When sunny weather rolls around, I immediately crave ice cream. Lately, I’ve been craving a different type of ice cream though: nice cream.

Nice cream, or vegan ice cream, is typically made by blending frozen bananas until thick and creamy (try imperfect bananas – they’re ripe and ideal for freezing!). It often requires few ingredients, is incredibly simple, and takes no time at all! Sounds pretty darn nice to me.

These nice cream recipes are:

• Sweet
• Creamy
• Refreshing

They are also all dairy-free, gluten-free, and under 5 ingredients! From blueberry to chocolate to coffee, these will satisfy all your ice cream cravings. Enjoy them as a snack, dessert, or even for breakfast (if you’re wild like that).

3 Easy Nice Cream Recipes

Note: All recipes serve 2 and are ready in 5 minutes.

1. Blueberry Basil

Ingredients:

• 3 frozen bananas (cut into slices before freezing)
• 1.5 cups frozen blueberries
• Handful of fresh basil
• Optional: a tsp of sweetener of choice if your blueberries are a bit underripe. We like maple syrup or honey.
• Note: if basil isn’t your thing, blueberry alone is heavenly as is. Simply omit the basil and add 1/2 tsp of vanilla. Top with fresh mint.

2. Chocolate Peanut Butter

Ingredients:

• 3 frozen bananas (cut into slices before freezing)
• 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of sea salt

3. Coffee 

Ingredients:

• 3 frozen bananas (cut into slices before freezing)
• ½ cup strong coffee (chilled)
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of sea salt
• Optional: ¼ cup coconut cream
• Optional: handful chocolate chips (mix in after blending)

Instructions for all:

• Blend well. If you have a Vitamix, use a tamper to ensure proper blending. If you don’t have a Vitamix, we recommend using a food processor. Either way, a power blender will work, but if it’s too thick add 1 tbsp of almond or coconut milk. This makes it creamier and easier to blend. Be careful not to add too much though, or else it becomes more of a smoothie. 
• Note: If you find that you’re having trouble blending it and add too much milk, simply pop your nice cream in the freezer for 30 minutes. The consistency should be ideal post-freezing.
• Serve in your favourite bowl or cone. Feel free to top with chocolate chips, berries, vegan cookie dough, or even chopped up healthy chocolate peanut butter cups. Enjoy!