No ice cream maker or bananas necessary, this healthy vegan blender ice cream recipe makes for a cold, creamy, cone-full of dessert with just 3 ingredients!
To all the banana-haters out there–I may not understand you, but I made an ice cream recipe especially for you. Blender-made and almost as easy as nice cream, but banana free!
Can it still be considered nice cream if there is no banana? It’s nice. It’s creamy. I’m not really sure what the proper ice cream naming protocol is in this situation, what qualifies a nice cream as Nice Cream? The great mysteries of life.
Anyways…
I’ve ventured down this banana-less blender ice cream road before with a sweet potato-based version. It was creamy and delicious, but also a little too complicated to appeal to lazy ice cream lovers. So I’ve switched things up, swapped sweet potato for coconut cubes, and simplified to just 3 ingredients.
Of course there are tons of vegan coconut-based ice cream recipes in the world already, but most of them require an ice cream maker. You can skip that large uni-tasking appliance purchase by simply freezing coconut milk into ice cubes overnight and then blending with frozen berries (or any frozen fruit!) the next day–no ice cream maker necessary!
I chose to sweeten the coconut cubes with a few tablespoons of maple syrup before blending, because raspberries are quite tart and there is no natural banana sweetness to balance that out. If you love a tart frozen treat, then feel free to leave it out. If you wanted to blend in a handful of dates with the coconut milk instead of maple syrup, that would work just as well.
This recipe does require full fat coconut milk. With the lite stuff a creamy ice cream texture is just not going to happen. If you are looking for a low-fat option, then going with good old bananas is your best bet.
You will notice there are actually two different shades of ice cream here, and that is due different coconut to raspberry ratios. The first time I used one cup of raspberries to one can of coconut milk -> the lighter, less intense batch you see in the photos. The second time I increased the amount of raspberries to two cups -> the darker, deeply berry batch in the video.
You choose! More raspberries equals more tart with a deliciously bold berry flavor. Less raspberries equals softer and sweeter, just like the color suggests.
Scooped into a vegan gluten-free cone, because an edible bowl is always more fun. And adorned with a berry heart because I am going to take every last chance to squeeze in the cutesy heart-themed things I can before Valentine’s Day.
Happy banana-free ice cream blending!
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No ice cream maker or bananas necessary, this healthy blender ice cream recipe makes for a cold, creamy, cone-full of dessert with just 3 ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 3–4 tbsp maple syrup OR 6-8 pitted medjool dates
- 2 cups frozen raspberries
- For serving: ice cream cones (shredded coconut, berries)
Instructions
- Blend the coconut milk and the maple syrup or dates.
- Pour into an ice cube tray or mini muffin pan. Freeze overnight (Or longer! They can last for weeks and you can just pull them out when you want a banana-free ice cream treat.)
- Once fully frozen, pop them out of the tray/pan. If you are having trouble, try inserting a knife into the center and tapping to break them apart.
- Blend with the frozen berries until smooth and creamy. Add a few tablespoons of coconut milk if/as needed to help it blend.
- Serve immediately or freeze for 10-15 minutes for a firmer texture.
More Valentine’s recipes to ❤️…
-Because Valentine’s Day calls for chocolate at every meal, here’s a healthy heart-full of it to get the day started!
-Mid morning V-Day sweet snack? How about a light-on-the-chocolate-heavy-on-the-pink coconutty mound of a delicious morsel!
-And if you are so lovely as to share a little chocolate, these fruit-filled hearts are perfect!
-If you keep scrolling past all the veggie talk, there are some very Valentine’s jars waiting at the end of this one!
-A chilly treat to love because it’s food and drink and pink all in one jar!
-And the classic: red velvet!
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Well you know I love coconut milk ice cream and THIS looks incredible. Love how easy it is! Plus, it’s just so damn pretty <3
And you know I love all your coconut milk ice creams, you have the most amazing flavor imagination for them 🙂
First of all, I just can’t with that cute little strawberry! Can everything forevermore be garnished with a teeny heart shaped strawberry? The world would probably be a more loving place. 🙂 But anyway, it’s a little scary how similar our styles are as I just tested a banana free ice cream recipe this weekend too! Though mine has no coconut, and the idea of freezing that into cubes is SO smart. So pretty and perfect for Valentine’s Day, spring, or summer! You know I’m all about the bananas but for this cone of dreaminess I can make an exception, for sure.
What about a teeny fruity flower cut-out, does that count too? Just trying to think ahead, keep it seasonal 😉 Oooh a banana AND coconut free ice cream?? I must see this–can’t wait!
This is crazy easy and crazy dreamy! Lovelovelove! It’s pretty obvious I love my banana ice cream, but sometimes you just need something more rich… and pink…. and coconutty…. 😉
Rhyming with the perfect ice cream adjectives, I love it! Mmmm yes I totally agree. It’s funny because it looks so much like banana ice cream, but one you take a bite (or lick) that extra coconutty richness is very evident–so yum 🙂
Love this recipe, Natalie! I love the decadent flavor of raspberries and this beautiful ice cream is a great way to use them! 🙂 Happy Valentine’s Day to you!
Me too, they are so berry potent! And a few chocolate chips or cacao nibs on top wouldn’t be bad either 🙂 Happy Valentine’s Day Heather!
Try mango ice cream – just freeze it and process it – delicios!!
Thanks for this idea! I love coconit milk!
That is one of my favorites–so yummy! Mangoes any which way are so super yummy though 🙂 Thanks Paula!
I laughed when I read the beginning of your post today when I got your email, hahaha! I would definitely fall into the banana-hater category! Oh yes, coconut milk is the magic of making vegan ice cream! It was my first try at vegan ice cream a few years ago and I wasn’t crazy about the coconut taste, so I love cashew based more. However, I do love coconut if it is masked well and those raspberries you used totally would do that beautifully! I love the gorgeous color raspberries give too. Olivia won’t eat them fresh, but she loves them frozen and blended up. I am totally going to have to make this for her. She would gobble it down in seconds! I love how you shaped the strawberries into hearts on top of the ice cream. That is just so pretty and perfect for Valentine’s Day! Great, simple and just perfect Natalie! Ok, off to watch your video!
I may or may not have thought of you while writing that first sentence 😀 I have actually been falling in love with coconut products of all kinds lately for recipes so bananas haven’t been getting as much use around here shockingly. I have yet to try a cashew based ice cream–next on my list once it warms up a little more and I break out the ice cream maker again 🙂 Ha that’s so funny, I actually find raspberries much sweeter and yummier fresh than frozen. I made another batch with blueberries a couple of days ago just for myself and it was delicious, but for color purposes raspberries were of course necessary here. Hope you had a lovely and sweet Valentine’s Day!
Woooowwwiee this looks amazing Natalie! I love how this ice cream only has 3 ingredients, and they’re all so healthy too! Such a dreamy recipe. Coconut and raspberry is such a delicious combo. Pinned <3
Thanks for checking it out, yep easy indeed! Plus coconut and raspberry both pari so perfectly with chocolate so I wouldn’t be mad about some of that on top too 🙂
Is it just a weird coincidence that I came to your page and saw exactly 14 comments for this February 14th-perfect post?? And now I’m totally gonna ruin it… dagnabit! Anywho… banana-free nice cream? What a revelation! I know A LOT of people who are gonna love this recipe. As for me, anything that is FoF-created is a winner in my book. Especially if I can eat that book… Hmm, what a thought! Oh, and especially is said recipe does not require “uni-tasking” appliances. Lololol. This recipe is absolutely beautiful and gives me all the happy heart-tastic feels just staring at it. Sending you lots of love this Valentine’s week. Text you soon! <3 <3 P.S. Gorgeous photos. ?
Not a coincidence at all, I planned it that way just for you to come and notice it and feel like special number 15, of course! Yep, all the other commenters were in on it and everything 😉 Omg there totally used to be an edible book competition thing at the library at my university every year now that you mention eating books. Like cake in the shape of books and stuff–totally possible (and maybe a little nerdy, but who cares when there is cake!?) Woohoo for more cabinet space AND delicious ice cream too! Love ya <333
Well, how convenient that I just made coconut milk ice cubes (due to the icky, grainy texture of the milk)…I see some ice cream in my future! Hehe!! Those silly banana haters 😉 but in all honesty, I’m right there with you on the coconut love, so bananas don’t get used as much here anymore. I love that you don’t need an ice cream maker to enjoy this! Love the beautiful pink color AND that adorable little strawberry heart. Such a fun recipe! <3
I know, I feel like I have betrayed bananas lately using coconut for everything instead? It’s delicious stuff though, I’m not too sad about it. Although the texture of canned coconut milk without guar gum is so totally different, makes you realize how much difference stabilizers can make. Good thing it doesn’t matter in blended things. This totally hit the nice cream spot for me and kept my tummy happy, it was perfect!
Did you know you can blend all the ingredients ahead of time, put that in ice cube trays, and then reblend when you want nice cream!
Yes that is a great idea, I have done it that way before too! Makes it super creamy😋