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GET IT NOWMy Nice Cream Recipe Is Smooth, Creamy, And Totally Dairy Free
This nice cream reminds me of a truffle, ice cream, and peanut butter cup, all rolled into one irresistible frozen treat that you’d never guess is secretly a healthy dessert. Here’s why it’s different from any other nice cream recipe you might have tried before:
- Decadent chocolate peanut butter flavor – Most nice cream recipes are made with frozen bananas or other frozen fruit. I love banana ice cream and frozen yogurt, but this one is different. It’s rich, chocolaty, and actually satisfies that ice cream craving.
- Rich, creamy, and satisfying – It’s definitely richer than any other dairy-free ice cream I’ve tried. It scoops like a dream.
- Easy to make – Just toss 6 ingredients in a blender and churn (or use my no-churn alternative below).
- Better for you – This nice cream is of course dairy-free, but it’s also gluten-free, has no refined sugar, and even sneaks in 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber.
If you need a “nicer” way to enjoy ice cream this summer without dairy, make a batch of this one with me, and you’ll see why I keep coming back to it!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my nice cream recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk – This is the base of the nice cream and gives it that creamy texture. I grabbed organic from my local Sprouts because it also carries my Besti sweeteners (listed below — find your closest store here), but this brand is also great if you want one without gums. I don’t recommend lighter milks, like almond milk, that watery coconut milk in the dairy case, or regular dairy milk, because they make the nice cream too icy.
- Peanut Butter – For flavor and texture. This is my favorite brand with no added sugar because it’s spreadable and not runny, but for this particular recipe, runny natural peanut butter will work, too. You can also use almond butter, any other nut butter, or even sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option.
- Coconut Oil – Makes the nice cream easier to scoop and not harden as much. I used this one.
- Cocoa Powder – For the chocolate flavor. I recommend Dutch processed cocoa powder because it’s less bitter.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This sweetener makes a huge difference in the end result! Not only does it dissolve easily for a smooth texture, it also lowers the freezing point of the nice cream, making it harden less and stay scoopable. The only other sweetener that will work the same way is plain powdered allulose, but you’ll need an extra 1/4 cup to get the same sweetness. Conventional sugar, erythritol, and other brands of monk fruit or stevia will make your ice cream turn out much harder and likely grainy.
- Vanilla Extract
How To Make Nice Cream
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Blend it up. Toss all the ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until super smooth and creamy.
- Freeze or churn. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker (this is the one I use — but see my tips below if you don’t have one) and churn until it reaches a soft-serve consistency. Transfer to a glass container and freeze until solid.
- Scoop and serve. I drizzled my nice cream with extra peanut butter and sprinkled with sugar-free chocolate chips. You can also top it with my sugar-free chocolate syrup, chopped nuts, sprinkles, fresh berries (I’m partial to strawberries or raspberries), whipped cream, or even crushed peanut butter cookies.
My Recipe Tips
- Powdered Besti is key for keeping this nice cream smooth and scoopable. I can’t emphasize it enough — other sweeteners make it gritty and icy.
- Freeze your ice cream maker bowl for at least 24 hours. If you do it for less, it often warms up before the churning process is finished and the nice cream doesn’t get thick enough.
- A high-powered blender like this will get you the best texture. A food processor works too, just not quite as silky.
- Once you’re done churning, get the mixture into the freezer right away. If it starts melting before you freeze it, the texture gets harder later on.
- For the best creamy texture, try to eat this nice cream 3-4 hours after freezing. It’s fine past that point, you’ll just need to let it sit out for about 10 minutes before scooping.
- Don’t have an ice cream maker? You can freeze the blended liquid in a pre-frozen glass container without churning, but you’ll need to stir every 30 minutes for the first 3-4 hours. Alternatively, you can shake it in a jar to skip the stirring part — like my mason jar ice cream.
- Run your ice cream scoop under warm water. It makes scooping easier and melts the edges slightly, which I think makes it even better. This is my favorite ice cream scoop!
Nice Cream (Chocolate Peanut Butter)
My chocolate peanut butter nice cream recipe is rich, creamy, and dairy free, with 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. So easy to make!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Combine all the ingredients in a powerful blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
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Pour the mixture into a frozen ice cream maker bowl and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. The texture won't be like typical soft-serve, but should be very thick, like pudding.
Alternatively, if you don't have an ice cream maker, you can pour the mixture directly into a pre-frozen glass container and freeze, but you'll need to stir every 30 minutes until solid.
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Pour the mixture into a glass freezer safe container. Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours, until firm.
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Chocolate peanut butter nice cream gets harder in the freezer after 4 hours, so if you're serving it later than that, let it thaw on the counter for 10-15 minutes to soften.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/2 cup
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the creamiest texture, smooth consistent results, and easy scooping.
- Storage: You can keep it in the freezer for up to 3-6 months. Don’t forget to let it soften a bit before serving!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Nice Cream
142 Comments
Connie
0Hi, I’m new to using coconut milk from a can and see some recipes call for it to be refrigerated and then to use the “thick” portion only. In this recipe do I use the entire can or just the top part? Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Connie, For this recipe I used the whole can.
Shirley Malar
0I’m not familiar with the consistency of coconut milk since I don’t like the taste and smell of coconut.
I would like to find something to substitute for coconut milk, but I think I should match the texture. Can you explain the texture to me? :o)
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Shirley, The closest thing in texture and thickness would be heavy whipping cream.
Shirley
0Thank you so much. That really helps.
Karen
0I’m a huge chocolate peanut butter fan and this turned out AMAAAAAAAZING!!!!! Do you have any similar ice cream recipes but maybe some different flavors? I really liked the coconut milk in it and it was super fast and easy.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Karen! I don’t have any other nice cream recipes with coconut milk yet, but this ice cream recipe is really popular also.
Suzanne Troiano
0Looking forward to making this but I have a tin loaf pan. Will that affect it if it’s not in a glass loaf pan?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Suzanne, That should work just fine.
Alicia
0I made this today and took some to work to share. Everyone wants the recipe! I’ve been low carb for a few months and this is the first dessert I’ve had where I didn’t feel like I was missing out. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy everyone liked it, Alicia! Have a great day!
MaryBeth Ford
0Could you use an ice cream maker, if you wanted to?
Jill
0I used my ice cream maker. It worked great and quicker than waiting for the freezer to harden it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi MaryBeth, Yes, absolutely!
Ahmad
0Can this be made with coconut milk from a carton instead of can? I’ve read some concerning things about BPA and titanium oxide in canned coconut milk.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ahmad, You can but it would have to be the thick kind. So *not* the big cartons labeled “coconut milk beverage”. I think you can also find thick coconut milk in a different packaging called Tetrapaks.
Linda
0Hi Maya, this recipe sounds great. I don’t have coconut milk and wonder if it would work to use almond milk instead? Thanks, Linda
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Linda, No, sorry, I don’t recommend that. This recipe uses the thick kind of coconut milk in a can, not thin coconut milk beverage. Coconut milk beverage and almond milk are usually interchangeable, but the thick kind of coconut milk is different. If anything heavy whipping cream would be a better substitute for thick coconut milk, but then it wouldn’t be dairy-free.
Linda
0Good to know, Maya, thanks! I’ve never used any kind of coconut milk, so don’t know its properties. However, we are not dairy-free – we go through tons of heavy whipping cream, butter, cheese, etc., so using cream would not be a problem for us. Thank you for the prompt response, Linda
Nanette Purdy
0I love this recipe. I work for Crazy Richards Peanut Butter and have now been on Keto for about 6 weeks and this is my favorite!!! Can I share your recipe on our IG and show my meager attempt next to yours? So delicious. Thanks, I love your account.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Nanette! My sharing policy is on the recipe card – you can share a picture with a link to the recipe, but not re-post the actual recipe. On Instagram, sometimes this works better with stories and swipe up to go to the recipe, but any way you want to do it is fine. We just keep the actual recipe on the site only. Thank you so much for asking and for stopping by!
Ksenia Ksentitskaja
0Hi Maya, regards from Estonia! My question is what consistency of coconut milk must be used? I took my coconut milk jar from the fridge and it was quite thick , also all mixture came thick, but i put it into freezer anyway. In 4 hours it was hard like stone! I assume my mixture consistency wasn’t right?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ksenia, Yes, the coconut milk should be thick, and the mixture should be thick. Did you stir it in the freezer at 30 and 60 minutes? That helps it not harden quite so much. It also varies a bit by freezer temperature, sometimes it’s better after 3 hours. Either way, if it gets too hard, just let it thaw on the counter until it’s softer again – for me that usually takes an hour. I’ve also gotten feedback that an ice cream maker works, so if you have one that will probably be even better, but isn’t required.
Margie Wood
0I made this today in an ice cream maker. It was ready in about five minutes. Delicious!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Margie! I’m glad to know it works great in an ice cream maker. I’m getting one this summer so will have to try it!
Jess
0Why is it that whenever I type recipes into My Fitness Pal (I verify that the numbers coincide with my product), that my macros are way off from what is listed in the recipe? Can our products be so different?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jess, My numbers come straight from the USDA Food Database and you can find separate values in my low carb food list. My Fitness Pal has lots of entries which can be submitted by anyone, and many food labels also round up or down to the nearest whole number of carbs, which can add up when there is a large amount of something in a recipe. So, there are many reasons it can be off. One of the biggest differences in sweet recipes is that MFP does not recognize that the erythritol is not included in net carbs. It’s possible that the products are different too (for example, peanut butter can have sugar added), but rounding and treatment of sweeteners are more likely culprits.
Marion Robinson
0Good Morning Maya, from the beautiful & very sunny, West coast of Scotland.
It’s certainly “nice cream” weather, so I will be making this for after dinner this evening.
I just wanted to say, I make my low carb ice cream, then when I’ve mixed it, I pour it into silicone bagel molds, freeze it, and then it’s just the right portion size. There’s no struggling to get it out of the container, when needed.
Hope you find this tip helpful.
Best wishes, Marion
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0That is so smart, Marion! Thanks for sharing your tip with us!
Natalie Ellis
0Look so tasty! I bet it would be more delicious if we add some topping like some peanuts, coconut glaze, etc 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Those toppings sound delicious, Natalie! Thanks for stopping by!
Margaret Brown
0This looks so lovely! Do you think it would work with almond butter instead of peanut?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Margaret! Yes, you can definitely substitute almond butter!
Joyce
0Peanuts and peanut butter are very unhealthy….. any chance almond butter would work?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Joyce! Yes, you can substitute almond butter. I hope you like it!
Roberta
0This “nice cream” (nice name too!) seems delicious… do you think it would be done also using another nut butter instead of peanut butter for those who can’t use legumes?
Thank you in advance!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Roberta, I haven’t tried, but I’m sure you can. Try almond butter or any other kind of nut butter you like.
Natalie
0Hi! Looks yummy! I have made sooo many of your recipes since I found you on Pinterest!! My husband is allergic to coconut so I wanted to know what I can sub the coconut oil and coconut milk in this recipe for! (And any others if you have some general suggestions for coconut replacement in your recipes! Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Natalie! Unfortunately I’m not sure about coconut substitutes in this recipe. You could possibly try heavy cream and a neutral tasting oil (like avocado oil or macadamia nut oil), but both have different consistencies than thick coconut cream and coconut oil, so I can’t say for sure if the end result would work out. Please let me know how it goes if you try!
Sandi
0I would really like to try this recipe but could I use pure monk? It’s about the only sweetener I can use without adverse effects. I cannot tolerate any of the powdered sweeteners with any bulking agent including erythritol. How much pure monk would I use?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sandi, I haven’t tried it but you probably could. The texture might be just a little different, and you’ll end up with a little less total, since the powdered sweetener adds some bulk. I have a sweetener conversion chart here than can help. You can also just adjust to taste when you mix it all together. Please let us know how it goes if you try!
Bianca
0Hi Maya! I love ALL of your recipes. Your site is my go-to for ANYTHING! Can this be made in an ice cream maker??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Bianca! Yes, you can make it in an ice cream maker.
Lise
0Sounds good, but I much prefer almonds to peanuts. Is there any reason we could not substitute almond butter for the peanut butter?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lise, Yes, you can use almond butter. Let me know how it goes!