Are you ready to dive into a delicious, light, healthy, and refreshing treat? Ready to make some "NICE" Cream? It's fun, simple, and a fantastic way to cool down while enjoying something tasty and nutritious.
Preparation Steps:
Ripe Bananas: Ensure your bananas are ripe (with some brown spots on the peel). Peel and cut them into pieces. Freeze in a ziplock bag or container. You can prepare the bananas days, weeks, or even months in advance to have them ready whenever the craving hits.
Blending: When you're ready, toss the frozen banana pieces (about three bananas’ worth) into a food processor or blender. For regular blenders, or if your bananas are very hard, add a few tablespoons of your favorite plant milk or another liquid to help blend.
Consistency: Blend until smooth, resembling a thick, soft-serve ice cream. Enjoy immediately for a soft texture, or transfer to a container and freeze for about thirty minutes for a firmer consistency. Scoop and serve for that classic ice cream feel.
My Favorite Flavor Inspirations:
Chocolate Banana: Blend 3 bananas with 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and 3 tbsp cocoa powder.
Mint Chocolate Chip: Blend 2 bananas with a pinch of salt and 1/8 tsp peppermint extract. Add chocolate chips or cacao nibs post-blending. For an extra nutrient boost, blend in a pinch of spirulina or a handful of spinach.
Peanut Butter: Add 2-3 tbsp peanut butter (or any nut butter) before blending.
Cool Colada: Use 1/4 cup canned coconut milk and blend with 1/2 cup frozen pineapple. Top with shredded coconut if desired.
Bountiful Berry: Blend your bananas, then add 1 cup frozen berries of your choice and 1/8 tsp vanilla extract. Add fresh on top .
Silky Strawberry: Blend 2 bananas with 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, and an optional dash of cinnamon.
Vanilla Bean: Blend 3 bananas with a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste.
Cashew Crunch: Blend with 2-3 tbsp cashew butter and 1/8 tsp vanilla extract. Sprinkle crushed cashews ( or a variety of nuts) on top if desired.
A few of My Helpful Hints
Creaminess : Adding a little fat, like peanut butter, almond butter, or coconut milk, enhances the creaminess, making it taste even closer to traditional ice cream.
Ripeness: Let bananas ripen fully before freezing if you want a sweeter taste . Brown spots indicate they are sweet and ready. Green or all-yellow bananas are not fully ripened and will taste less sweet ( up to you).
Health Tip: Ripe bananas are a wonderful natural sweetener, ideal for replacing added sugars in various recipes.
Versatile Treat: This banana nice cream is so healthy, it can be enjoyed for breakfast, snack or dessert. It’s dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, raw, paleo, and gluten-free, making it a win win !
Enjoy this delicious and refreshing "NICE" Cream.
Happy blending!