Pumpkin spice nice cream is sure to become one of your favourite sweet treats for the fall. If you're looking for a quick and healthy way to satisfy a pumpkin pie craving, this one is for you. This banana-based nice cream recipe will come together in less than 10 minutes and includes an optional maple-candied walnut topping that is sure to take it to the next level.
The post contains additional information and helpful tips to ensure the recipe turns out great the first time. Please use the link above to jump to the recipe card at the end if you are in a hurry!
✅ 5 reasons why you'll love this recipe:
- A delicious frozen treat with Autumnal pumpkin spice flavours
- Quick - this easy recipe can be turned around in 10 minutes. Ideal for busy days.
- Healthy - bananas are the key ingredient. This yummy nice cream contains a lot less fat and sugar than regular ice cream.
- You can make it with or without a pumpkin spice ready mix. The recipe also includes directions for individual spices that will add a pumpkin spice flavour.
- Crunchy maple candied walnut topping - optional but highly recommended. It adds a delightful crunch and complements the pumpkin spice flavours.
🛒 Ingredients and variations:
- Frozen banana is a key ingredient in this recipe. Ensure you freeze room temperature banana at least 3 hours before you plan to make this recipe, overnight is preferable. Alternatively, you will find frozen banana in most grocery stores. This is the most convenient option, especially if you make nice cream regularly.
- Pumpkin purée use canned purée or make your own.
- Milk or coconut cream any type of milk is fine, you just need a small amount to make the nice cream a little thinner if needed.
- Pumpkin spice this recipe includes ready-made pumpkin spice as well as the quantities of individual spices required to add pumpkin spice flavour for those of you based in countries like the UK where pumpkin spice is not readily available.
🍌 How to freeze bananas:
Peel the bananas and slice them into 1 cm or ½ inch pieces. Then put a sheet of parchment paper on a tray or plate and add the banana pieces. Ensure that they are not touching. Then freeze them for a minimum of 2 hours. Use the frozen banana immediately, or place the pieces into a freezer bag and return them to the freezer for later.
🧑🍳 Pumpkin Spice Nice Cream in 3 easy steps
1. Make the candied walnuts
Place a frying pan on a medium to high heat and add butter or coconut oil. When the oil or butter is hot and begins to bubble, add the walnut pieces and cook for a few minutes until they begin to brown. Then remove them from the pan and place them on a sheet of parchment paper to cool, leaving space between them, so they do not stick together.
Top tip: keep an eye on the candied walnuts, they can go from nicely brown to burnt very quickly.
2. Make the nice cream
Place the frozen banana pieces in a food processor or blender and blitz them until they are smooth. Then add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice seasoning (or ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon mix), maple syrup and salt and continue to blend until incorporated. Add the milk or coconut cream if the nice cream needs to be thinned out a little.
3. Serve
Serve immediately topped with the roughly chopped candied walnuts, or place into a container and freeze for later.
❄️ A note on freezing: freshly made nice cream has a similar texture to soft-serve. Nice cream can be frozen for up to 3 months, but it does not regain its freshly made soft-serve texture when defrosted. The texture is much firmer and closer to regular ice cream. Frozen nice cream takes a while to defrost. I recommend removing it from the freezer 15 - 20 minutes before you plan to eat it.
🎃 Top tips:
- Use pre-frozen bananas if you are in a hurry or are in the habit or making nice cream regularly.
- Keep an eye on the candied walnuts - they will go from perfectly done to burnt very quickly.
- Serve immediately for a soft-serve texture - the nice cream will have a yummy whipped soft-serve consistency when you serve it straight away. Frozen nice cream has a firmer texture. You can freeze the nice cream for up to 3 months, but remember that you will only get the soft-serve consistency with a fresh batch.
🙋 FAQs
Nice cream is a healthy alternative to ice cream. It is made from frozen bananas and does not contain dairy or added sugar. Ice cream is typically made from cream, sugar and egg yolk
It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Frozen nice cream has a firmer texture than freshly made nice cream and can take up to 20 minutes to soften and thaw.
Banana takes a minimum of 2 hours to freeze. Overnight is preferable. Banana will freeze more quickly when it is cut into smaller pieces.
😋 Check out my other sweet treats:
If you enjoyed this recipe, you will also love my other easy dessert recipes.
Did you try this recipe? It would be really great if you could leave a comment and a star rating ⭐️. I would love to receive your feedback and know that other readers find it helpful too.
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Pumpkin Spice Nice Cream
Ingredients
- 4 bananas sliced and frozen
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp milk almond milk or coconut cream
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- Pinch sea salt
- 1.5 tsp pumpkin spice ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, and ½ tsp ground ginger
Maple candied walnuts (optional)
- 2 tsp butter or coconut oil
- ¼ cup (30 g) walnut pieces
- 2 tsp maple syrup
Instructions
Prep the candied walnuts:
- Place a frying pan on a medium to high heat and add the butter or coconut oil.
- Add the walnut pieces and maple syrup or sugar when the butter or oil starts to bubble and cook for a few minutes until the sugar or maple syrup melts and is caramelized.
- Remove from the pan from the heat and place the walnuts on a piece of parchment paper, ensuring there is space between them, so they do not stick together. Leave them to cool while you make the nice cream.
Nice Cream
- Place the frozen banana pieces in a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth.
- Add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, pumpkin spice or cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and salt and blitz quickly until incorporated.
- Add milk or coconut cream if you need to make the nice cream a little thinner.
- Serve immediately topped with the roughly chopped candied walnuts, or transfer to a container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Super tasty, nutrtitious and packed with fall flavor.