Man, oh MAN is this stuff good. Not exaggerating - this recipe is the greatest thing to come out of my quarantine experience (thus far). If you're a tahini fan, I already know you're intrigued. If you aren't a tahini fan, this recipe might just convert you. It's easy to make, healthy, vegan, gluten free, and straight-up DELICIOUS!
If you've never heard of nice cream, you might think I have a weird typo in the title of this blog post. Nope. Nice cream is real and it might blow your mind to learn what it is: nice cream is simply blended frozen bananas. Say whaaaaat? I know, I know. That doesn't sound like ice cream and this sounds like a cheap trick. Trust me, foodies - you will be pleasantly surprised when you try this stuff!
When it became clear that we were all going to be staying home for the foreseeable future, I took quarantine as an opportunity to create new recipes for my blog and Instagram. I sat down and made a list of recipe ideas to work on, based on ingredients that I had in my fridge, freezer, and pantry. I thought about making "nice" cream because I'd been craving ice cream, but I wanted to add a unique twist. Immediately, my mind jumped to my favorite Tahini Caramel Syrup. I was out of maple syrup, so I grabbed my coconut sugar and decided to create some sort of tahini and coconut sugar "crumble" to mix into the nice cream. Thus, this creation was born and I cannot stop eating it!!!
Chocolate Chip Tahini Crumble "Nice" Cream
4 (ish) Servings | Vegan & Gluten Free
Ingredients:
6 Small Bananas, Sliced and Frozen* (see note)
Oat Milk
1.5 Tablespoons Tahini
3 Tablespoons Coconut Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Pinch of salt
Chocolate Chips (I like to use these vegan mini chocolate chips)
*For the bananas: Slice up ripe bananas and place them in a freezer bag. Freeze for at least a few hours, until completely frozen.
Method
Tahini Crumble:
If you have time, I recommend making the tahini crumble in advance so it can cool completely before being mixed into the nice cream. It holds its crumbly, crunchy texture better when it's cooled. (If you're reading this and it's too late because you want that nice cream NOW, I totally feel you and it will honestly still taste great if you don't let it cool.)
1. In a saucepan, heat the tahini, coconut sugar, and salt on medium, whisking constantly. It will have a sandy texture.
2. Carefully add the vanilla extract and continue whisking until completely combined.
3. Depending on the texture of your tahini (whether it's more drippy or thick), the tahini coconut sugar mixture may stay a sandy texture or may form a large clump resembling cookie dough. Either way, it doesn't really matter and will taste phenomenal. Trust me.
4. When the ingredients come together and the mixture smells caramel-y and slightly toasty, remove it from the heat and dump the mixture onto a plate, cookie sheet, or even a piece of aluminum foil to allow it to cool. If it is more of a doughy consistency, crumble it up with a spoon. **Be careful - the mixture will be really hot. Don't use your hands to crumble it!
Nice Cream:
1. In a powerful blender or food processor, blend the frozen bananas until they are creamy and look like ice cream. (YES, they will really look like ice cream!) Be patient. You'll probably need to add anywhere from one to three tablespoons of oat milk. Be careful not to add too much liquid at once - just add a little bit at a time and scrape down the sides of your blender or food processor periodically. When it's finished, the mixture should be thick and creamy like ice cream.
**Keep in mind: You could totally eat this immediately as soft-serve. You could also add any other flavors or mix-ins that your heart desires. You do you!
The Beautiful Marriage of the Nice Cream & Tahini Crumble:
1. Mix some chocolate chips into the tahini crumble. (I don't know how many - just use however many you like!) Fold the chocolate chip tahini crumble mix into the nice cream with a spatula until combined.
2. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and spread the nice cream mix into the pan. Mix in some more chocolate chips (or don't - you do you). Cover the nice cream with more parchment paper or plastic wrap and place in the freezer for a couple of hours until firm and able to be scooped into a bowl.
For Serving:
The "nice" cream is great on its own, or you could drizzle a little tahini and chocolate syrup on top for some extra pizzazz. Fair warning, this stuff won't last long!
