Making a healthier version of your favorite ice cream at home is easier than you might think. This Chocolate Almond Butter Nice Cream is as simple as blending, freezing and scooping! The rich chocolate flavor with almond butter chunks is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth! This delicious recipe is Paleo friendly, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free and refined sugar free.

If I’m being 100% honest, I hate the word nice cream. It implies that ice cream should be on some list of foods we never eat. I have recently started to realize how distorted my relationship with food has been, even in the process of healing my gut and eating everything that is labeled healthy. I’ve always been focused on eating healthy foods and this was amplified after being diagnosed with celiac disease. Rightly so, I became obsessed with eating all the right foods to heal my gut so that I could feel better. This was not necessarily a bad thing as it has improved my health, but I also think I took it to an unhealthy degree.

I would feel guilty if I ate something that was processed or labeled as inflammatory instead of listening to what worked best for my body. I would also over analyze how I felt after everything I ate and food started to become an obsession. It was so easy to get caught up with the heal food craze and eating a perfect diet. I’ve been doing a lot of work to undo this mindset and shift my focus on eating a balanced diet. For me personally, this means eating mostly real, whole foods while also allowing myself to eat the other stuff in moderation. I truly believe that eating a diet rich in real foods nourishes the body which is why most of my recipes on my blog are made this way. I also believe that obsessing over food and every single ingredient doesn’t do our health and healing any favors.

My goal is to enjoy a diet that is balanced and flexible and allows space to enjoy life. So, I say all of with the hopes that you will still try this delicious nice cream recipe (because it’s such a good one) while also knowing that this recipe does not imply that you can’t still enjoy eating real ice cream straight from the carton.

What is Nice Cream?

If you aren’t familiar with nice cream, you might be wondering how it compares to ice cream. Basically, the concept of nice cream is that it’s made with frozen bananas and has more of a soft serve consistency. The ingredients tend to be healthier and free from artificial flavors, colors, preservatives and refined sugar. It’s usually dairy free, gluten free and grain free but not always depending on the ingredients (this recipe is though). An added bonus is that it doesn’t require an ice cream maker and can be easily made in the blender. In essence, this custard like dessert mimics the flavor and consistency of ice cream but is made from real ingredients in the comfort of your own home!

Ingredients:

Frozen banana
Vanilla extract
Almond butter
Canned coconut milk
Hu Kitchen dark chocolate gems
Unsweetened Cocoa powder
Maple syrup
Ice cubes

You can use any type of chocolate chips in this recipe if you don’t have the gems. I have also made this nice cream with cacao nibs instead of the gems. It turned out great and still tasted just as delicious!

How to Make Chocolate Almond Butter Nice Cream

Step One: Blend the ingredients.

Add the banana, vanilla extract, 3 Tablespoons of almond butter, coconut milk, cocoa powder, ice cubes and maple syrup to the blender and blend until it becomes a thick and creamy consistency. You may need to stop and scrape the sides a few times. Add 2 Tablespoons of the chocolate gems to the blender and pulse until they turn into chips. Pour the mixture into an air tight container and drop in the remaining 1 Tablespoon of almond butter. Slightly stir the mixture leaving some chunks of almond butter, smooth the top and add the lid. Place in the freezer for 1 hour.

Step Two: Freeze & Enjoy.

Remove the nice cream from the freezer. You may need to let it defrost a little bit if you kept it in the freezer for longer than 1 hour. Melt 2 Tablespoons of Hu gems in the microwave in 15 second increments. Scoop the ice cream into a bowl and drizzle the melted chocolate on top.

Do I Have to Freeze the Nice Cream Before Eating It?

This completely comes down to personal preference and what type of consistency you would like your nice cream. Some days, I don’t freeze it at all and eat it right out of the blender. Enjoying it straight from the blender will give you more of a thick and creamy smoothie like consistency. Other days, I want it to be as close to ice cream as possible so I put it in the freezer. It is usually ready after being in the freezer for 1 hour. However, if you prefer your ice cream thicker and more frozen, I would suggest keeping it in the freezer for 2 hours. Just note that it might need to defrost a little before you scoop it out of the container.

This Chocolate Almond Butter Nice Cream is a delicious recipe that is easy to make and is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. I hope you enjoy this custard like dessert as much as I do!

-Kelsey