No-churn chocolate peanut butter nice cream is a super easy recipe that will satisfy your sweet tooth all summer long. It’s creamy, sweet, refreshing, and the perfect healthy dessert or snack.
What is nice cream?
I’m sure you’ve heard of, and have hopefully tried, banana ice cream, or ‘nICE CREAM,’ as it’s often called. Nice cream is a fun ice cream made with frozen bananas instead of dairy. It’s a great alternative to ice cream for those who can’t have dairy or are sensitive to lactose. If you are vegan, be sure to use vegan add-ins and toppings.
Best of all, you don’t need an ice cream maker, and can put the nice cream together in minutes!
You’ll be surprised how blended frozen bananas do a great job of imitating the creaminess and consistency of ice cream without the use of dairy products!
I-scream, you-scream, we all scream for nice-cream!
All nice-creams start out with a banana base. However, there are endless flavor combinations and toppings you can incorporate to create all the classic ice cream flavors. My favorite flavor combination is this chocolate peanut butter ice cream with chopped peanut butter cups swirled in. Anything with the chocolate-peanut butter combination is usually my favorite!
Don’t get me wrong, I love REAL ice cream. I believe there’s room for real-deal desserts in every well-balanced diet. This substitute nice-cream is for when you’re looking for a healthier alternative to satisfy that sweet tooth. (Plus it really is a delicious treat!) However, when you’re in the mood for the REAL stuff, go for it! It’s perfectly okay to be indulgent once in a while.
This non-dairy chocolate peanut butter ice cream helps satisfy my sweet tooth craving. It feels like a decadent treat (and one that includes a healthy serving of fruit!)
Is nice cream healthy?
Regular ice cream is full of saturated fat, refined sugar, preservatives, and other additives. In addition, the calories and fat can be extremely high, especially when the portion in our bowls is more than the suggested serving size.
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This chocolate peanut butter ice cream, proves that you can have a delicious creamy frozen treat, that’s lower in calories and fat, but doesn’t skimp on flavor. Bananas are naturally sweet tasting, so no added sugar is needed in this nice cream. Because this recipe uses dairy free milk and no eggs it’s not full of saturated fat.
Bananas are nutrient dense
Bananas are loaded with fiber and vitamins such as potassium, calcium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C which help to maintain overall good health. They also contain antioxidants, which help protect our cells from damage. In addition, you are getting some protein and healthy fat from the peanut butter.
Chocolate peanut butter nice cream ingredients
This ice cream is made with only 4 simple ingredients plus optional peanut butter cups or add-ins!
- Frozen bananas
- Natural peanut butter (unsalted)
- Cocoa powder, unsweetened
- Non-dairy milk of choice
- Peanut butter cups (optional)
Frozen bananas
You need frozen bananas because whipping frozen bananas yields a creamy delicious base. Whenever I have bananas that are starting to become overripe I slice them and stick them in the freezer. This way I have a stash of bananas ready to go for smoothies or whenever a nice cream craving hits.
Ripe bananas will be naturally sweeter than non-ripe bananas and are best for this recipe. However, don’t use overly ripe bananas because I’ve found you get a slight alcoholic taste that is off-putting to the flavor.
How to freeze bananas
Be sure to peel the bananas before freezing. Slice them into coins, about ½ inch thick. Cutting the banana into smaller pieces helps it break down and blend faster. Then, arrange the banana slices in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet or plate (be sure the size can fit into your freezer).
Freeze the bananas for at least 1-2 hours if you plan on making the nice cream right away. Otherwise, once the bananas are frozen, place them in an airtight container (or zip-loc bag) to store for longer.
Can you freeze nice cream?
If you eat the nice cream straight out of the food processor it will have a similar consistency to soft serve ice cream. However, if you want a scoop-able consistency more like traditional ice cream, transfer the nice cream to a freezer safe container for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
If you freeze the nice cream for a few hours, or even overnight, you’ll need to let it sit out on the counter at room temperature to let it thaw and soften.
So many ice cream flavors!
Once you get the banana base down you can play by adding different fruits, nut butters, and extracts to make a variety of yummy flavors. But if you love the chocolate and peanut butter combination, I know this flavor will be your favorite!
Create an ice cream sundae bar for kids so they can pick their favorite toppings. Sprinkles, chocolate chips, melted chocolate, caramel sauce, peanut butter sauce, M&M’s, whipped cream, fresh fruit, nuts, crushed cookies, and more. Kids and adults will love this chocolate peanut butter ice cream. Even if you are not dairy free, you’ll still love this frozen treat!
This chocolate peanut butter nice cream is perfect anytime you’re craving a healthier dessert or sweet treat (or when you need to use up extra bananas!) Make it for yourself, your family, or your guests all summer long.
For more sweet treats, check out the recipes below:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Nice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 bananas sliced & frozen
- 1 ½- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder more will make it richer
- 2 Tablespoons Nondairy milk of choice
- 1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter unsalted
- Peanut butter cups cut into pieces (optional; if vegan, use vegan chocolate add-ins)
Optional Toppings
- Whipped cream
- Peanut butter sauce
- Hot fudge
- Crushed nuts
- Sprinkles
- Crushed peanut butter cups
Instructions
- Place frozen banana slices and cocoa powder, I used 1 ½ tablespoons for a mild chocolate flavor (can add more for richer chocolate flavor), into a food processor or high-speed blender. Blend on high for 1 minute, stopping to scrape the sides.
- Bananas will start off looking crumbly. Continue to blend, stopping to scrape down the sides every so often. Add a tablespoon of milk, process and scrape down the sides. The clumps should start to bind together to form a gooey mixture.
- Add another tablespoon of milk to get it to the perfect creamy consistency. The nice cream should look similar to soft serve ice-cream texture at this point. *
- Add the peanut butter, pulse 3-4 times. Then add the peanut butter cups and either stir in or pulse 2 times.
- Scoop the nice cream into bowls and enjoy right away with your favorite toppings. If you prefer a firmer texture, place in a container, and into the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- If you freeze the nice cream for longer, it will become solid and hard to scoop. Thaw on the kitchen counter for 10-15 minutes before serving. Be sure to store in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn.
Nutrition Facts
* Don’t want to add too much milk because it will turn into a smoothie consistency. I find the 2 Tablespoons and blending make a perfect creamy consistency. Don’t over blend because it will get too melty, as soon as it looks like it is creamy you are done and ready to add your mix-ins! I like using my food processor to make banana ice cream although a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix, can be used as well. You will just have to use the tamper to blend the ice cream and scrape the sides down. You can use dairy milk in this recipe if compliant with your diet. I used oat milk, but any nondairy milk will work. If you use sweetened nondairy milk, there will be more sugar per serving, unsweetened is a better option to keep the sugar lower. I used mini peanut butter cups cut in half. If you buy the big ones, cut them into smaller pieces. You can substitute chocolate chips instead of peanut butter cups. If you want to make it vegan, be sure to use vegan chocolate add-ins and toppings. Also, if you don’t like peanut butter or are allergic, use a different nut butter (cashew, almond, etc.) or just make chocolate nice cream with your favorite mix-ins and toppings. This tastes best the day it is made, but you can technically freeze leftovers for up to a few weeks and thaw before serving. Can easily double/triple the recipe if you are feeding more people or want to save it for another time!
What’s your favorite ice cream (nice cream) flavor? Share in the comments below. Also, be sure to stay in touch and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
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