Vanilla Nice Cream with Fruit Options
A creamy frozen-banana base with vanilla, a little plant milk, and optional ground chia. Enjoy it plain or choose strawberry, cherry, chocolate cherry, cherry-almond, blueberry, mango, or peach. Start with already-frozen bananas; additional freezing time is optional.
Ingredients
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- 3 cups sliced frozen ripe bananas
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened plant milk , divided; add only as needed
- 2 Tbsp ground chia seeds (optional)
Ingredient amounts above are scaled. Amounts mentioned in the method and preparation notes remain for the original recipe; adjust those to match your batch.
Method
- Prepare the bananas ahead: peel very ripe bananas, slice, and freeze in a single layer until solid. Measure 3 cups of frozen slices. The 10-minute prep time assumes the bananas are already frozen.
Upgrade your flavor
Want a twist? Choose one optional add-in below. Amounts are for one batch.
Flavor Add to the base Strawberry 1 cup strawberries Cherry 1 cup pitted sweet cherries Chocolate cherry 1 cup pitted cherries + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder Cherry-almond 1 cup pitted sweet cherries + 1/4 teaspoon almond extract Blueberry 1 cup blueberries Mango 1 cup mango chunks Peach 1 cup sliced peaches Frozen fruit gives a firmer result.
- Add the bananas, vanilla, any chosen add-ins, and optional chia to a food processor. Start with 1 tablespoon of the plant milk and reserve the rest.
- Blend everything until creamy, scraping down the bowl and adding the remaining milk as needed.
- Serve immediately as soft-serve, or transfer to a covered freezer-safe container and freeze for 1–2 hours for firmer scoops. If too firm to scoop, let it soften briefly at room temperature. Makes about four small servings; yield varies with the fruit option.