I am firmly on board the Nice Cream train at this point and have been experimenting with new flavors to keep it interesting.
Raspberry Nice Cream has been such a hit, I knew I had to try to make a blueberry version.
Some might think of this as blueberry-banana nice cream, as those are the two fruits used. But by adding fresh mint leaves into the mix, it really helps to elevate the sweetness of the blueberries and make this nice cream so special. With its vibrant color and fresh berry taste, this blueberry mint nice cream is a home run!
Why You Will Love this Recipe
Everyone has a favorite berry, don't they? For my guy, it's raspberries. Which I also love. But blueberries, for me, will win every time.
So, once I had perfected the raspberry nice cream, I knew I needed to make a blueberry version. Just as before, I use frozen berries which is so much more affordable and convenient. No worries about any extra berries getting over ripe!
The fresh mint just makes it all work. I grow a mint plant every year in a pot on my patio. I'm always happy to find a use for it (besides the obvious Mojito, of course. LOL)
Ingredients Needed
How to make Blueberry Mint Nice Cream
Prep the bananas
Start with bananas. This recipe only needs 2 ripe bananas, which I peel, chunk up, and freeze for at least 4 hours. If left overnight to freeze, they should be taken out to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before processing.
Make the nice cream
I use a food processor to make my nice cream. I do not own a Vitamix or other high-powered blender, so I was delighted that I could develop a way to make this delicious frozen treat using a full sized food processor.
Place the (mostly) frozen bananas in the food processor and pulse a few times to break up the chunks. Then, add the blueberries and mint and pulse some more.
If the fruit is really frozen
I have found that with this recipe in particular, the volume of frozen fruit really makes it tough to get it to break up into a smooth processed mixture. It's probably because frozen blueberries are just like little ice cubes.
So I usually will end up removing about a third of the mixture, place it in a bowl, and then microwave it for 15 seconds.
Do not exceed the 15 seconds, as you do not want the fruit to get hot, just less cold, if that makes sense.
Add the fruit in the bowl back to the food processor and then pulse again. You will find that the mixture will start to mix much better now.
Stop and scrape the sides as needed and break up any large chunks that form. If you re-distribute this a little it helps the mixture process much more smoothly.
Within minutes, you will have a bright and beautiful mix of creamy nice cream. This could be served right away as soft serve, but I like to put it in the freezer and scoop it up for dessert later.
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If left in the freezer overnight, the nice cream might seem a little hard, but leaving it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes is usually enough to make it scoopable. I use this time to clear the dishes and load them in the dishwasher, so it's not like you have to just stare at the container of nice cream for 5 minutes LOL.
Got some blueberries left over? You can make some pancake mix muffins for an easy blueberry treat!
Expert Tips/FAQ
Nice cream is defined by what it is NOT: no dairy, and preferably no added sugar. Some recipes use oat milk or almond milk for additional liquid, but I prefer it without any milk.
This delicious treat is very much like eating ice cream, but it is nicer in so many ways! Since the only ingredients are fruit, it is vegan. It contains no dairy, which makes it easier to digest. How often can you eat ice cream made of just whole fruit? Healthy and guilt free!
It was surprising to me that I didn't taste more banana. The banana taste is there, but the blueberry and mint flavor is much stronger. Any fan of blueberries will love it!
I've tried several variations of nice cream recipes, some of which add a little almond milk or oat milk to help process the frozen fruit. In my experience the additional liquid causes the nice cream to freeze super hard. This recipe, which does not add any liquid, is still scoopable even after freezing overnight.
Adding extra blueberries will also increase the "liquid" and therefore make the nice cream icier and hard to scoop. I have not found the taste to be significantly better when I do this, which is why I stick with the 2 cups of berries listed.
More delicious desserts for summer
📖 Recipe
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Blueberry Mint Nice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 large bananas frozen in chunks
- 2 cups frozen blueberries
- 6-8 fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Remove frozen fruit from the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to soften slightly.2 large bananas, 2 cups frozen blueberries
- Place bananas in food processor and pulse a few times until the banana starts to look "crumbly".
- Add the blueberries and mint leaves and pulse to mix.6-8 fresh mint leaves
- Stop and scrape frequently to help mix. If the fruit still seems too frozen and unable to mix, remove about a little of the fruit to a bowl and microwave briefly - 15 seconds - to soften slightly. Add back to the food processor and pulse to mix with the rest of the fruit.
- Once fruit appears to be mixed, blend continuously for 30 to 60 seconds until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Giangi Townsend
Absolutely delicious! thank you for sharing
Sula
You are so welcome! Enjoy!
Mark
We always love anything blueberry...and dessert! Looks great!
Sula
Pretty rare to find a blueberry dessert that's healthy, right? It's so refreshing and delicious!