What can I say, I LOVE nice cream. Although I post dessert recipes from time to time, I’m actually not the biggest dessert eater. I usually eat big dinners so I tend to be full and don’t generally crave sweets afterwards. My boyfriend on the other hand, his taste buds demand something sweet after dinner. He would devour a whole pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream every night (if I let him).
The first time I made banana nice cream for him, I was worried. I thought it wouldn’t be sweet or creamy enough for him, since he’s used to “the real thing.” I was so wrong. He LOVED the nice cream, and asked for a second batch immediately. I’d so much rather him eat two bowls of banana nice cream and feel good afterwards, than a big pint of Ben and Jerry’s that would make him feel sluggish and stuffed. So a second batch of banana nice cream it was!
Since then, I’ve been having so much fun experimenting with different nice cream flavors to keep him excited about it. We’ve done strawberry, peanut butter and chocolate, mint chocolate chip, matcha, and more. But the one we keep coming back to is this simple crunchy cookie dough combination. I’ll admit that I grew up on cookie dough ice cream from Ben and Jerry’s so this discovery was pretty life-changing, not gonna lie.
We LOVE the Chocolate Chip Crunchy Cookies from Simple Mills for this recipe (and in general!) because they are made with such wholesome ingredients. They literally taste like classic Famous Amos cookies! Hard to believe that they are made with almond flour, organic coconut sugar, tigernuts, and a few other simple ingredients. No grains, dairy, or weird gums and emulsifiers, so they pair PERFECTLY with my all-time favorite almondmilk from New Barn. I use their unsweetened almondmilk here since the ripe bananas bring plenty of sweetness, but I’m sure this recipe would be delicious with their vanilla or original too. Since New Barn uses real almonds and lots of ’em, it help this nice cream stay creamy and rich.
If I’m making nice cream as an alternative to my boyfriend’s usually unhealthy desserts, it’s important to me that I’m adding good stuff! That means ingredients that provide more nutrients and health benefits. I don’t want to add excess sugar or crap just for the sake of taste! With Simple Mills’ cookies and New Barn almondmilk, I know that I’m feeding him good stuff. (Gosh, it sounds like I’m talking about a child here but nope, just my boyfriend.)
It’s also really important to me that any dessert I’m making is quick and easy. After a long day of work, cooking dinner, and cleaning up, the last thing I want to do is make another huge mess. So I’ve made sure to keep this recipe super simple. All you have do is throw a few ingredients into the blender and go! (Bonus points for any dessert that doesn’t require me five more pots, pans, and measuring cups. Although I include specific measurements below, this recipe is definitely flexible! Feel free to eyeball this one and just toss it all into the blender without getting out the measuring cups or spoons.
If you have time to let it freeze for a few hours, it takes a simple soft-serve up a notch and makes it into a firm scoop-able nice cream. I would recommend it that way, but honestly most of the time I eat it soft-serve-style. Depends if I have the time (or willpower). Totally up to you and delicious both ways. I find that the harder frozen version tastes more like classic cookie dough ice cream; something about the texture just makes it irresistible! I love digging out the little pieces of cookie (just like I did with Ben and Jerry’s as a kid).
If you want to transform this one into a milkshake, just add a little more almondmilk until it reaches the desired consistency. Perfect for dessert (or even breakfast, no judging).
As always, let me know if you try this recipe by tagging me @hashtagvegan on Instagram and using #hashtagvegan so I can see your creations!
For the animals,
Ingredients
- 3 extra ripe bananas, (peeled, chopped, and frozen)
- 1/4 C New Barn Unsweetened Almondmilk
- 6 Simple Mills Chocolate Chip Crunchy Cookies, (plus extra for topping!)
- 2 Tbs cacao nibs, (optional)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the frozen bananas and almondmilk in your blender. Blend until creamy, but not totally smooth. (My Vitamix has a wand that helps to push down the bananas while blending, but if you don’t have a wand you might need to pause once or twice to scrape down the sides.)
- Add Simple Mills cookies, cacao nibs, and vanilla extract and pulse until the cookies are broken up to your liking. (I usually crush them slightly by hand as I add them in, and then it only takes another ten seconds or so to blend.)
- Scoop straight out of the blender and eat immediately for a soft-serve texture, or transfer into a freezer-safe container, freeze and serve as a harder more scoop-able ice cream a few hours later.
Drop me a comment!