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You are here: Home / Desserts / Cherry Chocolate Chip Nice Cream (Vegan)

Cherry Chocolate Chip Nice Cream (Vegan)

July 14, 2019 Updated: March 21, 2020 By Leanne 38 Comments

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Pinterest image for Vegan Cherry Ice Cream.

Cherry Chocolate Chip Nice Cream is dairy-free and vegan, with a creamy banana and cashew butter base, and loaded with sweet cherries and dark chocolate chips. You need just six ingredients to make this no-churn cherry nice cream!

Two scoops of cherry chip nice cream in a small dark bowl.

If you’re new around here, hi, my name is Leanne, and I’m obsessed with nice cream! Summer or winter, it doesn’t matter. There are always frozen bananas waiting in my freezer to be whipped into some flavour of nice cream!

While my favourite flavour is chocolate peanut butter, this time of year, it’s all about the cherries. The season is short, so you really need to enjoy them in whatever way possible! And cherry chocolate chip nice cream is a delicious way to indulge in nature’s candy!

Ingredients to make cherry nice cream arranged on a pink surface.

What is nice cream?

I’ve explained it on the blog before, but if you aren’t sure, nice cream is just frozen bananas, blended up with your choice of dairy-free milk, maple syrup, fruit, cocoa, herbs, spices, extracts and/or nut butters. It’s an ice cream alternative for those who are vegan or have difficulty digesting dairy, or in particular, dairy ice cream. You can enjoy it as soft serve or freeze it so it resembles the texture of hard serve ice cream. Or you can pour it into popsicle molds and enjoy it as nice cream pops.

While I usually go for nice cream pops, because they make a quick grab n’ go treat, today I’m serving up some hard serve nice cream.

So grab your bowl and spoon, and I’ll quickly run through how to make this banana ice cream!

Overhead view of the creamy banana mixture in the food processor.

Ingredients to make cherry chocolate chip nice cream

  • Bananas, sliced and frozen
  • Cherries, pitted and halved, fresh or frozen
  • Cashew butter (for added creamy texture)
  • Maple syrup (for added sweetness)
  • Almond extract (for some extra flavour)
  • Vegan dark chocolate chips

Overhead view of chocolate chips being added to cherry nice cream in a food processor.

How to make cherry nice cream

  • Start by slicing and freezing your bananas. This will create the creamiest nice cream texture. I usually freeze the cherries too, but you can also use fresh. Just make sure they are pitted and halved.
  • Add the frozen bananas to a high-powered food processor or blender, along with the cashew butter, maple syrup and almond extract, and blend on high until a creamy texture forms. This will take a few minutes, and you will need to stop a few times to scrape down the sides and loosen up the mixture.
  • It may look like it needs more liquid in order to start blending together, but resist the urge. The more liquid you add, the icier your nice cream will get, and you want the creamiest texture possible.
  • Once the mixture is thick and creamy, add the cherries, and blend/process until they are well incorporated but little pieces still remain. Next, add in the dark chocolate chips, and pulse until they are broken apart. Don’t worry if some full chips still remain. Just don’t blend/process the mixture too much or it will get too soft and runny.
  • At this point, you can serve the nice cream as soft serve, or pour it into a loaf pan and place in the freezer for 3-4 hours to set up as hard serve.

Up-close view of vegan cherry ice cream spread out in a loaf pan.

Some tips for making this vegan cherry ice cream

  • You will definitely need a high-powered blender or food processor to blend up the frozen bananas. If your blender or food processor is less powerful, you can add a little bit more liquid, but keep in mind this will impact the creaminess of the nice cream.
  • For the best taste and texture nice cream, I like to use bananas that are firm and ripe. If they are not quite ripe, the nice cream will taste too much like bananas, and if they are overripe, the nice cream will lose some of its creamy texture.
  • You can use fresh or frozen cherries. I’ve used both with the same results. The only difference is that you will need to freeze the nice cream for a little longer if you use fresh cherries.
  • I like to use cashew butter as it adds extra creaminess without having an overpowering taste, but you can use another nut butter of choice.
  • To keep this nice cream vegan and dairy-free, use vegan dark chocolate chips.
  • If the nice cream gets too hard in the freezer, just let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping up and serving.

A scoop of cherry chocolate chip ice cream resting on top of nice cream in a loaf pan.

Some other banana-based ice creams you might like:

  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Mocha Nice Cream Pops (you only need six ingredients, and they remind me of a fudgsicle!)
  • Raspberry Chocolate Chip Nice Cream Pops (these easy pops are a fun summer treat with a secret ingredient!)
  • Orange Pineapple Nice Cream Pops (with just five ingredients, these taste like orange pineapple ice cream!)
  • Peanut Butter Nutella Banana Ice Cream (from my friend Dawn at Girl Heart Food)

Up-close view of two scoops of cherry nice cream in a black bowl.

If you make this Cherry Chocolate Chip Nice Cream, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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Two scoops of vegan cherry ice cream in a small dark bowl.

Cherry Chocolate Chip Nice Cream (Vegan)

★★★★★ 4.9 from 16 reviews
  • Author: Leanne
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 4 hours
  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Blend, Freeze
  • Cuisine: Vegan
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Description

Cherry Chocolate Chip Nice Cream is dairy-free and vegan, with a creamy banana and cashew butter base, and loaded with sweet cherries and dark chocolate chips. You need just six ingredients to make this no-churn frozen summer treat!


Ingredients

  • 4 large bananas (firm and ripe), sliced and frozen
  • 1/4 cup cashew butter
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 cups cherries (pitted and halved), fresh or frozen
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips, vegan

Instructions

  1. Add the frozen bananas to a high-powered food processor or blender, along with the cashew butter, maple syrup and almond extract, and blend on high until thick and creamy. This will take a few minutes, and you will need to stop a few times to scrape down the sides to loosen the mixture.
  2. Add the cherries, and blend/process until well incorporated but little pieces still remain. Add in the chocolate chips, and pulse until they are broken apart.
  3. Pour into a loaf pan, or container with a lid. Cover and place in the freezer to set for 3-4 hours.

Notes

  1. I recommend a high-powered blender or food processor to blend up the frozen bananas. If your blender or food processor is less powerful, you can add a little bit more liquid, but keep in mind this will impact the creaminess of the nice cream.
  2. For the best taste and texture, I like to use bananas that are firm and ripe. If they are not quite ripe, the nice cream will taste too much like bananas, and if they are overripe, the nice cream will not be as creamy.
  3. You can use fresh or frozen cherries. I’ve used both with the same results. The only difference is that you will need to freeze the nice cream for a little longer if you use fresh cherries.
  4. I like to use cashew butter as it adds extra creaminess without having an overpowering taste, but you can use another nut butter of choice.
  5. To keep this nice cream vegan and dairy-free, use vegan dark chocolate chips.
  6. If the nice cream gets too hard in the freezer, just let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

Keywords: banana ice cream, vegan ice cream

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Cherry Recipes, Dairy-Free, Desserts, Gluten-Free, Vegan

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Terri says

    July 22, 2019 at 9:39 am

    I feel the same way about nice cream and I live for cherry season, so will definitely be trying this!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 22, 2019 at 10:58 am

      Thanks Terri! Hope you like it!

      Reply
  2. Kristen says

    July 21, 2019 at 8:10 pm

    Love these flavors, this is the perfect healthy sweet treat for me and my family. It looks fantastic.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 22, 2019 at 11:03 am

      Thanks Kristen!

      Reply
  3. Marisa Asmesini says

    July 20, 2019 at 10:13 am

    I’m heading out to buy the ingredients! Can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 22, 2019 at 11:11 am

      Thanks Marisa! Be sure to let me know what you think!

      Reply
  4. Yvonne Langen says

    July 18, 2019 at 8:12 pm

    I love that this nice cream recipe doesn’t require and churning time or an ice cream maker to come together. Cherry and chocolate are such a winning combination and this nice cream is a perfect example of that match made in heaven.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 22, 2019 at 11:18 am

      Thanks Yvonne! I’m a huge fan of chocolate and cherries too!

      Reply
  5. Colleen says

    July 18, 2019 at 12:22 pm

    Delicious! We live in cherry country and we are all about the cherries at this time of year. So this recipe is perfect timing. Can’t wait to try it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 22, 2019 at 11:21 am

      Thanks Colleen! I’m so jealous! I would love to live in your part of country with all the fresh cherries!

      Reply
  6. Marieke says

    July 16, 2019 at 9:44 pm

    The flavour combo of this ice cream is perfect! Such a lovely treat for a hot summer day (and we have had sooo many here in Winnipeg!)

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 22, 2019 at 11:27 am

      Thanks Marieke! Definitely a nice warm weather treat!

      Reply
  7. Philip - Chef Sous Chef says

    July 16, 2019 at 2:39 pm

    Oh wow Leanne, this is absolutely amazing. I normally just make chocolate banana nice cream but this is another level. Who needs ice cream when you can just eat this! LOVE IT

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 22, 2019 at 11:29 am

      Thanks Philip! I love chocolate banana nice cream too, but this one is a nice change and a great way to enjoy fresh cherries while we can!

      Reply
  8. Elaine says

    July 16, 2019 at 12:37 pm

    With a tray full of sliced frozen bananas in my freezer, I’m ready to go! You already know that I’m a fan of that chocolate-cherry combination. Beautiful photos, delicious recipe! Thanks.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 22, 2019 at 11:31 am

      Thanks Elaine! It was meant to be!

      Reply
  9. Julia says

    July 16, 2019 at 10:51 am

    I have never ever tried Nice Cream! This one looks and sounds delicious! I love the no churn idea. Last summer I was gifted a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. Well, it’s second hand and needs fixing and is still living in the closet. Maybe next summer my husband will get around to fixing it….lol

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 22, 2019 at 11:34 am

      Thanks Julia! If your ice cream maker isn’t working, sounds like you were meant to give nice cream a try! 😉

      Reply
  10. Marie says

    July 15, 2019 at 11:39 pm

    This nice cream looks super creamy and delicious. I just adore the flavour combo and the colour the cherries give too.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 22, 2019 at 11:35 am

      Thanks so much Marie!

      Reply
  11. Marisa says

    July 15, 2019 at 9:11 pm

    This looks and sounds fabulous and I love that it’s dairy free!

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 22, 2019 at 11:35 am

      Thanks Marisa!

      Reply
  12. Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says

    July 15, 2019 at 12:39 pm

    I feel refreshed from the heat just looking at it! I’m all about the cherries right now and I’m loving it with the chocolate chips. Perfect combination 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 22, 2019 at 11:36 am

      Thanks Jennifer! Hope you’re getting a break from the heat! Loving all the cherries lately too!

      Reply
  13. Haylie / Our Balanced Bowl says

    July 15, 2019 at 12:08 pm

    Leanne, I always am obsessed with your nice cream recipes!!! This one in particular is beautiful! That pink color is gorgeous! And when you add chocolate with cherry – you can count me in! YUM! Great texture too!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 22, 2019 at 11:37 am

      Thanks Haylie! So glad you like my nice cream recipes. I eat them all the time, so I’m happy to share the new combos I create!

      Reply
  14. Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says

    July 14, 2019 at 2:42 pm

    This sounds SO GOOD! It’s boiling hot right now (and yet I’m drinking hot coffee anyway) so I’d love a couple scoops of this. And the color is gorgeous!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 15, 2019 at 10:43 am

      Haha! Gotta have a cup of coffee no matter what the temperature is! Thanks Kelsie! And feel free to send some of that heat this way!

      Reply
  15. marcie says

    July 14, 2019 at 1:35 pm

    This is my kind of ice cream! The cherries and chocolate are so perfect for this time of year and I just bought a whole bunch! I see a batch of this in my future. 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 15, 2019 at 10:42 am

      Yay! I hope you like it. After all my recipe testing, I’m happy I have a few batches stashed in the freezer! Thanks Marcie!

      Reply
  16. Katherine | Love In My Oven says

    July 14, 2019 at 1:31 pm

    Wow, Leanne! Your photos are stunning! Cherry chip was always my favorite flavor of cake growing up. Such a great idea to turn it into nice cream!!! I’ve been stocking up on frozen bananas these days so I can try out all of your nice cream recipes! Can’t wait to try this one! Hope you’re having a great weekend 😘

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 15, 2019 at 10:41 am

      You’ll have to let me know which one of my nice cream flavours is your favourite! And thanks so much. I was really happy with the way these photos turned out. Ice cream can be tricky at times!

      Reply
  17. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

    July 14, 2019 at 11:50 am

    Lucky for me, I just restocked our freezer bananas, lol, so this nice cream is perfect timing! I’m always so amazed how creamy it turns out and this cherry chocolate situation goin’ on is delicious! I could eat cherries by the handful! They’re super special because they’re SO seasonal so we gotta enjoy ’em while we can 🙂 Wish I hand a few scoops of this right about now! Thank you so very much for the peanut butter nice cream shout out – appreciate it!!! XO Happy Sunday, Leanne!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 15, 2019 at 10:40 am

      Thanks Dawn! I totally agree – cherries are special. From June to August I will buy them every time I see them. It gets a bit pricey but I just can’t help myself! Hope you had a fabulous weekend!

      Reply
  18. Terry says

    July 14, 2019 at 11:44 am

    I didn’t know vegan ice cream could look so good! another great summer recipe.
    Pictures look incredible

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Leanne says

      July 15, 2019 at 10:37 am

      You’re too sweet Terry! Thank you 🙂

      Reply
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Hey there! I'm Leanne and welcome to Crumb Top Baking. I'm a self-taught baker, home cook and food photographer, and I'm passionate about sharing recipes that help people eat a little healthier and find balance in the recipes they prepare for themselves and their families. Learn more about me and what you'll find on Crumb Top Baking....

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