Ice cream is a wonderful treat, especially when it’s hot outside. Making a sweet treat like mint chocolate chip nice cream without dairy is easier than you think.
Ice Cream and Paul
There are only a few things in life that Paul loves. I’m certain I am one of them, and the other is ice cream. Over the years, he has investigated all the various ice cream makers out there
Wherever we roam in our RV or van, we are always stopping for a nice cold sweet treat. Making mint chocolate chip nice cream in about 5 minutes has now become his favorite treat.
Alternative frozen treats
The problem with eating a lot of sugar and dairy is that over time some ingredients start taking a toll on your health.
We started looking for alternative ice creams that were sugar-free. This helped with both Paul and my health but was still being made with the saturated fat of the cream from cow’s milk. The search continued.
Once we started to look into plant-based foods we had to consider finding non-dairy ice creams. Now it’s not to say they aren’t out there, they are just sometimes not that easy to find.
So we started looking into recipes to make our own. The flavor is the same but the name was changed. It’s Nice cream instead of Ice cream.
Paul doesn’t care what it’s called. He can make it himself in 5 minutes, and he is happy again.
Health Benefits of mint chocolate chip nice cream
The fact that ice cream and nice cream tastes almost the same, it seems only logical to try the non-dairy option for your health.
Some of the health benefits to think about are:
Lower in saturated fat – Typical ice cream is made with cream which high levels of saturated fat. On the other hand, nice cream is made with frozen bananas and other plant-based ingredients which are naturally lower in saturated fat.
No added sugar – When making nice cream there is no sugar needed. The frozen bananas bring the sweetness to the treat naturally.
Nutrient content – Due to using bananas as your base you are already adding potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and dietary fiber. Also by using sugar free dark chocolate chips you are adding a good serving of antioxidants.
Less use of additives – Just look at the side of any regular ice cream container and you will see just how many additives are used. Stabilizers, emulsifiers, and artificial colors and flavors to name a few.
Make Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream Ahead Of Time
After you have spent all day working or traveling and then you cook dinner, the last thing you want to think about is making dessert. That’s where the nice cream comes in handy.
It’s great to make ahead and freeze. If you make it and want that soft-serve consistency then you will need to eat it right away. For the scoop-able type of nice cream, then freeze it for about 2 hours and then let it thaw for 5 minutes.
The scoop-able nice cream can last in the freezer for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Varieties of nice cream flavors
The basic recipe to make non-dairy ice cream is to just add bananas, plant-based milk, and vanilla, to a high power blender.
There are so many flavors to try. Just replace the vanilla with a different extract for a quick change.
You can make strawberry by just adding some frozen strawberries, or chocolate by putting in some sugar-free cocoa powder. The possibilities are endless.
Finally
If you place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the nice cream before you put the lid on, you won’t get any freezer burn. Not that your nice cream is going to last long enough for that!
Please try making mint chocolate chip nice cream in about 5 minutes and let us know what you think.
I’m always interested in a new and exciting flavor.
Quick Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream
Equipment
- High Power Blender
Ingredients
- 2 frozen bananas
- 2 Tbsp plant-based milk
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips sugar free work great
- 2 drops peppermint extract more or less to taste
Instructions
- Put milk, bananas, and extract into the blender
- blend until smooth
- fold in the chocolate chips
- serve at once
