Banana Nice Cream (with coconut and lime)

Back when I worked in the nursing home, every Wednesday at 2:00 pm, the ice cream cart would come around. It would go to the seniors first, then to the staff. For $2.00, you could get a couple of scoops of ice cream with a choice of 3 sundae toppings. Now this was not only a good deal, it was a pretty darn tempting offer in the middle of the afternoon on hump day. Yet I always turned it down. I just couldn't justify the extra calories and fat. However, I don't recall ever seeing any of the seniors turn it down.  And if you measured it by the excitement stirred up at the sight of the ice cream cart, you'd have sworn you were in a building full of small children instead of a long term care centre. I wondered if I would ever get that excited about the ice cream cart?

Regrettably, the older I get, the rarer the ice cream treats become. So I have to look for alternatives to get my ice cream fix. And this Banana Nice Cream is the ultimate in low-calorie ice cream alternatives! I leveraged the complementary flavours of my favourite Banana Bread (rum and coconut with a lime glaze) into this delicious Coconut lime banana nice cream.

Nice Cream is the perfect ice cream alternative! And this Banana Nice Cream (with coconut and lime) is an easy, vegan and healthy no churn ice cream substitute made with bananas and coconut milk. Topped with toasted coconut and lime zest for the perfect balance of sweetness. And it's a great way to use up your overripe bananas!  It's also Weight Watchers friendly at only 5 WW points on the blue plan per ½ cup serving!

The absolute best thing about being a kid is never having to worry about what you eat - the calories, fat content, weight watchers points or even sugar. None of it even matters! Nor do you ever have to worry if that weekend of overindulgence will result in bringing out the proverbial fat pants. Instead, my parents worried about that for me. And I'm really glad that I milked it, by hogging out on as much junk food as possible in my formative years. Although, in my childhood, I recall that those opportunities were few and far between because, to my dismay, my parents were in control and they were responsible when it came to healthy eating.

 I could not wait to grow up so I could have ice cream whenever the hell I pleased! Ice Cream was one of the most highly coveted of junk foods in my house.

For this nice ice cream recipe, you'll need:

• light coconut milk
• bananas
• amber rum
• vanilla extract
• lime zest
• unsweetened coconut

Flash forward 35 + years and as I'm sure you've already guessed, I have grown up and there are no wild ice cream parties happening in this girl's world. Although I do indulge occasionally, ( I am not that strict) I can't eat ice cream nearly as much as I'd like to, given there are all those other considerations I mentioned (i.e.calories).

Not only is this healthy dessert a win because its made of real food, creamy and is refined sugar-free, dairy free, vegan and gluten-free,  it wins because I always struggled with how to use up those frozen bananas. And now, because of banana nice cream, they have real purpose in this life.

💭 Top tip

Peel your bananas BEFORE you freeze them - saves you lots of hassle and minor frostbite!

*If you are using frozen bananas you should defrost them in the microwave for about 2 minutes

📖 Variations

This frozen dessert makes a fabulous ice cream substitute because it's quick and you don't even need an ice cream maker.

• Rum: you can use a ½ teaspoon of rum extract if you want to keep it alcohol free. *You can buy rum extract at most grocery stores.
• Chocolate Nice Cream: you can add 4 tablespoon of cocoa to the mix and skip the rum. You'll want to add it to the food processor in the first step* coconut is optional
• Nice Cream Banana Split: You can even make it into a healthy banana split by adding fruit, toasted coconut, some shaved dark chocolate and a little whipped cream, as I did! And if you want to keep it vegan, just use Nutriwhip.

🌡️Storing

This banana nice cream recipe should be stored in the freezer in a sealed container. It will last up to 3 months.

👪 Serving size

 This recipe makes 10 servings. However, you can cut it in half, double or triple by recipe by simply clicking on the blue serving size in the recipe card and selecting the number of servings. The recipe amounts will then adjust accordingly. It's 5 WW points on the blue plan per ½ cup serving.

🍽 Equipment

You do NOT need an ice cream make for this Weight Watchers Nice Cream, but you will need a food processor (affiliate link) for this recipe. You can freeze this nice cream recipe in any container that is freezer safe, but I usually freeze it in a 9x5 loaf pan with a lid or covered with either Glad press n' seal or saran wrap.

When I was pregnant with both of my kids, I had a bit of a different attitude towards ice cream and the like. Although my focus was on eating healthy, I allowed myself to indulge a little more. Hey, I was getting fat anyway and I figured it was my last hurrah. So when that ice cream cart came around, I did get pretty excited because I knew I could have it. Although it was just a flash in the pan, it was a glimpse into a life of food freedom. Yet, as I see it, it was only a taste of what's to come...

Getting old has its benefits. When you're a kid, you can't wait to grow up so you can supposedly do anything you want. Yet you never hear about anyone actually wanting to grow old. I would argue that there are benefits.

I spent a lot of years working around the elderly and although getting old obviously has many lousy aspects, it does have its advantages. At that point in your life, it really becomes all about hedonism. You take your enjoyment when and where you can get it. For instance, at 90, you're likely going to be a lot less caught up in how you look and whether you gain a few pounds over a weekend, than when you were in your 40's. So when that Wednesday ice cream cart rolls around, you really have absolutely no reason to turn it away, especially if you are lucky enough to still be eating solid food at that point. You don't need to worry about eating this Coconut Nice Cream.

But right now I do. Nice cream now, ice cream later is my philosophy.

At that stage of your life you can eat what you want when you want. And when you really think about it, it's actually superior to childhood - you no longer have parents who are making those decisions for you. It's truly the ultimate in food freedom. In fact, it's that freedom you've waited your entire life for! And I know now that I will get that excited about the ice cream cart because there are no longer any constraints. Just imagine that - life with no self-imposed food restraints. Getting old is beginning to look better and better...

Now I can't wait to grow old so I can eat ice cream whenever the hell I please. But in the meantime, I eat Banana Nice Cream.

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📋 Banana Nice Cream Recipe (with coconut and lime)

This Banana Nice Cream (with coconut and lime) is an easy, vegan and healthy no churn ice cream substitute made with bananas and coconut milk. Topped with toasted coconut and lime zest for the perfect balance of sweetness. And it's a great way to use up your overripe bananas! Weight Watchers friendly at only 5 WW points on the blue plan per ½ cup serving!

4.67 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana, coconut, lime, nice cream

Special Diet: Vegan, Weight Watchers

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 96kcal

Author: Terri Gilson

Prep Time: 7 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes minutes

freezing time: 8 hours hours

Total Time: 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 400 ml can light coconut milk
• ▢ 6 bananas frozen or fresh
• ▢ 1 tablespoon amber rum
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:

• ▢ 2-3 tablespoon lime zest
• ▢ ½ cup toasted unsweetened coconut

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In food processor. blend coconut milk, bananas, vanilla and rum together until combined and smooth. *If you are using cocoa and making chocolate nice cream, add it here and skip the rum.
• Place in a covered dish in the freezer until firm- about 6- 8 hrs (This will depend on your freezer - mine are pretty full so I let it freeze overnight)

Garnish:

• Toast coconut: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place ½ cup coconut in a shallow pan (a pie plate or 8 inch round cake pan) and bake for about 2-3 minutes- watch it closely to avoid burning. (see NOTES)
• Grate lime with grater/zester.
• Top nice cream with sprinkles of toasted coconut and lime zest

Notes

📖 Variations

Rum: you can use a ½ teaspoon of rum extract if you want to keep it alcohol free.

Chocolate Nice Cream: you can add 4 tablespoon of cocoa to the mix and skip the rum. You'll want to add it to the food processor in the first step* coconut is optional

Nice Cream Banana Split: You can even make it into a healthy banana split by adding fruit, toasted coconut, some shaved dark chocolate and a little whipped cream, as I did! And if you want to keep it vegan, just use Nutriwhip.

🌡️Storing

This banana nice cream recipe should be stored in the freezer in a sealed container. It will last up to 3 months.

👪 Serving size

 This recipe makes 10 servings. However, you can cut it in half, double or triple by recipe by simply clicking on the blue serving size in the recipe card and selecting the number of servings. The recipe amounts will then adjust accordingly. It's 5 WW points on the blue plan per ½ cup serving.

🍽 Equipment

You will need a food processor for this recipe (see my Amazon recommendations in NOTES). You can freeze this nice cream recipe in any container that is freezer safe, but I usually freeze it in a 9x5 loaf pan with a lid or covered with either Glad press n' seal or saran wrap.

💭 Top tip

Peel your bananas BEFORE you freeze them - saves you lots of hassle and minor frostbite!

 

** If you are using frozen bananas you should defrost them in the microwave for about 2 minutes

 

NOTE: To toast coconut: https://www.culinaryhill.com/how-to-toast-coconut/

My Amazon Recommendations (affiliate links)

 

Nutrition Facts

📋 Banana Nice Cream Recipe (with coconut and lime)

Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup)

Calories 96 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Sodium 2mg0%

Potassium 277mg8%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 45IU1%

Vitamin C 7mg8%

Calcium 5mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 96kcal (5%) | Carbohydrates: 17g (6%) | Protein: 1g (2%) | Fat: 3g (5%) | Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 277mg (8%) | Fiber: 3g (13%) | Sugar: 9g (10%) | Vitamin A: 45IU (1%) | Vitamin C: 7mg (8%) | Calcium: 5mg (1%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)

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