Have you heard of ‘nice’ cream before? It’s basically a simple banana ice cream made by food processing a frozen banana until it resembles a creamy soft serve.
It’s quick & healthy, takes about 5 minutes from start to finish, is made in your food processor, and is nutritious and dairy free. I love making nice cream when I have extra bananas lying around, or if I’m craving soft serve ice cream but don’t feel like leaving the house. These days there are a few machines like the Ninja Creami that make similar ice cream alternatives, but I think a food processor works just fine (and will save you quite a few $$$).
This blueberry nice cream is one of my favorites to make in the hot summer months when blueberries are sweet and ripe. You can top it with anything your heart desires. I love crunchy granola, a drizzle of nut butter (chocolate almond butter, anyone?) and shredded coconut for texture.
What is “nice cream?”
Nice cream actually started as a simple banana ice cream made by food processing a frozen banana until it resembled a creamy soft serve. This new wave of healthy ice creams are typically plant-based, dairy free, made without any added sugars, and don’t require an ice cream maker. They’re all naturally sweetened with fruit!
This easy blueberry nice cream has a banana base with plenty of blueberry flavor that you’ll love. Perfect for kids, too!
Blueberry nice cream ingredients
When I say two ingredients I mean just TWO simple ingredients. Plus all of your favorite toppings. All you’ll need is:
- Frozen blueberries
- Frozen bananas
That’s it! I recommend freezing your bananas that are nice and ripe so that your blueberry nice cream is perfectly sweet and delicious.
How to make blueberry nice cream
- Add your frozen blueberries and frozen bananas to your food processor and process until creamy, scraping down the edges as needed.
- If you like to eat it similar to soft-serve ice cream, simply enjoy it as is. Otherwise, transfer to a small container or loaf pan lined with parchment paper and freeze for 1-2 hours. The longer you freeze, the harder it will get, so just know you may have to thaw it out a bit before you’re able to scoop.
- Scoop into two bowls, add your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Amazing nice cream topping ideas
The best part about this simple blueberry nice cream recipe is that you can add all of the toppings your heart desires. I love adding:
- Homemade granola
- Mini chocolate chips
- Shredded coconut
- A drizzle of nut butter
How to store nice cream
If you happen to have any blueberry nice cream left over, simply store it in an airtight container in the freezer. Because it’s completely plant-based it will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months! Go ahead and make a big batch.
It has more of a traditional ice cream texture straight from the freezer, but you can also thaw it as much as you’d like to enjoy it as soft serve.
More summer treats you’ll love
- Strawberry Crisp with Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Crumble
- Blueberry Pie Bars with Oatmeal Crumble (vegan & gluten free)
- White Chocolate Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Soft Lime Sugar Cookies
- Almond Flour Strawberry Shortcake Cake with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
Get all of my dessert recipes here!
I hope you love this easy blueberry nice cream recipe. If you make it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe — I really appreciate it! xo.
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 2 medium frozen ripe bananas
- Optional toppings:
- Granola
- Mini chocolate chips
- Shredded coconut
Instructions
- Add frozen blueberries and frozen bananas to your food processor and process until creamy, scraping down the edges as needed. If you like to eat it similar to soft-serve ice cream, simply enjoy it as is. Otherwise, transfer to a small container or loaf pan lined with parchment paper and freeze for 1-2 hours. The longer you freeze, the harder it will get, so just know you may have to thaw it out a bit before you’re able to scoop.
- Scoop into two bowls, add your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on June 26th, 2020, and republished on May 29th, 2024.
16 comments
Do you think I could make this in a blender? I do so want to try it.
Yes, just make sure it’s a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix
So yummy! My ice cream loving husband just said we could stop buying ice cream and eat this every night. I also love I can share this with the baby 🙂
Love that!! The perfect treat 🙂
Genius. My girls are huge fans. This was WONDERFUL as is, but then I blended in a spoonful of nut butter and a heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder and suddenly it’s “chocolate banana ice cream” and my kids think I’m the greatest.
Love that!! The perfect treat 🙂
I was super skeptical about this recipe because when “nice” cream was popular a few years ago, I never had success with it. BUT this was super yummy! So creamy and flavorful. My husband said it tastes like a smoothie with ice cream consistency. I melted down some chocolate chips with a bit of coconut oil and drizzled it on the top. It hardened nicely but wasn’t rock hard like chocolate chips sometimes get. 😋
So glad you both loved it! And great idea with a homemade chocolate “shell” – YUM.
So simple and delicious!
So glad you loved it, Rosie!
So simple, but really, REALLY good! Made it with the chocolate-coconut oil magic shell and a sprinkle of salt. Definitely going to be a go-to!
Love that! Perfect dessert!
I don’t usually leave reviews…but when you make something almost nightly for two years running, you have to break from your norm. I’m not exaggerating…I’ve made this nice cream almost every night for two years and I (and my husband!) have yet to grow tired of it. It is THAT GOOD.
Thank you, Monique, for posting this! As silly as it sounds, this treat got me through a long season of healing and was a bright spot in each day. I can’t recommend this little treat highly enough!
So easy to make the recipes.
How much blueberries and bananas? Not in the directions.
Hi! Scroll to the end of the blog post or click “Jump to Recipe” to see the full ingredients list and instructions.