Is there such a thing as too much ice cream??? Also does anyone want to take a moment to appreciate the person who discovered that blending frozen bananas along with different fruits creates this incredibly creamy and extremely healthy alternative to the regular ‘not so healthy’ ice cream? I know, I definitely do! So lets forget the sugary, dairy filled ice cream and jump on board the nice cream train.

Summertime is for enjoying the sunshine, relaxing by the lake and having lots of frozen treats to keep you cool and refreshed. We had some hot weather in Chicago this week and I had this strawberry basil nice cream stocked up in the freezer all week long.

Nice cream, as I have mentioned in my earlier posts too, (berry nice cream, piña colada nice cream) is nothing but frozen bananas and other frozen fruits when blended with yogurt or plant based milk gives a creamy base which is very similar to an ice cream. It’s dairy free and sugar free but certainly not flavor free! For this strawberry basil nice cream, all you need is frozen bananas, strawberries, basil, coconut milk, honey and a high speed blender to transform these ingredients into an irresistible treat. Adding herbs like basil, mint and thyme to nice cream adds a great kick to the overall flavors. You can always play with different combination of  fruits and herbs while making your own batch. If you want to pile on the toppings, consider adding berries, chocolate chips, granola, nuts, chia seeds or honey to your nice cream.

I am certainly not giving up on ice creams this summers but mixing in a few rotations of this healthier treat will make me feel less guilty.  So try making it for your own and I am sure this will become your new obsession!

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas
• 16 oz strawberries
• 5 oz unsweetened lite coconut milk
• 8 – 10 basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• pinch of salt

Instructions

• Freeze the strawberries and banana chunks overnight in a zip lock.
• Remove the frozen berries and banana from the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes before blending.
• Now put the frozen strawberries, banana chunks and all the remaining ingredients in the blender and blend it until you get the required creamy consistency.
• You can adjust the amount of honey and vanilla essence as per your taste.
• Once blended, scoop the nice cream in serving bowls. If you want your nice cream nicely frozen then transfer it to a container and freeze it for 2-3 hours and then serve.
• Top your nice cream with strawberries, granola, nuts, honey or any other toppings of your choice and indulge in this guilt free dessert!

Notes

• Substitute coconut milk with any plant based milk.
• Use Greek yogurt or plant based yogurt instead of plant based milk
• You can substitute honey with maple syrup, agave nectar, coconut sugar, stevia or any other healthy sweetener of your choice. If you wish, you can skip adding any sweetener altogether.
• This nice cream keeps good in the freezer for 2- 3 days.