So it's really hot over here. I mean REALLY hot. Unusually hot. And I'm lovin' it :). I'm a coldy by nature, so any heat is always welcome. Especially because heat means more ice cream {...and raw cakes, ice cream bars, ice cold smoothies...}. This cherry garcia banana ice cream has made a recurring appearance over here in the last few weeks. And holy cow is it an awesome way to break up the heat!
Sadly the heat isn't too kind for photo taking -- like every frozen treat I try and photograph melts in seconds {hence the lack of nicecream recipes on my Instagram lately...}, but I thought this nice cream was worth sharing -- melty pictures or not -- because it's a real treat. Hard to beat the good 'ol cherries + chocolate combo! Plus the cherry garcia has always had a special place in my heart as a kid :) -- except this version is dairy-free and can easily be made refined sugar-free.
This nice cream is loaded with hefty chunks of delicious dark chocolate, crunchy cacao nibs, dark sweet cherries, and a good dose of a melted chocolate "magic shell" to bring it all together. Creamy... dreamy... melty... cold... refreshing... sweet... tart... crunchy... fruity... {pink!}... Yep, my kind of nicecream ♥
Oh, and I almost forgot about the secret ingredient! It's such a key player in this -- tahini! Makes this nice cream extra creamy, smooth, and, well it's tahini! It's found its way into nearly everything on my plate, so it was no surprise I threw it into this nice cream only to find out it took something good and turned it super good ♥
Just a note on the tahini though -- make sure to use a good quality tahini that's mild in flavor. I used a hulled tahini that was white, creamy, runny, and had a very good smooth taste. A lot of the ones in North America tend to have too thick of a consistency and a strong taste. Go for the good stuff if you're going to throw it in so that the flavor is not over-powering but complimentary. Otherwise, skip the tahini altogether -- it'll still be great without it.
Cherry Garcia Banana Ice Cream
Vegan ice cream loaded with hefty chunks of delicious dark chocolate, crunchy cacao nibs, dark sweet cherries, and a good dose of a melted chocolate "magic shell".
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Category: Ice Cream
- Method: No-Churn
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Nicecream base:
- 1 large frozen banana {or two small ones}
- 1 cup frozen cherries
- 1 tbsp tahini {optional: see notes above}
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- ⅛ tsp raw ground vanilla bean
- big dash of salt
Add ins:
- ½ cup frozen cherries
- 50 gr dark chocolate of your choice {roughly ½ a bar}, chopped into chunks
- 2 tbsp cacao nibs {optional, add in a nice crunch}
Chocolate sauce:
- 50 gr chopped dark chocolate, melted
- 1 tbsp oil of your choice {melted non-dairy butter, melted coconut oil, etc.}
- optional: 1 tablespoon maple syrup for added sweetness, if your chocolate is not sweet enough
- dash of salt
- *Alternatively you can use a ¼ of this magic shell recipe for the sauce.
Instructions
- Place all base ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and at ice cream consistency {I used my Vitamix for this. A food processor could work too. Add a splash of water or non-dairy milk if using a weaker blender to help things blend through if needed}.
- Throw in add-ins and blend by pulsing briefly just to mix the add-ins in. You don't want to blend them in, so be careful not to over-blend...
- Enjoy the nice cream topped with the chocolate sauce straight away in soft-serve form, or freeze for about 30 mins to bring it to a firmer {and scoopable} consistency. Enjoy!
Colorful Canary says
Ohh yum! Looks amazing. Thank you for the recipe, I featured it on today's roundup. :)
http://www.colorfulcanary.com/2016/11/healthy-holiday-desserts-14-radical-raw.html
Audrey says
Thank you very much! :)
genevieve @ gratitude & greens says
Oh my gosh I love tahini! It makes my world go round. I've been going crazy with the banana ice cream because of how hot it is. I've been buying huge baskets of cherries + I always keep frozen bananas in the freezer so this is going to happen soon!
Audrey says
Cherries are a star in many of my nice creams these days -- so good :)
Rachel Edington says
That looks so good that it makes me want to go out and buy old fashioned diner chairs and enjoy it sitting on my cool chairs! Great job! Awesome Eye Candy Pics!
Audrey says
Ha, thanks Rachel. It does have a diner vibe, doesn't it? :)
Alison @Food by Mars says
Yes, yes and more yes - this is happening. And seriously, I can't with ice cream machines... I want one so badly but I just haven't taken the leap yet... and with this recipe, why do I need to??
Audrey says
I say don't take that leap, Alison. Your ice creams look delicious already :) Especially that sweet corn ice cream... :P
Honestly, just hearing the machine go for 20 minutes is a pain. And then you have to WAIT for hours for it to freeze anyhow... Blender ice creams are a dream in comparison...
Tammy says
Can you please share with us what brand of tahini you used??? Would be afraid of buying the wrong one. Thanks!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Tammy. I used Kevala -- a brand that's pretty affordable and that I really like. It's usually very creamy and mild. Looks like this:
I also like to buy tahini straight from middle eastern restaurants or shops -- they have really good quality tahini typically.
I would definitely avoid "unhulled" for this recipe -- it's darker in color and has a bitter flavor.
If you can't find a good one, or if you're in doubt, just make this without -- it'll still taste great :)
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
Cherry garcia is one of those ice cream flavors I didn't realize I loved until later in life and then I went vegan so soon after I feel like I kinda missed out on it...but this solves all my problems (well at least in the ice cream department ;) haha) With the big choco chunks + the cacao nibs + the shell it sounds extra chocolatey perfect <3 And I have enough trouble getting pics of one bowl of ice cream before it melts yet you somehow managed to get TWO into one shot! :o Amazing!
Audrey says
Haha. I know -- it was a juggle to manage two melting ice creams in the heat all at once :)
I can see a Feasting on Fruit cherry garcia version with your little hclf chocolate chips in action ;)
Sina says
Wow, this looks amazing!!! :-) I love that you're using tahini. What a great idea!
Audrey says
Thanks, Sina! Tahini inevitably finds its way into everything around here -- it worked well with the cherries and chocolate in this.
The vegan 8 says
I'm dying over how beautiful this pink color is Audrey! Just beautiful. I love tahini in my ice cream too. I have a recipe on my blog called "Exceptionally Creamy Chocolate Tahini Ice Cream" and the tahini is key to the amazing creaminess and of course it goes amazing with chocolate. I so agree with you on the quality...some tahins will ruin a recipe! Beautiful job!
Tammy says
Can you please tell us the brand you use??? I would be afraid of buying the wrong one. Thanks!!
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Brandi. I love pairing chocolate with {good} tahini in nice creams. Your ice cream version of it is beautiful :)
Steph @ Steph in Thyme says
Oh my, this looks positively scrumptious! I love how the base is frozen bananas, and all that chocolate and cherries! Divine!
Audrey says
Thanks Steph -- cherries and chocolate are such a great classic, aren't they :)
Harriet Emily says
Yum yum yum, this looks so delicious Audrey! Cherries are my absolute favourite fruit, so this cherry ice-cream sounds like my dream come true! I love the addition of tahini to this, and the drizzle of chocolate sauce on top looks amazing! I definitely need to try this! :)
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thank you, Harriet! I LOVE cherries heaps too -- always look forward to cherry season, most especially when rainier cherries are around -- those are my absolute favorite :)
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says
Scoop me up a big bowl of this please - this looks wonderful!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks Sharon :)
Ali Williams says
Cherry Garcia is my favorite flavor in the world! I will be making this beautiful healthy recipe soon! Thanks!
Audrey says
Thanks Ali -- and agreed on Cherry Garcia -- so good!
Sarah C says
That looks amazing and I love melty pictures! I don't have an ice cream maker so this is great!
Audrey says
Thank you, Sarah! I do have an ice cream maker, but I always dread pulling it out. I'm actually considering getting rid of it altogether. It's so clunky to store, noisy, and you have to remember to freeze the bowl... No churn ice creams have definitely been my go-to over the last few years, and banana ice creams are so easy.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Keep on tahini-ing it up! Yum! You know I love my cherries and chocolate too!
It's been in the 90s all week here, so I've been staying inside, but really I don't mind the heat!
Audrey says
Haha -- I know -- I saw your cherry chocolate bowls of goodness, and Natalie got me wanting to try them now too with her IG photo -- they look delicious!