Do I need an ice cream maker for mango nice cream?

No. Nice cream is made entirely without an ice cream maker – you simply blend frozen banana and mango until creamy. A powerful stand blender or a food processor makes the mixture especially fine and soft; an ice cream maker isn't needed at all.

How do I freeze bananas for nice cream properly?

Peel ripe bananas (ideally with brown spots), cut them into slices and freeze them flat on a plate or in a bag for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Always freeze them peeled and in pieces – whole bananas are almost impossible to blend later. Frozen, they keep for 3 to 4 months.

Why isn't my nice cream turning creamy?

It's usually down to bananas that aren't ripe enough or too much liquid. Use well-ripened bananas with brown spots and add the plant-based drink only a tablespoon at a time – too much makes a smoothie instead of ice cream. If the blender stalls, switch it off briefly and push the mixture down instead of adding more liquid.

Can I make nice cream ahead or refreeze it?

Nice cream tastes best fresh, straight after blending, while it's still lovely and soft. You can freeze it in a container, where it will firm up – just let it thaw for a few minutes before serving. Thawed and refrozen a second time it loses its creaminess, so it's best to make only as much as you'll eat right away.

Can you taste the banana?

The banana gives the nice cream its creamy base and a light banana note, which is nicely softened here by the fruity mango. If you prefer the banana flavor to stay well in the background, use slightly less ripe bananas and a little more mango.

Mango Nice Cream with Dried Fruit – No Ice Cream Maker

Hello lovelies, when the sun is out, nothing disappears faster from our kitchen than a bowl of this creamy mango nice cream with dried fruit. Nice cream made from frozen bananas is a firm favorite with us all year round, and the fruity mango gives this version its sunny summer note. My kids adore it – and I love that it needs no added sugar and no ice cream maker whatsoever.

Creamy mango nice cream in a bowl with a dried fruit and nut topping and mango cubes

Believe it or not, this one gets by with only 4 ingredients – it really doesn't get simpler. The colorful dried fruit and nut mix with mango, physalis and cranberries makes sure there's never a dull spoonful: it gives the soft ice cream a lovely bite and a burst of chewy, crunchy freshness on top.

The trick with the frozen bananas

The whole secret of a creamy nice cream lies in well-frozen, ripe bananas. I cut them into slices and freeze them spread out flat, so they blend into a soft, velvety mass in no time. Add the plant-based drink just a tablespoon at a time – that way the texture stays like soft serve instead of turning into a smoothie. If your blender struggles, pause briefly and push everything down rather than pouring in more liquid.

Mango nice cream bowl served with granola, mango cubes and dried fruit

This nice cream rounds off my little series of summer desserts with just 5 ingredients each. Do try my warm apricot crumble with 5 ingredients and the creamy stracciatella parfait with berries too. And if you love mango as much as I do, you absolutely have to taste my protein-packed mango pineapple smoothie – fruity, vegan and blended in 5 minutes.

Mango Nice Cream with Dried Fruit

The trick with the frozen bananas

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