When temperatures rise, it’s only natural to want to reach for a cool treat. Yet, ice cream, gelato, and other frozen snacks can be high in calories, sugar, and saturated fats – all of which can quickly derail your health goals. One better way to satisfy your sweet tooth is by creating a batch of “nice cream,” or ice cream made with frozen banana instead of milk, cream, and sugar. From there, you can customize your nice cream with delicious toppings. Before you know it, you’ll have a bowl of nice cream that you’ll swear tastes just like the real thing! Read on to discover how to make nice cream in 3 different ways.
Ingredients:
For Classic Nice Cream:
• 1 ripe, frozen banana, cut into 1-inch quarters
• Pinch sea salt
• 1/4 cup unsweetened nut milk, such as almond or coconut
For Cherry Chocolate Chip Nice Cream, add:
• 1/2 cup frozen cherries
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 2 squares chocolate with 85 percent or higher cocoa, chopped
For Piña Colada Nice Cream, add:
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (in place of almond milk)
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
• 1 tsp. coconut extract
Instructions:
1. Make sure your banana is fully frozen, having been in the freezer for at least six hours.
2. Place the banana and a pinch of sea salt in a blender or food processor. If you're making flavored ice cream, add the other ingredients to the blender or food processor.
3. Blend on low, adding your choice of nut milk until the mixture reaches your desired consistency.
4. Once the ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth, you can either eat it immediately or scoop it into a container and freeze until ready to eat.
Shake up your household menu – and put your fully equipped kitchen to use – with this easy-to-follow recipe, courtesy of Oxford at Lake View Apartments in Corinth, Texas.