One of my favorite ways to stay cool in the hot Arizona summer, is having a freshly made bowl of nice cream after a run. No, that’s not a type-o, I do mean “N”ice cream. One of the many great qualities about these, is they are good any time of day — at least in my opinion. They also don’t contain any dairy and since frozen bananas are used as the base, you can flavor them with just about anything you want! The “hardest” part is just making sure you have a gallon freezer bag, full of chopped up bananas. 1″ chunks will do.

Below are some of my recent favorites:

Craving a bowl of chocolate ice cream? No problem.

Chocolate Nice Cream

• 6-8; 1″ frozen banana chunks
• 1-2 TBSP favorite chocolate protein powder (I used Shakeology Chocolate Vegan)
• splash or two of nut milk
• 1 TBSP almond butter

Blend together in a blender on low speed, using a tamper to help mix it together. (A food processor will work too.) It should only take about 30 seconds. Don’t over process, it gets gummy. Place in serving bowl(s) and top with your favorite crunchy or chewy delights!  

Need a light and fruity cool down after a hot run? Got you covered.

Cherry Walnut Nice Cream

• 6-8; 1″ frozen banana chunks
• 1/3 c. frozen organic cherries
• 1/3 c. homemade walnut milk (or other nut milk, or water works too!)

Blend together in a blender on low speed, using a tamper to help mix it together. (A food processor will work too.) It should only take about 30 seconds. Don’t over process, it gets gummy. Stir in a small bunch of chopped walnuts and cacao nibs with a  wooden or plastic spoon, while it’s still in the blender — but off the power source. Once it’s well combined, dump into a serving bowl(s). Top with more nuts and frozen cherries. Takes 5 minutes!

Feelin’ fancy? Healthy parfait!

Pink and Green Power Parfait

This one’s a little more fancy, and requires a bit more time, but still quick to make!

Green Layer

• 6-8; 1″ frozen banana chunks
• 1/3 c. frozen coconut meat (optional)
• 1 serving green food (I used 1 package of VIVARISE Lean Green)
• 2-4 drops liquid Stevia (optional for added sweetness)

Blend together in a blender on low speed, using a tamper to help mix it together. (A food processor will work too.) It should only take about 30 seconds. Don’t over process, it gets gummy. Scoop mixture out into a bowl and set aside while you prepare the other layer.

Pink Layer

• 5-7; 1″ frozen banana chunks
• 1/3 c. frozen coconut meat (optional)
• 1 package raw, organic Pitaya Plus (dragon fruit)

Just like the first layer, blend together in a blender on low speed, using a tamper to help mix it together. (A food processor will work too.) It should only take about 30 seconds. Don’t over process, it gets gummy. 🙂

Create your parfait by layering one filling at a time into your serving glass. I used a single 18 oz. glass and had a little left over of each flavor. So you could split it into two smaller glasses, or just do what I did and big out on the one! Top with whatever sounds good to you! I used some chopped almonds and a pitted date.

I want to try a blueberry one next or maybe even one with lemon and raspberry!

Are you a fan of nice cream? What is your favorite flavor combo or topping?