Pumpkin Spice Nice Cream
Decadent enough to be served for dessert yet healthy enough to be eaten for breakfast, this Pumpkin Spice Nice Cream will be your new favorite fall treat. It’s fluffy and creamy just like soft-serve ice cream with all the cozy spices of the season!
Hello pumpkin spice, it’s nice to see you again…
I was cleaning out the fridge last weekend and came across a partially finished can of pumpkin puree which seems to be a thing around Thanksgiving. Remembering how fluffy pumpkin makes Vegan Pumpkin Spice Blender Muffins I added it to my peanut butter nice cream, along with the classic seasonal spices, and ahhhhh, ended up with Pumpkin Spice Nice Cream! Being a confessed nice cream-o-holic this is now my favorite way to use up leftover pumpkin.
Nice cream, which is just blended frozen over-ripe bananas is pretty much the easiest and healthiest dessert you can make in 5 minutes. There’re just a few things to keep in mind when making this delightful frozen concoction.
Tips for making perfect nice cream
Bananas:
The perfect nice cream banana is past the point where you would want to eat it fresh out of the peel. The skin will be soft and covered all over with dark brown or black spots, indicating that the starches have turned to simple sugars, making them naturally very sweet. You can often find them on the discount produce shelf.
To freeze bananas, peel them and freeze them whole. This keeps them from sticking together. They are easy to slice even when frozen solid. I usually freeze 4 bananas per container, which will make 1 batch of nice cream. Frozen bananas will keep their flavor for about 6 months.
Click here to read all about freezing bananas for nice cream.
Blender Basics:
Thaw a tiny bit: Let your frozen bananas sit on the counter to thaw a bit while you gather your other ingredients or microwave them for 10-20 seconds. They should still be frozen but thawed just enough to dent slightly if squeezed. This allows the blender to grab onto the banana, achieving the creamiest result. Cut the bananas into chunks.
Add smushy ingredients first: Add soft ingredients to the blender container first. This includes extracts, nut butter, and pumpkin Then add the frozen bananas and a pinch of salt.
Blend: Secure the lid on the blender container and blend, starting at low speed and working your way up to medium. This can take up to a minute or more, depending on your blender. Be careful not to over blend as the friction of the blades creates heat which will melt your nice cream.
Serve or freeze: Scoop your nice cream into bowls or cones to eat right away. If a thicker consistency is desired, put it in the freezer to harden. If freezing for later, let thaw until scoopable
What blender should I use?
You can make nice cream with almost any blender. I use a Vitamix E 320 which is a basic but powerful model. My favorite part is the tamper which allows you to push the food around without taking off the lid and scraping down the container. It will overheat though, if I don’t thaw my bananas sightly or add a soft ingredient like pumpkin.
If you have a basic, less powerful blender, thaw your bananas until you can make a dent in them with your fingers, but they are still frozen. You will need to stop and scrape the container a few times but nice cream is always worth the effort. If the nice cream looks too soft, put it in the freezer to firm up.
Why you’ll love Pumpkin Spice Nice Cream:
Fluffy just like soft-serve ice cream
Sweet and creamy
Full of pumpkin spice flavor
Quick and easy to make
Healthy, made from bananas and pumpkin
To take your nice cream from breakfast to dessert, dress it up with Vegan Caramel Sauce and sprinkle with chopped pecans!
Here’s everything you need to make this recipe:
Ingredients
4 large over-ripe bananas, peeled, frozen, and sliced (you can use 5 medium bananas or 6 small bananas)
½ cup (113 grams) of pumpkin puree
¼ cup (2 oz.) of creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon of ground cloves
¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
A pinch of fine sea salt
Makes 4 single scoop servings or 2 generous servings.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Nice Cream
Steps 1-2:
1. Thaw your frozen bananas just a little bit. You can do this by letting them sit on the counter or by putting them in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time. They should still be frozen but just soft enough to dent slightly if squeezed. (see blog post for tips)
2. Add the bananas to a blender container along with the pumpkin puree, peanut butter, vanilla, spices, and salt.
Steps 3-4:
3. Securely attach the lid to the container and start blending at low speed, using the tamper (with a Vitamix) to push the bananas toward the blade, or stop to scrape down the sides with a spatula as necessary. When the bananas begin to look creamy, increase to medium speed and blend until fluffy.
4. Top with vegan caramel sauce, chopped pecans, and enjoy as a scrumptious dairy-free dessert!
And don’t forget the Vegan Carmel Sauce!
Pumpkin Spice Nice Cream
Ingredients
Instructions
- Thaw your frozen bananas just a little bit. You can do this by letting them sit on the counter or by putting them in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time. They should still be frozen but just soft enough to dent slightly if squeezed. (see blog post for tips)
- Add the bananas to a blender container along with the pumpkin puree, peanut butter, vanilla, spices, and salt.
- Securely attach the lid to the container and start blending at low speed, using the tamper (with a Vitamix) to push the bananas toward the blade, or stop to scrape down the sides with a spatula as necessary. When the bananas begin to look creamy, increase to medium speed and blend until fluffy.
- Top with vegan caramel sauce, chopped pecans, and enjoy as a scrumptious dairy-free dessert!
Notes
For step-by-step instructions, with photos, see blog post!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
232.44Fat (grams)
8.62Sat. Fat (grams)
1.78Carbs (grams)
38.31Fiber (grams)
5.81Net carbs
32.50Sugar (grams)
18.85Protein (grams)
5.40Sodium (milligrams)
113.61Cholesterol (grams)
0.00Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators.
