When we crave ice cream, what comes to mind tends to be an unhealthy, albeit delicious, pint from the grocery store. Unfortunately, even the ones that market themselves as 'wholesome' are often full of chemicals. (I'm looking at you, Bluebell, with your phony baloney almonds.)
Great news - it doesn’t have to be this way.
It’s possible to create ice cream, or “nice cream,” out of whole ingredients and make it taste just as good (or better!) than the unhealthy junk from the store.
What's a nice cream?
A nice cream is like an ice cream that is healthy. You don't need an ice cream maker and it comes together in minutes. Instead of thickening with cream, nice creams get their thick, creamy texture from frozen fruit. Bananas are the most popular fruit for making nice cream.
With fresh bananas and good-for-you ingredients, it won’t leave you feeling sluggish or guilty afterward either. In fact, you can even enjoy this frozen treat for breakfast and be well fueled for your day. Oats or your favorite cereal can be added as a topping for more substance and texture.
If you’re feeling really bold, I've heard you can even try sneaking some veggies into your ice cream, like kale and carrots. (Let me know how this goes, you audacious eater, you!)
Now, one word of caution: this is a recipe where you’ll need to have a blender that can crush through ice and solidly frozen fruit. Personally, I use my Vitamix with excellent results. A Blendtec, Ninja, or even a high-power food processor, like the Breville Sous Chef, will also work. A powerful blender is really the only way to get this ice cream to be super thick.
If you have a blender that’s less powerful, does that mean you can’t enjoy this recipe? No. (Whew!) It just means you’ll have to adapt it (tips below) to make your ice cream a little bit thinner and more like a smoothie or a milkshake – still delicious! I've never met a milkshake I didn't like.
My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and they're like, it's better than yours.
(Sorry. I have no self-control, apparently.)
Peanut Butter Banana Nice Cream
Serves 2...though you will probably want to eat it all yourself. Luckily, a second batch only takes 3 minutes!
Ingredients
2 Bananas (sliced and frozen solid)
½ C of Milk or Milk Substitute, such as Almond or Soy Milk (or enough to blend - see "tips for a weak blender," below)
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
2 tsp of Cacao Nibs (or finely chopped chocolate)
1 tsp of Pumpkin Pie Seasoning (or cinnamon)
3-5 Ice Cubes
2 Tbsp of Peanut Butter
Directions
1. Add the frozen banana slices to the blender.
2. Add the remaining ingredients in order, ending with the peanut butter.
3. Blend until everything is pulverized into a creamy texture.
If necessary, stop blending and readjust the ingredients if they aren’t being caught on the blades. If your blender has a tamper, such as with a Vitamix or Blendtec, use it to push everything into the blades while blending.
Tips for a Weak Blender:
Let the frozen bananas thaw slightly. 5-7 minutes is perfect, which will make it easier for a low-power blender to process them. Cut the bananas into the smallest pieces possible so that the blender can do less work. (Tip: it's easier to cut the bananas, then freeze them, than the other way around.)
Use more soy milk than the recipe calls for or as much as you need to blend. This will put less stress on the motor and blades.
Enjoy your satisfying and refreshing treat!
Great news - it doesn’t have to be this way.
Peanut Butter Banana Nice Cream
It looks so indulgent, doesn't it? But this homemade ice cream has a secret...
It’s possible to create ice cream, or “nice cream,” out of whole ingredients and make it taste just as good (or better!) than the unhealthy junk from the store.
What's a nice cream?
A nice cream is like an ice cream that is healthy. You don't need an ice cream maker and it comes together in minutes. Instead of thickening with cream, nice creams get their thick, creamy texture from frozen fruit. Bananas are the most popular fruit for making nice cream.
With fresh bananas and good-for-you ingredients, it won’t leave you feeling sluggish or guilty afterward either. In fact, you can even enjoy this frozen treat for breakfast and be well fueled for your day. Oats or your favorite cereal can be added as a topping for more substance and texture.
If you’re feeling really bold, I've heard you can even try sneaking some veggies into your ice cream, like kale and carrots. (Let me know how this goes, you audacious eater, you!)
Now, one word of caution: this is a recipe where you’ll need to have a blender that can crush through ice and solidly frozen fruit. Personally, I use my Vitamix with excellent results. A Blendtec, Ninja, or even a high-power food processor, like the Breville Sous Chef, will also work. A powerful blender is really the only way to get this ice cream to be super thick.
If you have a blender that’s less powerful, does that mean you can’t enjoy this recipe? No. (Whew!) It just means you’ll have to adapt it (tips below) to make your ice cream a little bit thinner and more like a smoothie or a milkshake – still delicious! I've never met a milkshake I didn't like.
My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and they're like, it's better than yours.
(Sorry. I have no self-control, apparently.)
Peanut Butter Banana Nice Cream
Serves 2...though you will probably want to eat it all yourself. Luckily, a second batch only takes 3 minutes!
Ingredients
2 Bananas (sliced and frozen solid)
½ C of Milk or Milk Substitute, such as Almond or Soy Milk (or enough to blend - see "tips for a weak blender," below)
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
2 tsp of Cacao Nibs (or finely chopped chocolate)
1 tsp of Pumpkin Pie Seasoning (or cinnamon)
3-5 Ice Cubes
2 Tbsp of Peanut Butter
Directions
1. Add the frozen banana slices to the blender.
2. Add the remaining ingredients in order, ending with the peanut butter.
3. Blend until everything is pulverized into a creamy texture.
If necessary, stop blending and readjust the ingredients if they aren’t being caught on the blades. If your blender has a tamper, such as with a Vitamix or Blendtec, use it to push everything into the blades while blending.
Tips for a Weak Blender:
Let the frozen bananas thaw slightly. 5-7 minutes is perfect, which will make it easier for a low-power blender to process them. Cut the bananas into the smallest pieces possible so that the blender can do less work. (Tip: it's easier to cut the bananas, then freeze them, than the other way around.)
Use more soy milk than the recipe calls for or as much as you need to blend. This will put less stress on the motor and blades.
Enjoy your satisfying and refreshing treat!
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Peanut Butter Banana Nice Cream
Recipe Type: Dessert
Summary:
What's a nice cream? It's like an ice cream that is healthy. This Peanut Butter Banana nice cream recipe is easy to make in your blender and only takes 3 minutes.
Preparation Time: 0h, 1m
Cooking Time: 0h, 2m
Total Time: 0h, 3m
Yield: Serves 2