Go Back
Cherry Garcia nice cream served in a glass dessert bowl, topped with a fresh cherry.
Linda

Cherry Garcia Nice Cream

Creamy banana-based nice cream swirled with tart cherries and dark chocolate chunks - a healthier tribute to the classic ice cream flavor you can make in minutes.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 245

Ingredients
  

Nice Cream Base
  • 4 large ripe bananas frozen, very ripe with brown spots
  • 0.25 cup full-fat coconut milk chilled, thick cream from top of can
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch of fine sea salt
Mix-Ins
  • 0.75 cup fresh or frozen tart cherries pitted, roughly chopped if large
  • 2 oz dark chocolate 70% cacao, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp raw almonds toasted, roughly chopped

Equipment

  • Food processor or high-speed blender
  • Freezer-safe container with lid
  • Rubber spatula

Method
 

Prep
  1. Peel ripe bananas and break into 1-inch chunks. Freeze in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet until solid, at least 4 hours or overnight. This prevents clumping and ensures smooth blending.
Make the Nice Cream
  1. Let frozen bananas sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly. In a food processor, pulse bananas until they break into crumbles, then process continuously, scraping down sides as needed, until completely smooth and creamy like soft-serve, about 3-4 minutes. Add coconut cream, vanilla, and salt in the last minute of processing.
  2. Transfer nice cream to a bowl. Fold in chopped cherries, dark chocolate chunks, and toasted almonds with a rubber spatula, distributing evenly but maintaining some streaks and chunks for texture.
  3. Spoon into a freezer-safe container, press plastic wrap directly onto surface to prevent ice crystals, and freeze until firm enough to scoop, about 3-4 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving for the best creamy texture.

Notes

For the creamiest results, use bananas that are heavily spotted brown before freezing - they're sweeter and blend smoother. If your food processor struggles, add coconut cream 1 tablespoon at a time to help it along. The nice cream keeps for up to 1 week in the freezer; let it soften slightly and re-blend if it becomes too icy.