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Banana nice cream – A dairy-free option to traditional ice cream that’s just as delicious! Thick, creamy, and naturally sweet, no one will be complaining! This recipe features 4 flavor options: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and peanut butter, but you can easily mix and match to create your own unique flavor. The best part, each recipe is made with minimal ingredients and no added sugar!
Summertime is the perfect time for enjoying delicious frozen treats like banana nice cream. You can make all 4 flavors at once or mix and match to create your own unique flavor combinations. I love to make a big batch of each flavor and then store them in the freezer for when those sweet cravings hit! Whether you’re craving something sweet or want a healthy snack that will cool you down on a hot day, these nice cream recipes have you covered.
why you’ll love these banana nice cream flavors
- Vegan-friendly! There are no animal products in any of these recipes, so they’re perfect for those following a vegan diet.
- Healthy! Each flavor is made with just a few simple ingredients and no added sugar. You can feel good about indulging in these sweet treats!
- Quick and easy to make! All you need is a blender and some frozen bananas. These nice creams come together in minutes!
- Crowd pleaser. Kids and adults alike will love these banana nice cream flavors. They make a great summertime dessert or snack!
what is nice cream?
In short, this is basically “ice cream” that you can make with one ingredient: frozen bananas. The good thing is you actually don’t need an ice cream maker. All you need is a food processor or blender. By using frozen bananas, the food processor churns them quickly and turns them into a smooth and creamy banana ice cream. It will also look like a super thick smoothie that you’ll need a spoon to eat.
This whole idea started out as banana-based ice cream. But since then, it’s really become a term used to describe any dairy-free and fruit-based frozen treat. So you can literally make it using frozen coconut cream, frozen peaches or frozen strawberry. The idea is that it’s a healthier alternative to regular ice cream since it’s free from artificial ingredients, preservatives and added sugar.
Basic Ingredients you need to make Banana Nice Cream
To make your nice cream base, you really only need two ingredients – yes, two!! All you need is some ripe bananas and milk of your choice. That’s it! Creating flavors is a secondary option as the bananas alone make a delicious, naturally sweet treat. If you want to keep it super simple, you can just blend up some bananas and enjoy it as is. But if you’re looking to add some flavor to your nice cream, read on for my favorite recipes!
How To Make Banana Nice Cream 4-Ways
Below I’ve shared my recipes for making chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and peanut butter banana nice cream. These are just guidelines – feel free to mix and match ingredients to create your own unique flavors!
Ingredients for Banana Vanilla Nice Cream
- Bananas: The riper the banana, the sweeter the nice cream.
- Almond milk: You can use any milk you’d like, but I prefer almond milk for its light and creamy texture.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a nice depth of flavor to the banana nice cream.
- Salt: Just a little helps to bring out the sweetness of the bananas.
How to make Banana Vanilla Nice Cream
- Place the bananas, vanilla extract, almond milk, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
- Blend or process until the mixture is the consistency of soft-serve.
Scope into bowls and enjoy!
Ingredients for Chocolate Nice Cream
- Bananas
- Almond Milk
- Cocoa powder: You can use dutch processed or natural cocoa powder. I prefer dutch processed for its rich flavor.
- Salt
How to make Chocolate Nice Cream
- Place the bananas, cocoa powder, almond milk, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
- Blend or process until the mixture is the consistency of soft-serve.
Throw it in the freezer and serve once hardened.
Ingredients for Strawberry Nice Cream
- Bananas
- Strawberries: I like to use fresh strawberries, but you can use a bag of frozen strawberries if you have them on hand.
- Almond milk
- Salt
How to make Strawberry Nice Cream
- Place the bananas, strawberries, almond milk, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
- Blend or process until the mixture is the consistency of soft-serve.
Scope into a bowl and add additional toppings if you’d like!
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Nice Cream
- Bananas
- Creamy Salted Peanut Butter: If you don’t have salted peanut butter, ensure you add ⅛ teaspoon of salt to the mixture.
- Almond Milk
- Cinnamon: This is optional, but I love the flavor it adds to the nice cream.
How to make Peanut Butter Nice Cream
- Place the bananas, PB, almond milk, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor.
- Blend or process until the mixture is the consistency of soft-serve.
Freeze and scope, and you’re ready to go!
Tips for making Nice Cream With Bananas
- Choose the right bananas. The best bananas for nice cream are perfectly ripe, with maybe a few brown spots. This isn’t the time for using up overripe bananas – save them for oatmeal banana bread!
- Allow at least 2 hours in the freezer for firm-set nice cream. You can actually enjoy this straight out of the blender or food processor, but it has more of an ice cream-like texture after sitting in the freezer.
- Use a small blender for the best results. Since the quantity of two frozen bananas is not very much, the small volume makes it difficult to process in a large standard blender like the Vitamix. You can either double the quantities or opt for a small blender. My recommendation, though, as per the recipe instructions, is to use a small food processor.
- Make sure to cut the bananas before freezing them. This makes it much easier for the blender or food processor to break down and churn the bananas quickly before it turns into a smoothie.
- Add some (healthy) fats to make it extra rich and creamy. This could be peanut butter, almond butter or even coconut cream. You might even want to add some melted chocolate which will freeze on contact and turn into chocolate chunks.
- Work quickly to transfer the ice cream. Try to scoop it from the food processor bowl to the ice cream container as quickly as possible. That’s because fast freezing help minimize ice crystals.
popular substitutions & additions
- Blend in more fruit. Like the strawberry version with the strawberries mixed into the frozen bananas, you can do the same with other fruits like mangoes, blueberries, pineapple, or peach. Any fruit will work, but keep in mind that some fruits may have a higher water content that will alter the texture of the nice cream.
- Add mix-ins. A fun way to personalize your nice cream is to fold in some mix-ins after you’ve already blended the nice cream, before freezing it for the second time. You can swirl in jams, caramel, or other syrups, or fold in nuts, small chunks of fruit, chopped up chocolate, or even crushed-up cookies!
- Serve in a cone or waffle cone bowl. If you want to get really fancy, serve your nice cream in a cone or waffle cone bowl. You can even make your own cones!
how to store Nice Cream
I like to use a glass container with a lid to store my nice cream in the freezer. You could also use a parchment-lined loaf pan.
To prevent ice crystals from forming, make sure you press a piece of parchment paper directly onto the surface of the nice cream before freezing. This will help it stay smooth and creamy!
how long will banana ice cream last in the freezer?
Nice cream is best enjoyed within a week or two, but it will technically keep for up to a month.
Frequently asked questions
Yes and no. The main flavor of nice cream is banana, but depending on what other ingredients you add, the flavor can be quite different. For example, the chocolate nice cream has a strong cocoa flavor, while the strawberry nice cream tastes mostly like strawberries.
Yes! Nice cream is made with just bananas and other wholesome ingredients like fruit, nuts, and spices. There is no added sugar or dairy, so it’s a great option for those who are looking for a healthier treat.
Yes, you can make nice cream without a food processor, but it will be much more difficult to get a smooth texture. I recommend using a food processor if you have one. If not, you can try blending the bananas in a standard blender, but you may need to add more milk and stop to scrape down the sides frequently.
This is a luscious creamy vegan dessert that you can literally whip up anytime. It’s amazing to see how bananas transform into a creamy consistency that looks like the real stuff! This is such a fun and healthy banana-based alternative to ice cream. And the great thing about it is that it’s low in calories, low in fat and low in sugar. It’s easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients, and there are endless possibilities for flavor combinations.
More frozen treats:
- Frozen Yogurt Bark
- Smoothie Bowl (3 Ways)
- Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie
- Avocado Ice Cream
- Almond Joy Ice Cream
- Chocolate Hazelnut Smoothie Bowl
- Superfood Smoothie
- Piña Colada Smoothie
If you try this feel good Nice Cream recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
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Banana Nice Cream – 4 Ways
Ingredients
For original banana-vanilla:
- 2 bananas cut into 1-inch pieces, and frozen solid
- 1 tablespoon almond milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For chocolate:
- 2 bananas cut into 1-inch pieces, and frozen solid
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons almond milk warmed
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For strawberry:
- 2 bananas cut into 1-inch pieces, and frozen solid
- 1 cup strawberries stemmed, halved, and frozen solid
- 1 tablespoon almond milk
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For peanut butter:
- 2 bananas cut into 1-inch pieces, and frozen solid
- ¼ cup creamy salted peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon almond milk
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Place the bananas and remaining ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Blend or process until the mixture is the consistency of soft-serve, stopping to scrape down the sides and break up any clumped banana chunks as needed.
- Serve immediately or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 1 month. If serving from the freezer, allow the nice cream to sit at room temperature for a few minutes, or until it becomes scoopable.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
OMG!!! It’s DELICIOUS!!! I’ve never commented on a recipe before, but I just had to write & tell you what a spectacularly delicious & simple recipe this is!! My husband is on a special diet, and we tried the Breyer’s almond milk non-dairy ice cream from the store, and it tastes unnatural. But your recipe is so simple & natural…it’s amazing!! I think the secret is to get the bananas at the perfect stage of ripeness, so that they are sweet. Underripe bananas would not yield a delicious flavor! Thank you soooooo much!! We’ll be making this recipe often!!
You’re so welcome! Thank you for taking the time to rate the recipe and comment, Sue!
How much do use of all the inngredients??? like one banana a tsp of vanilla a pinch of salt and how much milk like i need quantities please!!
The full recipe can be found at the bottom of the page in the recipe card. Let me know if you’re still unable to find it!
yeah my most sincere apologies i saw that later 😅
It was a miracle 😃. I tried the peanut butter one, my husband so excited for the result. 👌🏻🙏🏻 Thank you so much dear Yumna.
That makes me so happy to hear! You’re welcome!!