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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Recipes

    Chocolate Cherry Nice Cream

    Published: Jul 17, 2022 · Modified: Apr 18, 2023 by Dianne · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Chocolate Cherry Nice Cream is a deliciously refreshing cold treat for a hot summer’s day. Made with banana and cherries, it’s perfect for breakfast, dessert, or just a snack. No ice cream maker is needed! This easy recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

    Chocolate Cherry Nice Cream with text overlay

    Banana Based Nice Cream

    The first time I had banana-based ice cream was probably about 20 years ago. I hadn’t been vegan very long. I had already been vegetarian for many years, and was making my way in a very un-vegan-friendly world. There were a few non-dairy brands available at the time, so I didn’t miss ice cream too much, but going cheeseless was a little difficult.

    two bowls of nice cream overhead with cherries, chocolate chips, spoons, and mint leaves

    There was a vegan food festival put on by EarthSave at Lincoln Center one hot summer’s day. I don’t remember what it was called it, but I know they didn’t use the word “vegan,” because they didn’t want to scare anyone off. It was the first time I had been to any kind of veg-friendly festival, and it seemed magical. Dr. Furhman and Marion Nestle spoke, long before most people knew who they were, and there was lots of vegan food to partake in.

    Chocolate Cherry Nice Cream with cherries, chocolate chips, and mint leaves

    One of New York City’s raw food restaurants (I can’t remember who it was, but I think it might have been the now defunct Bonobos) had a stand selling banana ice cream, and I decided to give it a try. I could pick the type of fruit we wanted mixed with it, so I picked cherries. They’re my favorite fruit, and I just can’t get enough them in the summer! To make it, frozen bananas were fed through what looked like a meat grinder (I’m sure it wasn’t) along with the cherries. It was simple and delicious. I was amazed.

    two bowls of nice cream with cherries, and mint

    Chocolate Cherry Nice Cream

    I recreated the treat at home using my food processor and was soon hooked. The addition of a little bit of chopped chocolate made it even more heavenly. Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia Frozen Yogurt had been a staple in my diet before going vegan, and at the time, none of the non-dairy ice creams available had a similar flavor. Of course, Ben and Jerry’s has vegan Cherry Garcia now, but this is a much healthier treat!

    Since then, “nice cream,” which is what banana-based ice cream is now known by, is quite popular. I’ve seen recipes on some of my favorite blogs for all kinds of deliciously creative flavors, and I love them all! My original Chocolate Cherry Nice Cream might not be the most original, but with just three or four ingredients, it’s super easy to make, and it remains my favorite.

    bananas, frozen cherries, chocolate chips, and almond milk

    What you Need

    You only need a few ingredients to make this tasty treat!

    • Bananas
    • Cherries
    • Chocolate chips
    • Non-dairy milk, optional

    See recipe card for exact amounts.

    nice cream in blender
    liquid nice cream about to go into the freezer

    How to Make Vegan Nice Cream

    This recipe is super easy to make!

    • Slice your bananas into small chunks, place in an airtight container, and place in the freezer. You need to freeze them  for 2 to 8 hours. The longer they’ve been in the freezer the better they'll work in this recipe.
    • In a food processor or blender, process your banana chunks and 1 cup of the cherries. Process until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. If the mixture seems to thick, add a little almond milk.
    • Once your nice cream is smooth, add the rest of the cherries and the chocolate. Give it one or two more pulses, just to break the cherries up.
    nice cream with scoop in container

    Serving Your Nice Cream

    Serve your nice cream immediately if you like soft ice cream. If you'd like a firmer nice cream, transfer it to an air-tight container and freeze until solid.

    Chocolate Cherry Nice Cream with cherries, chocolate chips, and mint leaves

    Storing Your Nice Cream

    Store any uneaten nice cream in an air-tight container in the freezer. It will last about 3 months.

    nice cream with cherries, bananas, and mint
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    nice cream square

    Chocolate Cherry Nice Cream

    Dianne
    Chocolate Cherry Nice Cream is a deliciously refreshing cold treat for a hot summer’s day. Made with banana and cherries, it’s perfect for breakfast, dessert, or just a snack. No ice cream maker is needed! 
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Cook Time 5 minutes mins
    Banana Freezing Time 8 hours hrs
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 198 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 bananas
    • 1 ½ cups cherries pitted (fresh or thawed frozen cherries)
    • splash almond milk optional
    • ½ cup dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate

    Instructions
     

    • Slice the bananas into small chunks, place in an airtight container, and place in the freezer. Freeze for 2 to 8 hours. (The longer they’ve been in the freezer the better.)
    • In a food processor or blender, process the banana chunks and 1 cup of the cherries. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. If the mixture seems to thick, add a little almond milk. Once smooth, add the rest of the cherries and the chocolate. Give it one or two more pulses, just to break the cherries up.
    • Serve immediately if you like soft ice cream, or transfer to an airtight container and freeze until solid.
    Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 326mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag @diannewenz on Instagram!
    Chocolate Cherry Nice Cream with cherries, chocolate chips, and mint leaves

    More Cherry Recipes You Might Like Include:

    • Chocolate Cherry Chia Pudding Parfaits
    • Cherry Chocolate Overnight Oats
    • Chocolate Cherry Smoothie
    • Cherry Almond Smoothie Bowl
    close up of a smoothie bowl

    More Frozen Desserts You Might Link Include:

    • Matcha Avocado Ice Cream
    • Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream from Super Vegan Scoops! by Hannah Kaminksy 
    one dish of ice cream with strawberries
    « Vegan Overnight Oats with Chia and Mixed Berries
    Vegan Thai Noodle Salad »

    About Dianne

    Dianne Wenz is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Vegan Lifestyle Coach, Plant-Based Diet Nutrition Specialist, and Plant-Based Chef, as well as the author of Truly Healthy Vegan Cookbook.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Trinity Bourne

      July 10, 2017 at 11:34 am

      Suddenly feeling the need for cherries!! This looks and sounds so delicious.
      Big fan of these nice creams here.

    2. Becky Striepe

      July 10, 2017 at 11:41 am

      Oh my gosh, I think my family would love this, and I love how easy it looks to make!

    3. Dianne

      July 10, 2017 at 2:03 pm

      Cherries are the best!

    4. Dianne

      July 10, 2017 at 2:03 pm

      Thank you, Becky!

    5. Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite

      July 10, 2017 at 2:25 pm

      All these yummy recipes with cherries! I love cherries and ice cream, so this sounds delicious! Hot summer day treat for sure.

    6. Dianne

      July 10, 2017 at 4:38 pm

      Thank you, Sophia!

    7. Susan

      July 10, 2017 at 11:31 pm

      Cherries and chocolate are one of my favourite combinations!

    8. Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day

      July 13, 2017 at 11:38 am

      Dianne, this looks amazing! I love the deep color from the cherries. I want a scoop right now!

    9. Vanessa @ VeganFamilyRecipes

      July 14, 2017 at 12:12 pm

      Chocolate and cherries are such a delicious combo! Turning those two into a nice cream is perfect! I can't wait to try it!

    10. Linda from Veganosity

      July 14, 2017 at 8:44 pm

      Love this! I have a cherry chocolate chip recipe on the blog too and it's one of my favorite summer treats. This looks so good, Diane!

    11. Mel | avirtualvegan.com

      July 15, 2017 at 3:32 am

      I love cherry season! This looks so refreshing. Just perfect!

    12. Alisa Fleming

      July 15, 2017 at 1:08 pm

      Great minds Dianne! This is a recipe I've been making a ton for the spring (with the chocolate chips, too!), but a little different from your version. I can't wait to try yours.

    13. Dianne

      July 17, 2017 at 11:33 am

      I hope you like it, Alisa!

    14. Dianne

      July 17, 2017 at 11:33 am

      Thank you, Mel!

    15. Dianne

      July 17, 2017 at 11:34 am

      Thanks, Linda! Chocolate and cherries are such a great flavor combination.

    16. Dianne

      July 17, 2017 at 11:34 am

      Thank you, Vanessa. I hope you like it!

    17. Dianne

      July 17, 2017 at 11:36 am

      Thanks, Amy!

    18. Dianne

      July 17, 2017 at 11:37 am

      Mine, too!

    19. The Vegan 8

      July 19, 2017 at 2:50 pm

      Cherries and chocolate are one of the most delicious combos! Loving this healthy nice cream version. So perfect for this incredibly hot weather!

    20. Dianne

      July 20, 2017 at 11:22 am

      Thanks, Brandi!

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    Hi! I'm Dianne Wenz, a Board-Certified Health Vegan Health and Lifestyle Coach. I empower my clients to build new habits so they can reach their healthy living goals. I love to show others how easy it is to live a vegan lifestyle as well as how to cook deliciously easy plant-based meals. Contact me today to learn more and to schedule a complimentary breakthrough session!

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