Cookies and cream nice cream is a sweet frozen treat made with only four ingredients! Bananas, non-dairy milk, vanilla, and Oreos. That -- and five minutes -- is all it takes to make this vegan cookies and cream ice cream. Trust me on this one, it is delicious!
What is Nice Cream?
Nice cream is an all-natural, dairy-free alternative to ice cream using frozen bananas as the base. Nice creams are made by placing chunks of frozen bananas in a blender and blending until creamy. The texture of frozen bananas makes for a creamy frozen treat, much like ice cream.
This recipe is made with Oreo cookies and is made using the same process as my vanilla nice cream. Nice cream is also whole food, vegan and plant-based.
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Ingredients
Blending Equipment
There are three equipment options for making nice cream. Below is a breakdown of each option.
- High-Performance Blender - 2 - 3 minutes of blending - An example of a high-performance blender is a Vitamix or a Ninja. While I love this option for how quickly nice cream can be made, it can be cost-prohibitive.
- Household Blender - 5 - 8 minutes of blending on average - I often recommend household blenders for making nice cream. They are convenient and commonly found in households. Please note the time that it takes to make nice cream can vary the wattage of your household blender. I recommend taking breaks as needed so that the motor does not burn out.
- Food Processor - 5 - 8 minutes of blending on average - Food processors can leave the nice cream a little chunky. Depending on your preference this might be a good option. Also, note it is recommended to take breaks so that you do not burn out the motor. It is also a great time to scrape down the sides of the food processor.
Instructions
Prepare the Bananas and Oreos
Slice the bananas into one-inch rounds. Placed the bananas in a freezer bag and freeze for 2 hours. Crush the Oreos inside a ziplock bag.
Mix
Place the frozen bananas, vanilla, and non-dairy milk in the blender/processor of your preference. Start on a low speed working up to a medium speed until the mixture is at your desired consistency. Scrape the sides as needed. Fold in the crushed Oreos.
Note: Starting at too high of a blending speed will result in the bananas on the sides of the blender. It is always best to start at a low speed and work up to a medium speed.
Freezing and Serving
For super soft nice cream, you can serve it immediately. For firmer nice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least two hours. Top each serving with an Oreo cookie.
Additions and Substitutions
- Cookies - Choose any cookie type you prefer.
- Gluten-Free - Select a gluten-free cookie to make this dessert gluten-free.
- Non-Dairy Milk- Use any type of non-dairy milk (oat, almond, soy, etc.). Normally you only need a tablespoon of non-milk for the blender. Adding too much milk will cause your nice cream to be runny instead of creamy. To avoid this, add the milk a tablespoon at a time and blend.
A non-dairy milk alternative would be coconut cream, which has a rich flavor and a creamy texture. Coconut cream helps to reduce the banana flavor resulting in a stronger vanilla flavor. You can substitute coconut for non-dairy milk at a 1:1 ratio.
- Toppings - In my house, we like the works on top of our nice cream. Some of our favorite vegan toppings include:
- Chopped up fresh fruit or berries
- Nuts (peanuts, walnuts, etc.)
- Chocolate chips (dairy free)
- Hershey syrup
- Marshmallows (Dandies)
Trouble Shooting Blending Challenges
Trouble Shooting Blending Frozen Bananas
Sometimes it is a challenge to blend nice cream with a traditional blender or food processor. It's happened to me as well. Here are some tips to help if you run into this challenge.
- Cut the bananas into small pieces. This will make it easier for the blender to blend.
- Allow the bananas to warm up for a few minutes and try again. For me, this is a process of trying, waiting, and repeating until the bananas were at the right temperature.
- Use a wooden spoon to stir around the bottom of the blender to loosen any chucks stuck in the bottom.
- Start a low speed and work your way up. This will reduce bananas going to the side of your blender instead of blending.
Be sure to take breaks in between to protect the motor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately, no. If you blend unfrozen bananas and then freeze them, the texture will be icy instead of creamy.
Yes, nice cream refreezes easily. Remember to let it warm up for 10 - 20 minutes before serving. This step makes it easier to serve Oreo nice cream.
That depends on the person answering the question. To me, yes, nice cream is better because it is dairy-free and healthy. The texture is also similar to ice cream.
Storage
Store your nice cream in a freezer-safe container for up to one month. The nice cream will darken over time. When you are ready to enjoy your nice cream, let it thaw for a few minutes to soften before serving.
In the Mood for Something Else?
Recipe
Cookies and Cream Nice Cream
Equipment
- Blender
- Spatula
- Freezer bag
Ingredients
- 2 bananas, frozen
- 1 tablespoon vanilla (13g)
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk (15g)
- 12 Oreo cookies, crushed. Save a few for decoration.
Instructions
- Prepare the Bananas and Oreos - Slice the bananas into one-inch rounds. Placed the bananas in a freezer bag and freeze for 2 hours. Crush the Oreos inside a ziplock bag.
- Blend - Place the frozen bananas, vanilla, and non-dairy milk in the blender/processor of your preference. Start on a low speed working up to a medium speed until the mixture is at your desired consistency. Scrape the sides as needed. Note: Starting at too high of a blending speed will result in the bananas on the sides of the blender. It is always best to start at a low speed and work up to a medium speed
- Add Crushed Oreos - Fold in crushed Oreos.
- Freezing and Serving - For super soft nice cream, you can serve immediately. For firmer nice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least two hours. Top each serving with an Oreo.
Notes
- Start the blender or food processor at a low speed. If you start on too high of a speed the banana will be on the sides.Â
- If using a standard blender, let the bananas warm up before blending. It is important to wait between blends to avoid burning out the motor.  Here are the steps I follow:
- Blend
- Wait 3 - 5 minutes
- Blend again
- If the nice cream is not blending, just give the bananas a little more time to warm up. If all else fails add a small amount of non-dairy milk. (No more than a tablespoon.) Adding too much non-dairy milk will make your nice cream runny.  The bananas will eventually cream.  Again, you might need rest to avoid burning out your motor.Â
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