dairy free (optional) / refined sugar free / gluten free / grain free
What is nice cream?
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 healthy alternative. Nice cream is fruit-based, made with 1 main ingredient – bananas! The process involves blending frozen bananas with a little bit of milk to create the perfect ice cream-like dessert.
Tips for how to make the best nice cream
- Use ripe bananas. It’s important to use very ripe bananas, as they are much sweeter. Brown and spotty is perfect!
- How to freeze the bananas. 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.
- 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 cream if you have to. Only add cream to the nice cream base if you are having a hard time blending. The cream 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 cream at a time, as it goes a long way. The amount of cream 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 more shallow the container), the faster it will freeze.
- Keep leftovers covered in the freezer. I recommend thawing at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Try the cream-based version instead
If nice cream isn’t your thing, try the cream-based version instead. To do so, you’ll need an ice cream maker. Instead of making the vanilla nice cream base, use my vanilla ice cream recipe as the base along with salted caramel from this recipe. In my opinion, this ice cream is the best I’ve ever had, and it’s much healthier than anything you’ll find in the stores.
Kitchen essentials
- A food processor
- A small container or pan. I’ve used both an 8×8 pan and a loaf pan. However, the shallower the container, the less time it takes to freeze and get that ice cream-like consistency.
- A small bowl or cup
Try some of my other nice cream recipes as well
Salted Caramel Nice Cream
Course: Desserts, Smoothies/JuicesDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes0
minutes15
minutesIngredients
- For the nice cream base:
4 ripe medium-large frozen bananas (see tips above for more guidance on how to freeze bananas)
1/4 cup cream or coconut cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
- For the salted caramel:
1/4 cup cream or coconut cream
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 heaping tsp sea salt (preferably flakes like Maldon)
Directions
- Make the salted caramel sauce. Make the sauce first so the nice cream doesn’t melt. Soak your pitted dates in hot water for about 10 minutes. In your food processor, add all the ingredients for the sauce EXCEPT for the salt and blend until it is smooth and creamy. Mix in the salt by hand. Remove from the blender and transfer to a small bowl or cup.
- Make the nice cream base. Quickly rinse the food processor from using it for the salted caramel sauce – it doesn’t need to be perfect. Add your frozen bananas, milk, and vanilla extract, and blend on high speed. Continue blending until you get a thick yet smooth consistency – it will take a few minutes. If you are having trouble blending, add a splash more milk, scrape the sides of the blender and continue blending.
- Combine! In a shallow bowl or container*, add half the nice cream and smooth out evenly. Use a spoon to drop in half the salted caramel and use a knife to swirl it around. Don’t mix too much or you risk losing the thick caramel swirls. Repeat the same process one more time with the last of the ingredients.
- Freeze or enjoy immediately. Depending on your desired consistency, you can enjoy immediately or you can cover it and transfer to the freezer for a 2-4 hours to get a firmer consistency. The more you spread out the nice cream (the more shallow the container), the faster it will freeze. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- *A shallow container (8×8) will make the freezing process faster. I have also used a loaf pan to freeze (like in the video), but the nice cream will take longer to firm up.
- Freeze leftovers in a covered container and allow to thaw at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Prep time does not include any freezing time.
- This recipe was updated on 6/16/2022.
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Nutrition Facts
4 servings per container
Serving Size1 servings
Calories420
- Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
- Total Fat
10.9g
17%
- Saturated Fat 9.4g 47%
- Trans Fat 0.0g
- Cholesterol 0.0mg 0%
- Sodium 299.5mg 13%
- Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
- Total Carbohydrate
87.2g
30%
- Dietary Fiber 7.7g 31%
- Sugars 68.8g
- Protein 3.5g 8%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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6 comments
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I loved this!
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Thank you!
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Hi . This is a perfect indulgence for someone who loves salted caramel ice cream. Could you please let me know how made the salted caramel using the above recipe. Thank you
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Hi! To make the salted caramel you have to blend the dates, 1/4 cup nondairy milk, maple syrup and salt until you get a smooth, creamy consistency. Then remove it from the blender, and make the nice cream base. Hope that helps! There are more details in the directions above.
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Could you do this in individual 4-oz glass freezer jars?
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I have never tried but I don’t see why not! My one tip would be to let the nice cream thaw at room temperature until it has a nice creamy texture once you’re ready to eat. Would love to know how it works out for you if you try :)
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