These Vegan Ice Cream Bars are a healthy and delicious twist on Magnum Bars made with frozen bananas, dairy-free chocolate, creamy nut butter and chopped cashews. Dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, paleo and absolutely delicious!
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Updated September 2021
Healthy Ice Cream Bars recipe
These Vegan Ice Cream Bars are the perfect sweet treat when you’re craving a Magnum bar. They’re made with simple and wholesome ingredients without the need for an ice cream maker!
All you need to make this easy nice cream recipe are some frozen bananas, coconut cream and some melted chocolate for the coating. The bananas and coconut cream base blend up in less than 5 minutes and then you just fill up your favorite ice cream mold and store them in your freezer until ready to enjoy.
What is Nice Cream?
If you haven’t already heard of the banana ice cream trend, you are definitely going to love how simple it is to make! Nice cream really calls for one main ingredient. All you need to make a vegan ice cream recipe are some frozen bananas. Once you have your sliced frozen bananas, blend them up in a food processor or a high-speed blender. What you’ll get is a creamy soft serve ice cream that is totally guilt-free!
Plus, it’s completely dairy-free, paleo-friendly, vegan, low carb, refined sugar-free and can be customized into a ton of different flavors with add-ins you have in your kitchen.
Ingredients you need
For the dairy-free ice cream pops
- Medium ripe banana: cut into rounds and frozen.
- Canned coconut cream: be sure to buyones with no gums or fillers – either Trader Joe’s, Aroy-D or Earth’s Choice – if you don’t have coconut cream, you can also spoon the thick part from full-fat canned coconut milk that has been chilled for at least 6 hours)
- Pure vanilla extract: for added flavor.
For the filling
- Creamy cashew butter: be sure to use one without any added sugar or salt. We like the one from Artisana. You can sub with almond butter, peanut butter (not paleo) or any nut butter or seed butter to keep these nut free.
- Finely chopped cashews: you can sub with any chopped nuts or sunflower seeds.
For the chocolate glaze
- Dairy-free chocolate chips
- Coconut oil
How to make Vegan Ice Cream Bars
Make the ice cream
- Make the banana ice cream: Add the frozen banana slices, coconut cream and vanilla in a food processor or a high-speed blender (such as a Vitamix or Blend-tec). Blend the ingredients together until the mixture resembles soft serve ice cream. Scrape the sides of the processor and add additional liquid (unsweetened plant-based milk) as needed. After a few minutes, the ice cream should have the correct creamy texture.
- Fill popsicle molds: Divide half of ice cream evenly into each popsicle mold, filling each half full, Insert popsicle sticks then spoon in about 1 teaspoon of nut butter in the center of each popsicle. Sprinkle in some chopped nuts. Then spread the remaining ice cream in each mold and smooth the tops. Place the molds in the freezer until the ice cream is completely frozen (at least 3-4 hours or overnight).
- Make the chocolate glaze: Once the ice cream is ready, place the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a large heat-safe bowl. Melt over a double-boiler on the stove or in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring well in between.
- Assemble: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully remove the popsicles from the mold, one at a time. Dip each in the chocolate glaze, coating well. Place on the lined baking sheet and let the chocolate harden (if the chocolate layer is too thin, you can also dip in the popsicles a second time). Drizzle with more melted chocolate in a zig-zag pattern and garnish the tops with some chopped nuts.
- Freeze and enjoy: Store in the freezer until ready to eat. Allow to thaw for at least 15 minutes before eating so the ice cream gets creamier. Enjoy!
Tips for success
- Slice and freeze ripe bananas : Slicing them into smaller chunks helps the bananas blend easier once they are frozen. When you place the sliced bananas into the freezer, be sure to line the plate or tray with parchment paper or they might get stuck.
- Use very ripe bananas: For a sweeter ice cream, use bananas that are very ripe. If you use unripe bananas, you may need to add a preferred sweetener, such as monk fruit sweetener, coconut sugar, or maple syrup.
- Use coconut oil: Adding coconut oil to the chocolate glaze helps it melt more evenly and makes it easier to dunk
Variations
- Add some chopped frozen strawberries to make Strawberry Nice Cream
- Throw in some sliced mango for a delicious Mango Nice Cream
- Add a tablespoon or two of peanut butter for a yummy Peanut Butter Nice Cream (or any other nut butter you like)
- Stir in some Edible Cookie Dough to make a delicious Cookie Dough Nice Cream
- Add some chopped gluten-free cookies to make Cookies and Cream Nice Cream
- Just a pinch of almond extract and a few shakes of sprinkles for a Cake Batter Nice Cream
Storage tips
How to store: These homemade ice cream bars will last in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to enjoy this ice cream on a later day, just allow it to thaw on the counter for about 2-3 minutes prior to eating.
More vegan ice cream recipes you will love:
These Vegan Ice Cream Bars are a healthy and delicious twist on Magnum Bars made with frozen bananas, dairy-free chocolate, creamy nut butter and chopped cashews. Dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, paleo and absolutely delicious!
- 2-3 medium ripe banana , cut into rounds and frozen
- 1/2 cup canned coconut cream , we usually use the ones with no gums or fillers - either Trader Joe’s, Aroy-D or Earth’s Choice - if you don’t have coconut cream, you can also spoon the thick part from full-fat canned coconut milk that has been chilled for at least 6 hours
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 8 tsp creamy cashew butter , or any nut butter
- 1/3 cup finely chopped cashews , or any chopped nuts, plus more for garnish
- 2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips , we like Pascha's, Hu's Kitchen Gems or Lily's Sweets
- 1 ½ tsps coconut oil
- Add the frozen banana slices, coconut cream and vanilla in a food processor or a high-speed blender (such as a Vitamix or Blend-tec). Blend the ingredients together until the mixture resembles soft serve ice cream. Scrape the sides of the processor and add additional liquid (unsweetened plant-based milk) as needed. After a few minutes, the ice cream should have the correct creamy texture.
- Divide half of ice cream evenly into each popsicle mold, filling each half full, Insert popsicle sticks then spoon in about 1 teaspoon of nut butter in the center of each popsicle. Sprinkle in some chopped nuts. Then spread the remaining ice cream in each mold and smooth the tops. Place the molds in the freezer until the ice cream is completely frozen (at least 3-4 hours or overnight).
- Once the ice cream is ready, place the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a large heat-safe bowl. Melt over a double-boiler on the stove or in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring well in between.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Carefully remove the popsicles from the mold, one at a time. Dip each in the chocolate glaze, coating well.
Place on the lined baking sheet and let the chocolate harden (if the chocolate layer is too thin, you can also dip in the popsicles a second time).
Drizzle with more melted chocolate in a zig-zag pattern and garnish the tops with some chopped nuts.
Store in the freezer until ready to eat. Allow to thaw for at least 15 minutes before eating so the ice cream gets creamier. Enjoy!
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