Whip up a batch of homemade ice cream with the help of frozen bananas! This mint chocolate chip nice cream is deliciously creamy with specks of chocolate chips and a fresh mint flavor. It's made vegan and paleo-friendly with no ice cream maker needed!
This Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream recipe is sponsored by Lily’s Sweets. All thoughts are my own. Thank you so much for supporting brands that make The Fit Peach possible!
Yes, it's true, bananas make the creamiest ice cream! Kind of like how cauliflower can make a super delicious pizza crust. I'm all for using fresh ingredients for a "health-ier" twist on a recipe (just like this edible brownie batter made with chickpeas)!
If you haven't tried "nice cream" (ice cream made with bananas), you're missing out. It's thick and flavorful and made no-churn style. This recipe is sure to turn you into a nice cream fan!
Ingredients
- Frozen bananas - Make sure your bananas are frozen. The best way to freeze bananas is by slicing them into pieces and storing them in the freezer in a bag overnight.
- Dates - To add a little natural sweetness to the nice cream. Date nectar or maple syrup will work as well.
- Peppermint extract - This is what gives the nice cream a minty flavor. Make sure to use peppermint extract and not mint. Sometimes mint extract can give off a toothpaste kind of flavor - not what we're going for with this nice cream recipe!
- Lily's Dark Chocolate Chips - Lily's chocolate chips are perfect for this recipe with a rich dark chocolate flavor. They're botanically sweetened with stevia and vegan too!
Step by step directions
You will be surprised at how easy and simple this nice cream recipe is. A food processor or high speed blender is all you need to whip up homemade nice cream in time!
Step 1 : Blend frozen bananas
First, place your frozen banana slices in a food processor and blend until they are chopped up. There should be no clumps of banana in the mixture and the blade should run smoothly. Keep in mind, the mixture will be thick!
Scrap down the sides of the processor to ensure everything gets incorporated and blend well. This step can take about 3 minutes.
Step 2 : Add the almond milk
Add the almond milk to the processor and continue to blend until creamy. It should look more like soft serve ice cream now!
Step 3 : Add the dates, vanilla, and peppermint extract
Next, add the dates, vanilla, and peppermint extract to the processor and blend until the dates have been broken up. If using maple syrup or date nectar, this step won't take too long.
Again, be sure to scrape down the sides to ensure everything gets incorporated into the nice cream.
Step 4 : Add the chocolate
Add in the chopped chocolate chips and pulse a few times to distribute in the mixture. You only need to pulse 3 - 4 times. Don't over do it or you'll break up the chocolate and they won't resemble chocolate chips.
Serving
You can serve this ice cream multiple ways.
For more of a soft serve style ice cream, serve immediately after mixing in the chocolate chips. The nice cream is cold and soft just like soft serve!
If you want more of ice cream that you can scoop, pour the mixture into a pan and chill it in the freezer for at least 2 hours. This will allow the nice cream to firm up a bit so you can easily scoop it into a bowl or cone.
Storing
To store this nice cream, keep it in an airtight container or wrap saran wrap around a pan (like the one above) and store it in the freezer. It will keep for 2 months when stored properly!
When ready to enjoy, let the nice cream sit on the counter for about 10 minutes to soften and then scoop.
Frequently asked questions
Nice cream is a creamy frozen treat made from bananas. It has the characteristics of ice cream but has no dairy. It's made from blending up frozen bananas until smooth and creamy and is a great dairy free and vegan alternative to ice cream.
Mint chocolate chip ice cream can be either green or white. The green color trend started a while ago as people correlate mint with the color green. Most green mint chocolate chip ice creams that are green are died with food coloring.
When stored properly, nice cream will last for about 2 months in the freezer. Store this nice cream in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in saran wrap and keep it in the freezer. Thaw it out on the counter for about 10 minutes before serving.
Yes, this nice cream does still have a banana taste to it even though we add vanilla and peppermint extract. It's not overwhelming but there is a slight banana flavor.
For more frozen treats, check out my:
PS : If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star review and comment below! Also be sure to follow along with me on Instagram and Pinterest to stay up to date on all tasty recipes here at The Fit Peach!
Recipe
Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream
Ingredients
- 4 medium bananas - frozen (about 4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon almond milk
- 5 dates - pitted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ cup Lily's Dark Chocolate Baking Chips - chopped
Instructions
- In a food processor, blend the frozen bananas until they have been broken down into small pieces (this can take about 3 minutes to fully break down the bananas). Scrape down the sides as needed. Add the almond milk and continue to blend until creamy.
- Add the dates, vanilla, and peppermint extract to the processor and blend until the dates have been broken down.
- Pour in the chopped Lily's Dark Chocolate Baking Chips and pulse a few times to disburse in the nice cream. Serve immediately for a soft serve-style nice cream or pour into a container and let it firm up in the freezer for an hour before serving.
Such a great recipe! I love love mint cc ice cream and this was a fun healthier version. There is still a bananay flavor but I kind of suspected that going into it. Will make again after I freeze more bananas!