By Megan Edwards,
Beat the heat with these frosty treats that are entirely plant-based and oh-so-delicious. Nice cream is made by blending frozen chunks of banana to get a creamy, custard-like texture for a vegan equivalent of soft serve ice cream. Tons of scrumptious flavors can be built from this base by adding more ingredients such as frozen berries, spices, nuts, or cocoa powder. When you’re craving a frozen dessert that tastes decadent without being detrimental to your health, nice cream is without a doubt the way to go. Check out our recipe round up to get a jump-start on your summer nice cream fix!
Caramelized Pineapple Nice Cream
Transport your taste buds to the tropics with this tasty nice cream recipe that harnesses the natural sweetness of pineapple that’s been broiled to golden brown perfection in the oven. The rich caramel-like flavor blends perfectly with the banana base to create a luscious fruity treat that will keep you cool on hot days.
Grilled Peaches with Basil-Peach Nice Cream
This delectable dessert is the ideal way to finish a summer BBQ on a sweet note. Juicy peach halves are lightly charred on the grill then drizzled with maple syrup and sprinkled with pecans. A peachy nice cream infused with fresh basil leaves is served alongside the warm fruit to bring a beautiful cooling element to the dish.
Cherry-Almond Nice Cream
A drool-worthy combination of cherries and almond extract make this easy nice cream recipe extra flavorful (and extra satisfying). The fruit-and-nut duo mimics the classic Italian flavors of Amarena gelato, minus all the unhealthy ingredients. Make a big batch to have on hand whenever your sweet tooth is calling!
Mint and Blueberry Nice Cream
Refreshing and fruity, this three-ingredient nice cream is ideal for enjoying during a heat wave. Blueberries bring yummy sweetness, while mint leaves add a cooling, herbal component that elevates this recipe to a restaurant-quality dessert. Not to mention, the beautiful purple hue makes it a pretty dish to serve to guests at dinner parties.
Strawberry-Lemonade Nice Cream
Enjoy the flavors of your favorite summertime drink in frozen form! Bright lemon zest and sweet strawberries join forces to pack powerful flavor into this nice cream that cools you down from the inside out. If you want a more intense kick of citrus, top each serving with an extra sprinkling of zest.
Butternut-Pecan Nice Cream
Classic Southern flavors receive a plant-based makeover in this creamy frozen dessert that gets 5/5 stars from our readers. Butternut squash puree adds earthy sweetness to the banana base while maple syrup, vanilla extract, and toasted pecans make each bite incredibly decadent. This frosty treat is perfect for the summer months or to have on hand in the freezer when Thanksgiving rolls around.
Cinnamon-Banana Nice Cream with Fruit Compote
You’ll devour every last bite of this tantalizing nice cream recipe, which features a saucy fruit compote and crunchy granola. The banana-cinnamon base is tasty on its own, but adding a spoonful of simmered apples, pears, and orange juice takes it to a whole new level of yum. Top everything with pre-bought granola for the perfect summertime snack.
Mexican Chocolate Nice Cream
Enjoy the spicy-sweet medley of a Mexican hot chocolate in nice cream form. This 10-minute recipe combines ancho chile powder with cinnamon and cocoa to deliver the classic flavor combination of the beloved beverage. One happy reader raves: “A perfectly healthy indulgence—yum!”
Vanilla Nice Cream With Real Vanilla Bean
Rival the most decadent dairy-based dessert with this incredible nice cream recipe that uses real vanilla bean to infuse the soft serve treat with rich flavor. The banana base gets a boost from creamy plant milk and the whole thing comes together in just 15 minutes. Serve with fresh berries and top with some Aquafaba Whipped Cream!
Strawberry-Chocolate Ice Cream
Is there any better pairing than strawberries and chocolate? This divine recipe certainly makes it hard to name a more perfect duo. Chunks of dark chocolate are mixed into the fruity base and sweetened with a dash of maple syrup. Perfect for a date night when you want to impress your sweetheart!
Frozen Banana Treat with Chocolate (Better Than Ice Cream!)
This fun spin on traditional nice cream turns the frozen treat into bite-sized balls that are rolled in a crispy cereal coating. Hearty oats are mixed into the scrumptious chocolate banana base for extra heart-healthy goodness. Grape-Nuts or any other whole grain cereal of your choice adds a crunchy component that will make it impossible to have just one!
Mango Ice Cream
This bright yellow treat is as much a pleasure to look at as it is to eat! Sweet mangoes are blended into the frozen banana nice cream and topped with a sprinkling of cardamom to highlight the fruity flavors. If you love the Mexican tradition of adding spice to fresh fruit, sprinkle it with Tajín or cayenne pepper.
Pumpkin Ice Cream
You’ve probably enjoyed pumpkin in pie form before, but have you ever eaten it as nice cream? This dreamy dessert breaks from tradition and doesn’t use bananas; instead, silken tofu and canned pumpkin team up to deliver ultra-creamy results. Dates, maple syrup, and cinnamon bring the warming flavors you’re accustomed to when eating pumpkin, but the frosty temperature puts a unique spin on the seasonal squash.
Vegan Peach Ice Cream
Preserve the delicious flavor of peach season for as long as possible by transforming the juicy fruit into a frozen treat. This easy nice cream recipe shines a spotlight on the delicious summer produce by keeping things simple with four staple ingredients. Add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on top for an out-of-this-world dessert experience. (Trust us, you won’t be disappointed!)
2-Ingredient Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
This is the perfect nice cream recipe when you’re short on ingredients but are craving something indulgent and sweet. Blend cocoa powder with frozen bananas, and voilá! The lusciously creamy soft serve is great on its own, or you could top each serving with fresh fruit, coconut flakes, and chopped nuts.
Vanilla Pancakes with Strawberry-Cherry Ice Cream and Warm Chocolate Sauce
Nice cream for breakfast? You bet! Whip up this eye-catching recipe on the weekend when you want to treat yourself to an extra special brunch. The vanilla pancakes are perfectly fluffy, the chocolate sauce is rich without being overly sweet, and the strawberry-cherry nice cream adds a fruity tang that melds perfectly with the other components on your plate.
Cherry Soft-Serve Ice Cream
If Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream was your favorite dessert before going plant-based, this recipe does a darn good job at giving you a vegan version. Frozen cherries give the nice cream a lovely pink color, vanilla extract delivers a cream-like flavor, and dark chocolate chips are blended into the base to create a decadent treat that you’ll want to make again and again.
Strawberry Chocolate Ice Cream Cupcakes
Kick your nice cream skills up a notch with these crave-worthy cupcakes. The chocolate cake base is topped with luscious strawberry nice cream that gets a hint of saltiness from a dollop of almond butter. Topped with chocolate chips for extra yumminess, these are perfect to serve at a birthday party or potluck-style gathering.
About the Author
About the Author
Megan Edwards
Megan Edwards is a staff writer and content producer for Forks Over Knives. She is also a certified RYT-500 yoga teacher who is passionate about cultivating holistic wellness through plant-based eating, mindful movement, and meditation. With a background in journalism and marketing, she supports both the online presence and quarterly print magazine for Forks Over Knives.
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