Vegan No Churn Ice Cream - Three Flavours!

Name: Vegan No Churn Ice Cream - Three Flavours!
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 3 frozen bananas; 4-6* tablespoons soy milk (or plant milk of choice); 1 cup frozen strawberries; 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional); 3 frozen bananas; 2-3* tablespoons soy milk (or plant milk of choice); 1.5 tsp instant coffee (decaf if preferred); pinch sea salt (optional); 3 frozen bananas; 2-3* tablespoons soy milk (or plant milk of choice); 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract (increase to half a teaspoon for stronger mint flavour); 1/4 cup baby spinach (optional); 3 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips (dark chocolate or semi sweet)

JUMP TO RECIPE

Whoop!! GREAT news for ice cream lovers! I’ve got three amazing flavours of vegan no churn ice cream for you! A dairy free summer treat that’s sweet, creamy, refreshing, wholesome, and guaranteed to keep you happy all summer long!

Three bowls of vegan ice cream with 3 scoops in each bowl.

This recipe was originally published in March 2019. It has been updated for content and photos.

Reader Feedback:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I made all 3 flavors this weekend and my family loved them! Strawberry banana for the kids, coffee for me and mint chip for hubby who loves mint chocolate. So delicious and I love that these are sweetened with just bananas! – Megan

You know those super ripe bananas you keep freezing to make banana bread one day?

Now you have another great recipe to use those frozen bananas.

Choose from three great flavour options!

Strawberry Banana Nice Cream
Vegan Coffee Ice Cream
Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream

The best part?

No churning or ice cream maker required.

It doesn’t get simpler than this.

PLUS, this vegan ice cream is coconut free and nut free for a low fat version.

How to make it

(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Choose your flavour (or make all three) and gather the ingredients.

Your base is always frozen bananas and your preferred plant based milk. Then a few other ingredients, depending on your flavour choice.

Ingredients needed to make vegan ice cream scattered on cutting board and counter.

Strawberry Banana Nice Cream

Add your frozen bananas, strawberries, plant milk, vanilla and maple syrup (if using) to your food processor. Process until smooth. (photos 1-2 below)

Banana and strawberries in food processor being blended.

Enjoy straight away or freeze for 30-60 minutes for a firmer texture.

White bowl with three scoops of strawberry ice cream inside.

Vegan Coffee Ice Cream

Add the frozen bananas, instant coffee, plant milk and pinch of salt (if using) and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. (photos 1-2 below)

Food processor with bananas, coffee and milk being blended up.

Enjoy immediately, or freeze for 30-60 minutes for a firmer consistency.

Three scoops of coffee ice cream in small white bowl with spoon of instant coffee beside it.

Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream

Add the frozen bananas and plant milk to your food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. (photos 1-2 below)

Next, add the spinach (if using) and process to combine. (photos 3-4 below)

Finally, add the chocolate chips and pulse once or twice to fold them in. (photos 5-6 below)

NOTE: You won’t taste the spinach, but it will turn your nice cream from white to green.

Collage of images of bananas and flavorings being blended in food processor to make mint chip nice cream.

Enjoy right away for a soft serve consistency, or freeze for 30-60 minutes for a scoop-able, firmer texture.

Three scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream in white bowl with blue and white dish towel beside it.

Storage

If you won’t be consuming your nice cream right away, keep frozen in a freezer safe, air tight container.

A smaller container is best without much space for air between the top of your nice cream and the bottom of the lid, to prevent freezer burn. You may also add a sheet of plastic wrap on top of your nice cream, before sealing with the lid to help it keep longer.

I’ve kept mine frozen for up to 2 weeks without any issue. However, I suspect it would last much longer if properly sealed.

If it gets too hard in your freezer to scoop, just leave it at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to slightly soften.

Common Questions

Is vegan ice cream healthy?

No. Not necessarily. This nice cream version IS quite healthy since it’s made using a base of bananas and plant milk. However, store bought vegan ice cream tends to be loaded with fat and refined sugar.

What is the texture of nice cream?

When freshly made, the texture is similar to soft serve. However, if you want a firmer texture, just freeze for 30-60 minutes.

Can it be scooped onto a cone?

Yes, if you freeze it for 30-60 minutes, the texture is scoop-able and may be served onto a cone.

What toppings can I add?

The flavours are great as is, but feel free to add toppings, if you’d like. Some great options include: shredded coconut, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, a drizzle of peanut butter, cinnamon, cocoa powder and raisins.

Expert Tips For Success

Use very ripe frozen bananas to maximize the natural sweetness of your vegan ice cream.
If you don’t have bananas in your freezer, make sure your bananas are very spotted and soft. Then peel them, cut them into chunks and freeze until solid.
Break your frozen bananas into chunks (if not already) to give your processor a head start, and make blending easier.
Start with the lower amount of plant milk and increase only if needed. The size of your bananas will determine how much milk is needed to process them. Use the least amount of milk possible to blend them into a thick and creamy texture. Too much milk will make your nice cream too thin and more smoothie like.
The optional spinach in the mint chocolate chip nice cream is for the green colour, not flavour. You will not taste the spinach, but you may skip it, if preferred. Your nice cream will be white without it.
If using a food processor, you will have tiny bits of spinach that don’t fully purée, but again, you won’t taste it. Use a blender for smoother consistency if you need to hide the spinach from picky eaters. 🙂
Homemade no churn ice cream melts quickly! There are no stabilizers or other unwanted ingredients added here, so plan to enjoy immediately, or freeze.

More summer dessert recipes

More ways to use overripe bananas

If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.

Buon appetito

Rosa