Strawberry Nice Cream

Strawberry nice cream is an easy, healthy summertime treat! It's made with fresh fruit and is a fantastic option for a plant-based and dairy-free dessert.

Strawberry nice cream is the berry-licious version of the popular vegan banana ice cream recipe that hit the internet a couple of years ago. It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s healthy and it’s packed with fresh summertime flavors!

When the temperatures start to rise, chilly treats are darn right mandatory. But if you like to indulge daily, it’s not a bad idea to keep some guilt-free, healthy frozen desserts on hand. Fresh fruit homemade ice pops and chocolate chunk avocado ice cream are favorites around here!

And now we’re adding another one to the mix with this 10-minute strawberry nice cream. Pop everything into a food processor and blend it up. It’s that simple. Serve it right way for that delightful soft-serve consistency or freeze it briefly for a firmer texture.

INGREDIENTS FOR STRAWBERRY NICE CREAM:

These are the main ingredients needed for this recipe…

• STRAWBERRIES: Find whole frozen strawberries in the frozen food section of any grocery store. Many stores often carry both organic and non-organic berries.
• BANANAS: Choose large, ripe bananas. The riper, the sweeter, though the banana flesh should not be brown.
• ALMOND MILK: Use unsweetened almond milk or another unsweetened plant milk of your choosing, such as soy milk, oat milk or cashew milk.
• VANILLA: Find pure vanilla extract in the baking section of any grocery store.
• SWEETENER: Extra sweetener is optional, but may be necessary if the strawberries aren’t at their sweetest. Agave nectar is a vegan-friendly option.

See recipe card below for full ingredients list & recipe directions.

Tools you need:

• FOOD PROCESSOR: A food processor easily chops up the frozen berries and purees the mixture to produce a silky, smooth nice cream. Alternatively, use a heavy duty blender.
• LOAF PAN: Use a loaf pan if to store the nice cream.

How to make strawberry nice cream:

Nice cream is a breeze to make! Let’s talk details…

PREP THE FRUIT: Peel the bananas and cut out any brown spots. Cut them into chunks. The frozen strawberries should not be defrosted before using. They help the nice cream to achieve a frosty, thick texture.

PULSE THE FRUIT: Place the banana and strawberries in the bowl of a food processor or in a heavy-duty blender. Pulse until the fruit is cut into small pieces.

PUREE OR BLEND: Add the almond milk and vanilla extract. Puree the mixture until it’s very smooth. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula as necessary.

TASTE & ADJUST: Stick a spoon in and taste the mixture. If it’s not sweet enough, add a teaspoon or two of agave nectar, then blend again.

SERVE: Nice cream is wonderful when served right away, with the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. If you prefer a firmer texture, freeze it for an hour.

FREEZE: Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and pop it into the freezer for an hour.

Can I use frozen bananas?

Frozen banana chunks are great to have on hand for smoothies, and can be used to make nice cream, too. However, I recommend using just one frozen fruit in this mixture. So, either frozen banana and unfrozen strawberries OR unfrozen banana and frozen strawberries. When both fruits are frozen, the mixture tends to be too thick, requiring an extra dose of milk to loosen things up.

Can this be served in a cone?

Absolutely! I suggest popping the nice cream into the freezer to firm it up a bit so the scoop holds its shape.

If following a plant-based or dairy-free diet, opt for sugar cones. Waffle cones are usually made with eggs, butter and milk.

Substitutions:

For the fruit: Instead of strawberries, try an equal amount of raspberries or blackberries. Or a combination of all three!

For the milk: There are many milk alternatives available, including soy milk and oat milk. I suggest sticking with unsweetened versions.

For the sweetener: If the nice cream needs to be sweetened and you don’t have agave nectar on hand, try maple syrup, honey (not vegan) or an alternative sweetener like erythritol.

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