Healthy Ice Cream Recipes
I’ve often thought it cruel that the foods we love the most are often the most unhealthy. Take ice cream for example. While we all love (and most definitely deserve) a tub of Ben & Jerry’s after a long and tiresome day, it can be a little horrifying to find out just how full of calories it is. Now, what if I told you that there was a way to enjoy this delicious dessert without a side order of guilt? Introducing these healthy ice cream recipes. Most of these require an ice cream maker so I would definitely suggest investing for maximum tastiness. Alternatively, you can also use a blender or food processor to make these yummy and healthy ice cream recipes all from the comfort of your own kitchen. They are great fun, super easy to make, and the best part is, you can basically eat as much of them as you want! Okay, less talking more healthy ice cream recipes, let’s go!
1. Almond Milk Ice Cream
Some people may be skeptical about using anything other than cow’s milk in their ice cream, but almond milk is a delicious and healthy alternative. A lot of people have hopped off the dairy milk bandwagon and on to the almond milk one and for good reason. It is low in calories and sugar and high in calcium, vitamin E, and vitamin D, making it the perfect ingredient for healthy ice cream recipes!
Ingredients:
2 cups Almond Breeze Almond Milk or milk of choice
1/2 cup nut butter of choice, or allergy-friendly sub
1/3 cup sweetener of choice, sugar-free if desired
1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Method with ice cream maker or blender:
Start by whisking together all the above ingredients. If you are in possession of an ice cream blender, pour the mixture in and churn according to the machine’s instructions. A high-speed blender will also do, all you need to do is place the whisked ingredients into ice cube trays and once they are fully frozen, blend until smooth (use the tamper to help it blend evenly).
You can either eat the ice cream straight from the machine or freeze it for an hour if you want a firmer texture. The lack of preservatives means that these healthy ice cream recipes are best the day they are made (as if you needed an excuse to eat the whole thing in one go!) However, you can still freeze for up to one month and thaw before eating.
Method without ice cream maker or blender:
Whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl and place them into a pre-freezed large, shallow container, and freeze. After 30 minutes, stir the mixture to break up the ice crystals. Repeat every 30 minutes for around 2-3 hours.
2. Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Who thought you would be able to enjoy chocolate and peanut butter in one of these healthy ice cream recipes! It is entirely possible though with this delicious recipe that is both vegan and gluten-free! It’s essentially like eating a frozen peanut butter cup. Okay now that I’ve got you all drooling, let’s get into the recipe!
Note: This ice cream recipe uses banana for creaminess and natural sweetness, so if you can’t eat bananas or just aren’t a fan, maybe leave this one out of your repertoire. It also requires a food processor, blender, or ice cream maker.
Ingredients:
4 frozen overripe bananas
1/4 cup peanut butter, or allergy-friendly sub
1/3 cup cocoa powder
optional 1 tbsp dutch cocoa or chocolate protein powder
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
Method:
Start off by making sure that all the bananas are quite brown before chopping and freezing them. Then, combine all the ingredients in either a food processor, blender, or Vitamix. Once completely smooth, add a little milk of your choice (oat milk or almond milk for the smallest calorie intake) if your blender isn’t quite strong enough to process the frozen banana.
You can either serve as a soft serve or freeze for up to an hour before scooping out!
3. Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
This four-ingredient ice cream is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan! If you’re after some super refreshing healthy ice cream recipes then try this one out. The mint combined with the chocolate is a match made in ice cream heaven. Don’t believe me? Give it a taste!
Note: This recipe also uses bananas so give it a miss if you can’t eat them. It can also only be made using an ice cream maker, blender, or food processor.
Ingredients:
2 overripe frozen bananas
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp pure peppermint extract, or more as desired
optional pinch spirulina or natural food coloring
optional 1/2 cup coconut cream or raw cashews
2-3 tbsp chocolate chips or sugar-free chocolate chips
Method:
Before diving into the method, you have to make sure to use pure peppermint extract, not mint or imitation peppermint. If you are using the optional nuts, it’s best to let them soak for 6 hours so they’re nice and soft, then drain completely.
Start with peeling and cutting the slightly browned bananas, and place these pieces into an airtight bag or container to freeze.
Once they are frozen, blend all the ingredients until totally smooth. It’s up to you whether you want to add the chocolate before or after blending. Enjoy!
4. Vegan Oreo Ice Cream
Combining two of my favorite things, Oreos, and ice cream, this one is a real winner in my eyes! As far as healthy ice cream recipes go, it doesn’t get more delicious than this! The best part is that it doesn’t require an ice cream maker or bananas so anyone can make it.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup canned coconut milk - Be sure to buy full-fat canned coconut milk, not lite or coconut milk beverage
1/2 cup additional coconut milk or any milk of choice
1/3 cup sweetener of choice
4 – 6 Oreos or homemade Vegan Oreos, crushed
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
Method:
Stir together all the ingredients except the cookies in a bowl. If you have an ice cream maker, churn according to the machine’s instructions. If you don’t, freeze the mixture in ice cube trays, then blend the frozen ice cubes in a high-speed blender or allow to thaw a little and place in a normal blender.
Gently stir in the cookie crumbs. You can either eat straight from the machine or freeze a few hours for a firmer texture.
5. Banana Ice Cream
If you’re bananas for bananas then try this recipe out! Like most healthy ice cream recipes, it does require a blender or food processor. It does counts as one of your five-a-day though so eat as much as you want guilt-free!
Ingredients:
2-3 overripe frozen bananas
optional milk of choice, if needed
pinch salt
Method:
Start off by ensuring that all the bananas are turning brown before chopping and freezing them.
Add around 2-3 frozen bananas, a pinch of salt, and 2-4 tbsp of your milk of choice into a blender or food processor. Blend until you reach the desired texture. Either dig in immediately or transfer to a container and freeze for half an hour before eating.
