I don’t know about you, but I always need something sweet after dinner and fruit just doesn’t always cut it, sometimes I want chocolate. I’ve been making this “ice cream” because it’s so easy and tastes great. This cacao ice cream recipe is gluten free, vegan, contains no added sugar, and can be made with just 5 ingredients!
If you’re looking for other nutritious, chocolate dessert recipes, check out my No Bake Brownies recipe.
This Chocolate Nice Cream is so easy to make. All you need to do is blend the ingredients together, throw it in a bread pan, and let it sit in the freezer. The chocolate nice cream needs to freeze for about 4-5 hours to turn into “ice cream.” If it is left in the freezer for too long, it may get too hard and require you to let it thaw slightly prior to serving. If left in the freezer for the right amount of time (4-5 hours), the texture is very similar to ice cream. I recommend using an ice cream scooper to serve to form it into scoops.
So how does it get it’s rich creamy texture and flavor while being gluten free and vegan?
Key Nice Cream Ingredients
One of the keys ingredients that contribute to this creamy texture is the canned coconut milk. It makes the ice cream thick and creamy. The cacao powder gives the ice cream its chocolate flavor, but it tastes bitter by itself. The bananas balance out the cacao powder to give it a sweet, chocolate flavor and the dates are added for extra sweetness. I love adding dates to sweeten recipes because they not only taste sweet, but also contain fiber, which helps with satiety. You can skip the dates if you don’t want it too sweet. The avocado adds to the creamy texture and satisfying taste.
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe bananas
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 avocado
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 dates (pitted)
- Optional: top with cacao nibs
Directions:
1. Remove the pits from the dates. Then, add all ingredients to food processor and blend until fully mixed.
2. Pour mixture into a bread pan lined with parchment paper.
3. Place in freezer for 4-5 hours. This part is very important. If it freezes for too long, it will turn icy and be hard to scoop. Because there are no stabilizers in this, it is best to consume the same day. If you do have leftovers: freeze the leftovers and when you are ready to consume, allow the ice cream to thaw for up to one hour (depending on the size of the ice cream leftover). Place ice cream in a high speed blender to re-form the ice cream texture.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you give it a try, please leave a comment below or tag me on instagram and let me know what you think!
Chocolate Nice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 dates remove pits
- 1 tbsp cacao nibs optional topping
Instructions
- Remove the pits from the dates. Then, add all ingredients to food processor and blend until fully mixed.
- Pour mixture into a bread pan lined with parchment paper.
- Place in freezer for 4-5 hours. This part is very important. If it freezes for too long, it will turn icy and be hard to scoop. Because there are no stabilizers in this, it is best to consume the same day. If you do have leftovers: freeze the leftovers and when you are ready to consume, allow the ice cream to thaw for up to one hour (depending on the size of the ice cream leftover). Place ice cream in a high speed blender to re-form the ice cream texture.
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