03 - 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (for chocolate)
04 - 1 cup frozen mixed berries (for berry flavor)
05 - 2 tablespoons peanut butter or almond butter (optional, for nutty flavor)
06 - 2 tablespoons plant-based milk (almond, oat, or coconut; use as needed for blending)
→ Optional Toppings
07 - Fresh berries
08 - Coconut flakes
09 - Chopped nuts
10 - Dark chocolate chips
# Step-by-Step Guide:
01 - Place the frozen banana slices into a high-powered blender or food processor. Add your preferred flavor additions such as vanilla extract, cocoa powder, frozen berries, or nut butter.
02 - Blend on high until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add plant-based milk 1 tablespoon at a time only if necessary to aid blending.
03 - Serve immediately for a soft-serve texture, or transfer to a sealed container and freeze for 1 to 2 hours for a firmer, scoopable consistency.
04 - Top with fresh berries, coconut flakes, chopped nuts, or dark chocolate chips as desired and enjoy immediately.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It is legitimately creamy and indulgent tasting, and nobody will believe you when you tell them it is just bananas.
- You can have dessert ready in the time it takes to scroll through your phone, with zero cooking and exactly one appliance to wash.
02 -
- Do not try to rush the blending process by dumping in liquid, because patience and repeated scraping is what creates that dense creamy texture, and adding too much milk too fast will give you a soup instead of ice cream.
- Freezing the nice cream for longer than two hours makes it quite hard, so let it sit at room temperature for about five minutes before scooping to bring back that perfect consistency.
03 -
- Slice your bananas before freezing instead of freezing them whole, because those coins blend dramatically faster and you will save yourself several minutes of loud blender struggling.
- For the most indulgent texture, let the nice cream rest in the freezer for about an hour and then stir it vigorously before returning it for another hour, which creates smaller ice crystals and a result that rivals premium store bought ice cream.