Dark Chocolate Nice Cream (V+GF): an easy, 4 ingredient recipe for velvety smooth, rich dark chocolate nice cream made of bananas, cocoa powder and maple syrup. Vegan, Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Free.
I scream! You scream! We all scream for nice cream!!
Wait a minute. That’s not how that goes. Well, why not turn a classic into a modern-day non-dairytale? Omigosh, I’ve clearly had too much delicious nice cream and I can no longer think like a calm, relaxed adult.
But who cares, ‘cause it’s the summer! Amiright? The truth is, I hadn’t even heard of nice cream until like a couple months ago. Hilarity of all hilarity, turns out I’ve been making it for years. This just goes to show you how good I am at keeping up with the trends. Hey, at least I made popsicles before winter hit. 😉
So just in case you’re new to this term like I was, here’s the icy lowdown: Nice Cream is vegan ice cream made out of bananas. I think. Erm, note that I’m still not a trendy cool-hunter type. This term’s been around for a few years, I hear. But honestly, it could’ve been around since the dawn of time… and I still wouldn’t know it.
Bubble I live in: intact. Moving on. But slowly, so the bubble doesn’t pop.
My family’s loved nice cream for quite awhile now for it’s simplicity, deliciousness and overall awesomeness. Think about it, you kill two birds with one stone (geez… could that saying BE any more frightening??? *Chandler-voice*). You get your fruits in, and you get to enjoy your dessert, guilt-free. Awwww, yeah.
Back in the day, when Erik, my mom and I would be sweating bullets in San Diego, we’d whip up a batch of nice cream (it was called banana soft serve back then, sigh) and top it with all kinds of fun stuff. Think: homemade magic shell, chopped nuts, fresh fruits, and when we were feeling saucy, crushed peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.
An ice cream A nice cream sundae you could feel good about. *Happy sigh* Then, just a few weeks ago, I feel a major, MAJOR chocolate craving coming on. But what to do? Make my best vegan brownies? How about some chocolate peanut butter banana popsicles? Or how about just melting a big ol’ bowl of chocolate and going to town? Chocolate Town, population: me.
But then an unexpected wave of maturity and responsibility came over me. Where did that come from?!? No one will ever know. And I figured it’s time to chocolate-fy nice cream! I mixed in more cocoa powder than someone who doesn’t have a special place in their heart for chocolate might think twice about, and added a bit of this and a bit of that.
Et voila! Simply dark, simply pleasurable dark chocolate nice cream. That’s vegan, dairy free and gluten free. Score!! Scoop one, scoop two, or heck scoop til your arm tires… Just go ahead and scoop all of this Official Chocolate Lover goodness into cones, cups, or directly into your mouth. And enjoy!
My Dark Chocolate Nice Cream is:
- ridiculously easy to make
- vegan, paleo, gluten free, dairy free
- rich, dark and chocolate-y
- made with just 4 ingredients
- stays delicious for up to 1 week
- satisfies the sweet tooth, guilt-free
- allows you to change the Ice Cream song lyrics
So go ahead, sing it with me: I scream! You scream! We all scream for…. NICE CREAM!!! Get your ice cream cones ready, I’ll meet you by the pool.
A few more delicious Paleo | Vegan | Dairy Free frozen treats, hand-picked just for you below:
- Paleo Vegan Almond Joy Ice Cream
- 3 Ingredient Mango Coconut Paleo Milkshake
- Paleo Mocha Frappe
- 3 Ingredient Mango Coconut Vegan Ice Cream
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More Delicious Vegan Ice Cream: watch the video for my Coconut Chocolate Chip Vegan Ice Cream below! ????
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Here are a few items I used in today’s recipe. 🙂
Food Processor | Blender | Maple Syrup
- 4 medium ripened bananas, sliced and frozen
- 1-2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder*
- Add bananas to a blender or food processor. Blend until bananas turn into a crumbly mixture.
- Add maple syrup and vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the blender as necessary. This will take a few minutes.
- When you get a smooth, creamy mixture, it’s time to add the cocoa powder. Add the cocoa powder and blend until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the blender as necessary.
- If you like soft ice cream, enjoy immediately. If you want your ice cream firm and scoopable: pour into a freezer-friendly, airtight container. Freeze for 4-6 hours, or until completely frozen. Allow to thaw for 5-15 minutes before scooping. Enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 week. Before serving, allow to thaw for about 5-15 minutes. Scoop and enjoy!
- Other chocolate frozen/chilled desserts: popsicles, smoothies, cookie dough cups.
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Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chip Nice Cream. Need I say more? Deliciously Paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free and Dairy-Free. 🙂
So many delicious frozen desserts, so little time. Try my Vegan Ice Cream Bars (V, Paleo, GF, DF). Just 8 simple ingredients to dessert bliss…
Sometimes ya just need a milkshake. Or two. 😉 Sip my Vegan Strawberry Coconut Milkshake and just wait for the good vibes to happen. Vegan, Gluten Free, Paleo, Dairy-Free.
What’s your favorite frozen treat to enjoy over the summer?
I can’t wait to hear your responses.
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It never ceases to amaze me what one can do with a banana these days! I can’t believe you made such real looking ice cream with the ingredients as listed. It’s like, um, healthy! Wow.
So true! Bananas are one of the coolest fruits. 🙂 Enjoy, Laura!
I love ‘nice cream’, though I didn’t even know that was a thing. Clearly, I’m behind on the latest terminology 😉 Or…..I’m so far in my bubble that I totally missed it, lol 😀 This looks completely delicious and completely like legit ice cream. And don’t even talk to me about how chocolately it looks. So, since this is made with basically fruit, I it is perfectly acceptable to eat all this ma self, right ? I’m assuming you replied with ‘right.’ LOL. Pinning (Duh), or per the trendy & funny show ‘Broad Street ‘ – ‘Der’ (which apparently is the latest, ‘duh’). Oh my, I just can’t keep up with it. Maybe I’ll just cuddle in with a blanket, leggings and a big bowl of this nice cream and let everyone else think about it 😀 Thanks for another wicked recipe, girlie. Have a lovely weekend! xo
Right? Gurl, we were so in the same boat! Lol. Omigosh, this is soooo good! You should totally try it, D! You can totally eat the whole thing by yourself–brain freeze aside. 😉 Der: Oh goodness! I do feel like a dinosaur on all of this internet speak sometimes. Thanks for keeping me up to date. 😉 Have a great weekend, friend. xoxo
OMG this looks so delicious, and refreshing! I want a scoop or two right now! 🙂
It is SO delish and refreshing! 🙂 Thanks Marsha! 🙂
I’ve seen nice cream all over the place, but I have yet to try it! I’m definitely missing out, so I think I need to make this asap. That chocolatey decadence is just calling my name, Demeter! I love that the base is made out of bananas. And you really can’t get much easier than this. Sounds like the perfect afternoon treat on this hot day. Hope you have a great weekend!
You totally have to try this G! You would love it. 🙂 Let me know how you like it when you do! Have a wonderful weekend, friend!
NICE CREAM – who knew???? Well, you did thank goodness and now so do I, and I will definitely be making this a few million times this summer! xoxo!
LOL. Right? Now we can all be super knowledgeable together. If only we can figure out a system for keeping up with all of the other terms… Thanks Kate! 🙂 xoxo
Oh Demeter, your posts never fail to crack me up! So many little nuggets of hilarious-ness squeezed in 😀 Laughing and simultaneously feeling my cool creamy cravings dialing up to dangerously high level! Nicecream is pretty much the best invention of the past decade or two. I mean smartphones are cool and all, but really…THIS <33 I gotta try the maple syrup addition, that's a new one to me. And pretty much anything and every bar or cookie or ball on your site would be incredible crumbled up on here!
Woot woot! I’m pleased as a peach that you’re entertained. 😉 So true that nice cream is the best invention. I mean, what would we have done if we knew about this as kids?? Been eating more bananas, that’s for sure! Lol. The maple syrup really helps to balance the generous amounts of rich, dark cocoa powder. The combo is fantastic. Thanks for your awesome comments, Natalie! 🙂
I have 2 ripe bananas and I am going to make this awesomeness right away! First of all I have a bad sore throat and they say nice cream is good for that 🙂 ! Second, I am a chocolate monster. Third it’s summer. Gotta go. Thanks for sharing. Oh, pinned, BTW… 🙂
Excellent! 😉 That’s what I love to hear! I hope your throat feels better, my friend. Perhaps the nice cream helped? 🙂 Thanks for pinning! Get well soon. xoxo
This nice cream is very, very nice 😉 You know I’m so happy you did a chocolate one too because CHOCOLATE RULES!!!!! WOOHOOO! BTW, that homemade magic shell sounds awwwwwwesome! 🙂 #ilovechocolate
Hehehe… Oh Karrie! We share the same dorky humor. That’s why we’re friends, right? 😉 And yeah, chocolate SO RULES!!! Muah!
I LURVE me some guilt-free nice cream! And what better way for me to get my chocolate fix met than eating 2 or 6 of these cones – right? I’m gonna stop licking the screen and head to my kitchen and make this pronto! GORGEOUS, lickable photos, Demeter!
Awwww yeah! 😉 2 or 6? Better make it 6, to be safe! Haha. Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by my friend. 🙂
One of my first blog posts was peanut butter nice cream. But I forgot to call them that because I was too fixated in putting “two-ingredient” something in the title. Anyhoo, yours is NICE cream indeed. And NICE photos too, I bet you shoot your cam like a ninja lol! I panick whenever I shoot desserts that melt very fast! ? This nice cream will go straight to my Healthy and Chocolaaaaate pin boards!
How fun! But I know exactly what you mean… so many key aspects to a recipe–what to emphasize? Haha. Well, I’m super impressed that they were two-ingredients, so there! 🙂 Shoot like a ninja: Lol. I was pretty nervous, but it worked out just fine. I may or may not have had to enjoy some during the shoot. Ya know, to keep the area from becoming a mess. Yeah, that’s why… 😉 Thanks for pinning Sheryl! xo
OMG, modern-day non-dairytale. THIS IS OFFICIALLY THE BEST EVER! You keep bringing me these awesome sayings/references and I can’t help but wanting to start to use them all.
BTW how cool is that, that your mom loves nice cream too. Mine finds it super delicious too, but she denies to make it for herself, coz she hates blending bananas. So instead she makes unhealthy, complicated dairy recipes 🙁 😀
Anyways, this nice cream is awesome, especially served in cones, so clever! I am just going right now to freeze a bunch of bananas to make dark chocolate nice cream 🙂
Pinned of course!
I KNEW you’d love that joke!! I was busy patting myself on the back for that one and then I’m like, wait… No one thinks that’s funny. Uh… Lol. But now I can say my good, generous friend Evi does! Hahaha. The first time I made nice cream for my mom, I didn’t tell her what it was. Just said it was a super yummy frozen dessert. She LOVED it. Then, after she was done licking the whole bowl clean, I told her. Sometimes, with my fam, I have to skip the whole “this is healthy” part, or they won’t eat it! Lol. Maybe one day you’re mom will come around. 🙂 In the meantime… more for us! 😉 Thanks for pinning E. Enjoy!
Sharing a nice cream on my blog is due for so long! Glad that you shared it! Who wouldn’t enjoy some guilt free nice-cream specially when they look this beautiful. That chocolatey goodness is speaking to me, Demeter! Bananas and chocolate goes so well together, like a match made in heaven for me! 🙂 Thanks for this yummy share! You have a wonderful weekend! <3 Xo
Oh, I can’t wait to see what you come up with! 🙂 I’m sure it’ll be so incredible, colorful and creative! Basically, signature Anu. 😉 Totally a match made in heaven. 🙂 I hope you get a chance to try this! Have a wonderful weekend, my dear friend. xoxo
So cute that we both ‘did’ chocolate and bananas this week…. This is beyond yum! true story – I pin my favorite ice cream recipes to a board called ICE….now I’m wondering if I should call it NICE? This is the bomb, my friend! Have a great weekend! 🙂
And how! 😉 Chocolate and bananas are just a beautifully delicious combo. Ya know? Well… you probably do since… Haha. NICE!! Call it NICE! Lolol. Have a great weekend, my dear! 🙂
I looooove nice cream! This recipe looks so decadent and delicious. When I first saw the pics, I didn’t even believe it was nice cream! It looks so much like the real stuff. This nice cream is definitely the perfect summer treat!
Woot woot for a fellow nice cream lover! This recipe is the ultimate decadence and deliciousness–without the guilt! Thank goodness. Thanks so much for saying you couldn’t believe it was nice cream. Can I pat myself on the back now? Lol. Yay for perfect summer treats! Thanks Ash. xo
We are SO on the same page with nice cream! I’m making one as we speak!! It’s my favourite go to ice cream because HOW easy it creamed bananas? It’s kind of amazing to watch actually, like cashew or coconut butter. By the way, LOL at modern day dairytale!!! I just pictured princes, princesses and unicorns eating nice cream LOL!!
Oh yeah!! Go vegan ice cream goodness! 😉 I can’t wait to see yours! And, YES, so much YES on the creamed bananas. It’s one of the most fascinating, easy and satisfying ingredients to blend. I’m loving that image. Ah, the summer just gets more magical and magical. *Happy sigh* Thanks Jessica! xo
This looks so awesome! I’m going to freeze up some bananas tonight so i can make this tomorrow! Thanks! I’m thinking of substituting honey for the syrup. And using as much chocolate as possible 🙂
Thanks Tiffany! 🙂 Awesome–I usually have a huge stock of frozen bananas in the freezer for this very purpose. Let’s just say when I go to the grocery store, people look at me like, “WOW. That’s A LOT of fruit.” Lol. Honey would work great! And chocolate: Oh YES. The 1/4 cup I used is gonna give you a super dark and rich flavor. Can’t wait to hear what you think of this! 🙂
I realize that this is about a month late lol. But I haven’t been able to comment lately. I have done this recipe a couple of times – substituting honey for syrup – and it’s delicious, but it doesn’t seem to come out “ice-creamy”. It’s more like pudding haha. I guess i should put it in the freezer for an hour or so. Still, I don’t know if I’d be able to get it to the consistency for scooping on an ice cream cone.
Great though! Thinking of trying it with strawberries. Strawberry banana nice cream.. has a “nice” ring to it. ?
Oh no worries! I’m so happy you took the time to comment, Tiffany. 🙂 I like it best when it’s been in the freezer overnight, then left out to thaw for 15-25 minutes (depending on the temperature in your kitchen). Also, the level of cold in your freezer affects how frozen it’ll get too (the more frozen it is, the less pudding-like the texture). This would be fantastic with strawberry! In fact, it’d definitely, definitely be NICE.? ?
Never made nice cream before. Should try it out. This recipe looks great!
Marina, you should totally give it a shot! It’s so delicious, and best of all, guilt-free. 🙂 Let me know how you like it if you do!
Thanks for the recipe. I live in Miami with a Mango tree that is giving me 1-4 mangoes a day; my niece lives in a Mango grove. SO I have lots of Mangoes. I’m going to make myself a Mango Nice Cream. I could probably just use Mangoes, but I might just use up the banana I have. Instead of making it a Chocolate Mango Nice Cream, I might just scrape some chocolate candy for a topping.
Thanks so much for suggesting such a great recipe.
Hi Stasia! Thank you for telling me about your niece’s mango tree. The idea of living near a mango grove sounds like such a dream. 🙂 The mangoes you have must be so wonderfully sweet and fresh. <-- this is basically my mom's dream. Haha. Either way you make this recipe, I hope you enjoy it! Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you get a chance to try some of the mango recipes on this site. 🙂
So interesting! I’m surprised the bananas seem to remove the need for an ice cream maker. Can the nice cream be made in an ice cream maker? Wasn’t sure if I wasn’t accounting for something that might go wrong
Hi Dominique! Yup, frozen bananas are really a marvelous thing. They really do remove the need for an ice cream maker. Once you toss them in the blender/food processor and blend them up until smooth, you get a creamy, smooth ice cream-like texture. The only difference is that you need to thaw it for a bit before scooping (if frozen overnight). Can’t wait to hear what you think! 🙂
Can I make a big tub of this and then take it in and out of the freezer everytime I want a scoop? I live on my own so would like to make a batch in advance instead of one banana at a time!!
Hi Becky, yes you may! 🙂 I usually like to make a batch in advance, and enjoy the tub within a week or so. Just follow the thawing instructions before scooping. Can’t wait to hear how it turns out! 🙂
Hi,
I just found your blog and I love it. I tried your Dark Chocolate Nice Cream and it is delicious! Might I also add that your photography is beautiful. Well done. I am a food stylist so I love fantastic food shots. I shared one of your recipes on my FB page and following you on Pinterest. Michaela of Michaela & Co