Nice Cream With Maple Wet Walnuts

Scoops of nice cream topped with wet walnuts in a small serving dish.

Nice Cream With Maple Wet Walnuts

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

chill/freeze time 2

Total Time 15

Servings:2 servings

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

Banana nice cream is such a delightful treat! Perfectly sweet, creamy, versatile, and SO easy to make. You can dress it up with other frozen fruits, add extracts, spices, and all of your favorite ice cream mix-ins. And you've gotta try it with these maple wet walnuts (recipe included).

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

For the Nice Cream:

3 large very ripe bananas
splash of non-dairy milk or creamer - to help with blending
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
2 teaspoons maple syrup, optional - adjust to taste

For the Wet Walnuts:

⅓ cup raw walnut halves, roughly chopped
⅓ cup maple syrup - or a blend of maple and agave
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Freeze the bananas:

Peel the bananas and either slice into coins about ½-inch thick, or simply break each banana in half. *Note that small pieces will be frozen in 2-3 hours, while larger pieces will likely need to freeze overnight.
To freeze coins, arrange in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, blend into nice cream, or transfer the bananas to a freezer bag or airtight storage container. To freeze whole or halved bananas, place in a freezer bag or other container and freeze for at least 8 hours.

Make nice cream:

If desired, let the frozen bananas thaw for a few minutes. This reduces the amount of milk needed for blending and is gentler on your food processor/blender. Add them to the blender/food processor along with the vanilla and a splash of milk. Blend until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Taste and add maple syrup for sweetness, if desired.
Enjoy your nice cream now like soft serve, or transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2 to 3 hours. Then scoop and serve with wet walnuts or your favorite toppings.

To make wet walnuts:

Preheat a saucepan over low heat. Add the walnuts to the pan and toast for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Shake or stir frequently so they don't burn. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Stirring, let it just get hot, then remove from heat. The toasted walnuts will continue to infuse flavor into the syrup. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
Drizzle wet walnuts over individual servings of nice cream. Wet walnuts can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month. If the mixture becomes too hard, place the container in a warm water bath for several minutes or microwave for a few seconds to soften the syrup.

Notes

Store nice cream in an airtight container in the freezer. Let it soften for a few minutes before serving. It will keep in the freezer for a few weeks, but make sure it's tightly covered to prevent freezer burn.

Nice Cream Flavors - Using 3 frozen bananas:

Tropical: add ⅔ cup frozen pineapple, and use coconut milk for the liquid. Garnish with coconut flakes. Also great with frozen mango!
Strawberry: add 1 heaping cup frozen strawberries. Tip: let soften for a few minutes and cut in half to help with blending.
Lemon or Orange: Add the zest of one lemon/orange and use the fresh juice instead of milk. Increase the maple syrup if needed.
Chocolate: add 3 tablespoon cocoa or raw cacao powder, 2 to 3 tablespoon maple syrup, and another pinch of salt. Fold in mini chocolate chips, if desired.
Peanut butter (or Sunbutter): add 2 heaping tablespoon peanut butter and more maple syrup to taste.

Nutrition information includes wet walnuts and is per serving (half of the recipe).

Nutrition