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No dairy? No problem!  Chocolate banana nice cream is a dairy-free ice cream recipe made with 4 simple ingredients. This no-churn homemade dairy-free ice cream recipe combines bananas, coconut milk, cocoa powder and chocolate chips for a delicious creamy treat that resembles a healthy soft-serve ice cream – with no added sweeteners!

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chocolate banana nice cream

Chocolate Banana Nice Cream

I’ve been lactose intolerant for most of my life. I got such horrible GI issues from eating dairy, that I was fine with not eating it. Most of the time, that is. But sometimes I’d watch longingly as others enjoyed ice cream … mint chocolate chip, fudge brownie, even butter pecan. I longed to be able to eat some, but alas I knew it wasn’t possible.

This is the reason for this non-dairy ice cream recipe. That and the fact that I also wanted a healthy ice cream recipe for my kids to have since they definitely are ice cream lovers! Spoiler alert: they LOVED this recipe.

What is nice cream?

So you may be asking yourself – what is nice cream? Isn’t is supposed to be called ice cream?

Nice cream is made by blending frozen bananas. Yup – there are LOTS of variations to do this with, and most of them involve adding a little liquid. Sometimes recipes call for regular/dairy milk. Not this one! No, all kidding aside – nice cream is simple and made with minimal ingredients. The frozen banana texture is incredibly creamy. And because bananas are naturally sweet, it’s ends up being a frozen sweet treat that is much loved.

tasty chocolate nice cream - dairy-free ice cream

So is nice cream healthier than ice cream?

In one word – YES!

Nice cream is popular because it’s a healthier gluten-free, low-calorie, plant-based (dairy-free) alternative to ice-cream, which satisfies your sweet tooth. Best of all you can feel good indulging in it AND serving it to your kids, whenever you want! Nice cream can honestly work for breakfast or with lunch and even as a go-to snack or dessert. I’ve definitely made this as an after-school snack for my kids and got no complaints!

Healthy non-dairy ice cream recipe

So technically speaking this is not a true ice cream recipe because of the ingredients. But by now I’m hoping you’re sold on the fact that it’s got healthy ingredients and not a lot of them in it. This is really a recipe for:

  • those with dairy allergies
  • individuals with lactose intolerance
  • anyone wanting a healthy ice cream type of treat
  • parents who are wanting to get some extra fruits into their kids’ diets
  • anyone who enjoys real food recipes!

Questions about Chocolate Banana Nice Cream

What if I don’t have a food processor? We tried making this in our Vitamix, too. And while it did work, it’s just a little more difficult. You definitely need to stop the blender and scrape the sides a few times and use the tamper and/or a spoon. And you’ll need to move quickly since the bananas will unfreeze. But it will work!!

Do the bananas need to be frozen? Yes. Slice them and freeze them in either a freezer-friendly bowl, or in reusable freezer bag. Side note – if you are looking for other ideas of what to do with bananas, this is a great read!

Can I store this dairy-free ice cream? Well, there’s good and bad news to this: the bad news is that you cannot really freeze it. I mean, you can, but it’s just not really as good. But the good news – I seriously doubt you will have any leftovers. I didn’t at least!! My kids always scour to get the last bites. And I’m in line with them, too!

Can I use low-fat coconut milk? I personally like using the full fat because it adds to the creaminess. Coconut milk is also full of healthy fats, which I try to incorporate daily. So for this reason, I recommend the full fat canned coconut milk.

What about another dairy-free milk? I have not tried it with other dairy-free milks for the reasons stated above. If you cannot eat coconuts, I’d suggest trying cashew milk, hemp milk or a creamy oat milk.

daiiry-free nice cream made with just 4 ingredients

 

Chocolate Banana Nice Cream
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
 

Chocolate banana nice cream is a dairy-free ice cream recipe made with 4 simple ingredients. This no-churn homemade dairy-free ice cream recipe combines bananas, coconut milk, cocoa powder and chocolate chips for a delicious creamy treat that resembles a healthy soft-serve ice cream - with no added sweeteners!

Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 224 kcal
Ingredients
  • 4 bananas , frozen
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk , full fat, from the can
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 3 tbsp chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Place frozen bananas in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. You may need to stop and scrape the sides once or twice.

  2. Add coconut milk and cocoa powder and pulse until combined. Again, stop and scrape sides to make sure all is incorporated.

  3. Add chocolate chips and pulse once or twice, being careful not to pulverize them.

  4. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Bananas should be sliced and frozen prior to using.

Feel free to substitute cacao powder with cocoa powder if desired, and cacao nibs for chocolate chips.

Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Banana Nice Cream
Amount Per Serving
Calories 224 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 1mg0%
Sodium 17mg1%
Potassium 575mg16%
Carbohydrates 35g12%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 18g20%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 77IU2%
Vitamin C 11mg13%
Calcium 47mg5%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Let me know if you give this recipe a try. Oh, and if you like dairy free ice cream – here’s one more no-churn dairy-free ice cream recipe for you!

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