Easy Creamy Nice Cream Recipes (Tips + 5 flavors)

I am sharing the easiest nice cream recipes you can make in under 5 minutes, plus 5 different nice cream flavor combinations that I often make in my kitchen.

These dairy-free desserts have a lovely soft serve-like consistency, and you can make it with or without frozen bananas—Vegan, whole30, and Paleo-friendly! 

It's the perfect healthy ice cream to satisfy your sweet cravings guilt-free any time of the year.

Dessert at my house is often an afterthought. Well, I'll bake cookies, cake, or make a fruit tart occasionally. But even then, my approach is to keep it simple, and more often than not, a piece of dark chocolate stops any cravings in its tracks.

That is until the weather starts to change and gives us hot, sunny days and a yearning for something cold and refreshing. Then there is no better treat than ice cream you can blend in less than 5 minutes, enjoy lazily on your patio, and is solely concocted from fruits, well, and the occasional bits of chocolate or nut butter toppings, just in case you want to take it up a notch.

This is one of those recipes that, even if you have the basics down, you might want to adjust and taste as you go until you get the flavors, level of sweetness, and creaminess that is perfect for you. People have strong opinions about (n)ice cream flavors—I know first hand.

And although you can become quite craftsy—I had my fair share of kitchen faux pas trying to go too wild with flavor experimentations—nice cream is not supposed to be complicated or overly time-consuming. So, I've kept it simple here with a basic formula that makes everyone happy—well, at least in my family—and creates a super creamy texture with or without frozen bananas. And they are amazing.

What is nice cream

It's a delicious fruit-based, dairy-free, and vegan dessert that doesn't contain any added sugars. As I remember it, the original nice cream was the one-ingredient banana ice cream or other fruits mixed with a frozen banana-base to give this treat its creamy and soft-serve texture.

Sometimes I still make it that way if I have some frozen bananas on hand. But you can get that same smooth texture with a few tablespoons of coconut cream or milk. So, let's look at the ingredients that make quick and easy ice cream desserts. 

Nice cream without frozen bananas—the basics

Choose your favorite frozen fruits

You'll need a bag or two of your favorite frozen fruits. Whatever fruits you choose will dominate the flavor of your ice cream, so go for the ones you love most.

Here are some of my all-time frozen fruit favorites and not necessarily in that order:

• Dark sweet cherries: they are incredibly sweet-tasting, and their color is so beautiful and irresistible.
• Wild blueberries: always a kids' favorite. 
• Raspberries: they are heavenly sweet with an almost light citrus-like taste.
• Strawberries or a bag of berry mix: a mixture of berries is always a winner.
• Chopped mangoes: perfect if you like a more tropical flavor—an excellent choice in summer.
• Peaches: creates a delicate sweet floral taste.

Use dried fruits as a natural sweetener

• The frozen fruits in themselves are already sweet, but not enough, in my opinion, to call it ice cream.  If you usually don't use sweeteners, you can omit dried fruits. Otherwise, blend in soft Medjool dates to make it naturally sweeter. You only need 5 or 7 (about a cup) of them to make it dessert-worthy sweet. It also adds a hint of a caramel-like flavor and fiber!
• But sometimes, black raisins or even dried apricots work better depending on what fruits you use (see flavor combos below). 
• These dried fruits add tons of natural sweetness without even noticing their usually distinctive taste when combined with the right frozen fruit. 
• Note on dried apricots. Go for the very ripe dark-orange-colored Turkish fruits. Trader's Joe sells them, or you can find them easily online. They are deliciously sweet instead of the more sour-tasting bright orange ones—the sweet-tangy taste pairs well with frozen peaches.
• Try one of the flavor combinations below. 

Add a touch of coconut cream

Just like frozen banana ice cream, it creates a creamy soft-serve consistency. I always store my organic coconut cream (full fat) in the fridge. The congealed and hardened thick cream sets on top while the liquid part settles at the bottom—best to use the fattiest part. You want to add a creamy touch and smooth out the frozen fruits without making the ice cream liquidy.

That's it! These three ingredients are all you need to make nice cream without bananas a worthy ice cream dessert.

Frozen banana ice cream—the basics

• Instead of using coconut cream, you can use frozen bananas to obtain a soft serve-like texture. Or use both as I sometimes do.
• Throw three or four peeled bananas—the very ripe ones with a few brown spots—in a zip-lock bag and keep them in the freezer.
• It is an excellent base for making quick and creamy desserts instead of using coconut cream.
• Make sure that you peel off the skin before freezing them in. You won't get the peel off otherwise.
• Best to freeze bananas overnight to get a more solid consistency. 
• I freeze whole, peeled bananas until firm. Then right before they go into the blender or food processor, I break them into small chunks.
• Depending on the appliance you use, you might still want to add some liquid like coconut milk or any other plant milk up to ¼ cup to get the blades to run smoother.
• I use them less often unless I tend to make more luxurious ice cream, like pairing it with a few tablespoons of peanut butter, Medjools dates, and topped with chunks of chocolate—a bit more decadent but so good and still simple. 

The blend—a few tips

• Place the dried fruits and coconut cream at the bottom of the blender. The softer parts go through the blades first and create a pasty base making it easier to combine the hard frozen fruits.
• If you use a Vitamix, use the tamper tool to rotate the ingredients and use your highest setting at the end for a few seconds or until everything looks creamy. 
• If you use a food processor, fit it with an "S" blade. You might need to stop and scrape the machine down once or twice to make sure everything keeps moving and blending.
• Work fast; otherwise, the fruits begin to lose their frozen consistency.
• Make sure that your dried fruits are soft so they pulverize easily. If hardened, place them in a small bowl, cover with boiling water, and let steep for 10 to 15 minutes, until plump and juicy again.

Nice cream flavors and toppings I love

You can go fancy with your nice cream recipes and add herbal flavors like Basil, mint, make it nutty with nut butter or chopped nuts as a topping or go a bit fancy with vanilla extract and cacao powder. The fun is in experimenting with this.

But I share a few nice cream flavor combos that I love the most, and you can make in no time as a quick weeknight treat—delicious, healthy, guilt-free, and super simple!

• Very Berry: 1 (10 oz/284 grams) pack frozen berry mix, like strawberries with blueberries and blackberries, 7 Medjool dates, 3 to 4 tbsp coconut cream. Top it with crushed pecans or chocolate bits.
• Tropical: 1 (10 oz/284 grams) pack frozen mango pieces, 5 Medjool dates, 3 to 4 tbsp coconut cream. Top it with dried and fine coconut shreds.
• Floral: 1 (10 oz/284 grams) pack frozen sliced peaches, 1 cup black raisins or dried apricots or a mix of both, and 3 to 4 tbsp coconut cream. Top it with homemade cookies or Einkorn Crispy Cocoa Cookies by Jovial—they happen to be also accidentally vegan.
• Raspberry or cherry-chocolate: 2 cups frozen raspberries or cherries, 2 frozen bananas, 5 pitted dates, 3 or 4 tablespoons coconut cream. Top with dark chocolate chunks or shavings—The combo of frozen bananas and coconut cream makes it extra creamy! 
• Date and banana-peanut buttery: 2 frozen bananas, 5 pitted dates, 3 or 4 tablespoons coconut cream, 3 tablespoons peanut butter, Generous pinch of salt (if using unsalted peanut butter).

Bowl, or cone, and dark chocolate

• Serve your creamy creations in small bowls filled with plenty of dark chocolate chunks or your topping of choice.
• But, I'll admit that If you have kiddos, they will be asking for a cone.
• I always add some extra toppings at the bottom of the cone before filling it up with ice cream. You will love that special surprise at the end as my daughter does.
• If you are a chocolate lover, use extra shaved or crushed chocolate chunks in addition to your toppings—adults might like chocolate infused with chili pepper—another great option! I always go for dark chocolate with 70 % cacao, or if you want to keep it Paleo or vegan-friendly, choose Hu chocolate Gluten-free snacks—insanely delicious.

Storage

To enjoy a super-rich consistency, you should make this dessert right before serving. But if you have leftovers, store the nice cream in an airtight container and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When in the mood for some healthy ice cream, let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature to soften the texture and make it scoop-able again (it can become quite hard when refrozen).

Common questions about nice cream

Note: you will need a powerful blender or food processor to make nice cream recipes. 

Enjoy!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

• My ice cream sandwiches with a no-bake cookie dough
• The Healthy Nice ice Cream Pops
• Frozen Mascarpone Cupcakes with Sweet Cherries

Now go ahead and make your favorite flavor combo or PIN this for later. I always love to hear from you, and if you tried another lovely flavor combination! Don't forget to subscribe to my monthly newsletter!

Note: this post was initially published in May 2017. It has since been updated to include new info and photos

Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated and without optional ingredients or toppings.