Cookie Dough Nice Cream (Made with Bananas!)

If you have never made nice cream before, welcome to a whole new, beautiful world. If you love ice cream as much as I do, then you’re probably just as excited as I am that there’s an easy and healthier alternative. Nice cream is so healthy because it is only made with 1 (maybe 2) ingredients – bananas! The process involves blending frozen bananas with a little bit of nondairy milk to create the perfect ice cream-like dessert. And trust me, it actually tastes like the real thing (almost, like really close). 

And I swear, this cookie dough nice cream is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I made a vanilla nice cream base, then tossed in a bunch of cookie dough bites using my healthier edible cookie dough recipe. The cookie dough is made from simple ingredients like almond flour, maple syrup and nondairy milk. It’s completely free of oil, refined sugar, gluten and grains.

• I recommend using a high-speed blender or food processor. I have used both to make nice cream, however I find the food processor to be better for myself. My blender is large and takes a longer time to blend than the food processor, but this will vary for everyone. You may need to experiment with both of them for yourself to find what works better for you.
• Only use nondairy milk if you have to. Only add milk if you are having a hard time blending. However, the milk is great to use if you can’t seem to get the bananas to blend any further. Scrape the sides of the blender/food processor and add only a little milk at a time, as it goes a long way. The amount of milk you need will vary depending on the blender or food processor you are using. BE PATIENT! The blending process can take a few minutes. 
• Freezing is optional. Once you have completely blended until your nice cream is smooth and creamy, you can enjoy immediately or you can transfer to a covered container and pop back in the freezer for a few hours to get a firmer consistency. The more you spread out the nice cream (the shallower it is), the faster it will freeze.
• Keep leftovers covered in the freezer. I recommend thawing at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving.

• By freezing the bananas properly, the blending process will be much easier later. To freeze, peel your ripe bananas and cut into 5-6 pieces. Place in an air-tight bag or container and freeze overnight. If they are still soft when you’re ready to use, they are not frozen enough. It’s important to use very ripe bananas, as they are much sweeter. Brown and spotty is perfect!

• A high-speed blender or food processor
• A mixing bowl
• A loaf pan or similar-sized dish with a cover

• Plain unsweetened oat milk: you can use any non-dairy milk of choice. I prefer oat milk for it’s extra creaminess, as well as soy milk and cashew milk.
• Pure maple syrup: can be substituted for another liquid sweetener like agave nectar or date syrup.
• Almond flour: I have not tested this cookie dough recipe with any other flour, so I can’t attest to how it would come out. If you try something different, I would love to know in the comments!