The ULTIMATE Boozy Nicecream Guide

(Note: this post was originally published on August 9, 2020. It has been updated several times with additional recipes and photos).

Boozy Nicecream: The Ultimate Summer Treat

Prepare to be wowed: two of your favorite indulgences (ice cream and cocktails) are being united into one fabulously tasty summer treat. Welcome to my boozy nicecream guide!

Adding alcohol to nicecream (a.k.a. vegan banana ice cream) actually serves a very important purpose chemically. If you've made nicecream before and tried to save extra, you've undoubtedly noticed that it freezes into a hard block. That hard, icy texture basically makes it impossible to prepare nicecream more than a few hours in advance. But never fear, I have a solution! Adding some distilled alcohol actually lowers the freezing temperature of the nicecream, helping it to stay rich and creamy in the freezer.

Additionally, at the risk of stating the obvious, distilled alcohol is an incredible vehicle for flavor. By combining frozen bananas, a couple shots of your favorite spirit, and some additional mix-ins, you can create an infinite array of homemade alcoholic ice cream recipes. In this guide, I'll walk you through the basics and then share some specific recipes to get you started.

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What is Nicecream (a.k.a. Vegan Banana Ice Cream)?

"Nicecream" is a pureed, frozen banana dessert that serves as a whole-food, vegan ice cream. It's a nutritious choice since it's plant-based, can be entirely fruit-sweetened, and is free of the additives and stabilizers that many store-bought ice creams contain. Plus it's infinitely customizable and easy to make at home in whatever size batch you want.

Nicecream is simple and fast to make, and the vegan boozy ice cream recipes in this post are no exception. All you need to do is combine the ingredients (just bananas and a few extra flavor components) in a food processor or blender, then process until rich and creamy. You can create any flavor you desire by incorporating different base ingredients and mix-ins. The possibilities are endless!

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How to Make Nicecream

Making nicecream at home is easy. You just need a food processor or blender and a few basic ingredients. The steps below will walk you through how to make nicecream in general; you can take these steps and apply them to the specific recipes below, or use them to create your own alcoholic ice cream recipes.

1. Let the bananas ripen until they are soft and have abundant brown spots; ripe bananas are sweeter, have better flavor, and yield a creamier texture.
   
2. Slice the bananas and then freeze them in a sealed container. You'll want to do this at least the day before, but they'll last in the freezer for weeks, so this is a good way to use up any bananas that are ripening before you can eat them.
3. Add the bananas, any other fruit, any other flavorings, and a shot (or two) of your favorite spirit to a food processor.
4. Process until you have a rich, creamy texture similar to soft-serve ice cream.
5. As needed, add a dash of liquid to help thin out the texture. Any plant-based milk works fine, as does an additional shot of whatever spirit you're using or even a dash of water.
6. Once the nicecream is thick and creamy, add any mix-ins you want to use (e.g. chocolate chips, nuts, additional fruit, etc). Pulse the food processor a couple times or stir them in by hand.
7. Enjoy the nicecream right away for a soft-serve texture, or freeze it in a sealed container for a more traditional scoopable ice cream texture.

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Boozy Nicecream Recipes

Now that we've covered the basics of nicecream, let's dive into some specific recipes. You can either follow these vegan boozy ice cream recipes exactly, or use them as inspirations for your own creations.

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Blue Hawaiian Nicecream

Inspired by the classic cocktail, this nicecream is perfect for a summer evening. It's naturally colored with blue spirulina, so you can feel good about indulging in this colorful treat.

• 4 ripe, sliced, then frozen bananas
• 1 c frozen pineapple
• 1 c coconut cream
  
• 2 oz coconut rum
• 0.25 - 0.5 tsp blue spirulina
• Dash of liquid as needed to thin it out
• Shredded coconut and edible flowers for garnish

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Blueberry Mojito Nicecream

This alcoholic ice cream recipe is perfect for mid-summer since it unifies the classic mojito cocktail with everyone's favorite summer fruit: blueberries. It's a little bit sweet, a little bit tart, and very refreshing.

• 4 ripe, sliced, then frozen bananas
• Juice of a lime
  
• 1 c fresh mint
  
• 2 oz white or amber rum
  
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
  
• Dash of liquid as needed to thin it out
• 0.5 c frozen blueberries added at the end
• Fresh blueberries and additional fresh mint for garnish

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Boozy Baklava Nicecream

I developed this boozy ice cream recipe in collaboration with Koloa Rum. Inspired by the flavors in baklava, this nicecream has sweet honey and crunchy pistachios.

• 4 ripe, sliced, then frozen bananas
• 2 oz spiced rum
• 2 tbsp honey
• 0.5 tsp vanilla
• Dash of liquid as needed to thin it out
• 0.5 c shelled, chopped pistachios added at the end
• Additional pistachios and a drizzle of honey for garnish

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Bourbon Cherry Chocolate Chip Nicecream

This boozy nicecream is like Cherry Garcia (the classic Ben and Jerry's flavor) on a trip through bourbon country. The flavors are absolutely wonderful and go especially beautifully with caramel sauce. Of all the recipes here, this is the one I make most frequently.

• 4 ripe, sliced, then frozen bananas
• 1 c pitted cherries, either fresh or frozen
• 2 oz bourbon
• Dash of liquid as needed to thin it out
• 0.5 c chocolate chips or chunks added at the end
• Few additional chopped cherries added at the end

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Espresso Kahlua Chip Nicecream

This pick-me-up has double the coffee thanks to both espresso powder and Kahlua. It's luscious and creamy, and the banana flavor is completely undetectable. If you have nicecream skeptics in your life, this is a great one to start with.

• 4 ripe, sliced, then frozen bananas
• 2 tbsp espresso powder or instant coffee power
  
• 2 oz Kahlua
• Dash of liquid as needed to thin it out
  
• 0.5 c chocolate chips or chunks added at the end

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Fig, Bourbon, and Cinnamon Nicecream

I first developed this alcoholic ice cream recipe to use in my Fig, Bourbon, and Cinnamon Nicecream Cake, but it quickly became a house favorite that I've made many times since. This is a wonderful, surprising combination and is perfect for transitioning nicecream into fall.

• 4 ripe, sliced, then frozen bananas
• 1 c fig jam (ideally this no-sugar homemade version)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
  
• 2 oz bourbon
  
• Dash of liquid as needed to thin it out

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Kentucky Mule Nicecream

Based on the classic cocktail, this boozy nicecream is simultaneously fresh and cozy, making it a great year-round treat. In case you need a refresher, a Moscow Mule is made with vodka, lime juice, and ginger beer. Numerous riffs exist, including the Kentucky Mule (made with bourbon) and the Mexico Mule (made with tequila). Any will work here, but I like the Kentucky best because bourbon has so much flavor.

• 4 ripe, sliced, then frozen bananas
• 12 cubes of crystallized ginger
• Juice of a lime
  
• 2 oz bourbon
  
• Dash of liquid as needed to thin it out

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Mint Chocolate Chip Nicecream

This boozy ice cream recipe is summery and refreshing. It has a lovely bright green color thanks to a secret ingredient. It's also wonderful with brownies or crushed chocolate cookies added in at the end for a "grasshopper" vibe.

• 4 ripe, sliced, then frozen bananas
• 1 c baby spinach (for color)
• 0.5 c fresh mint
  
• 2 oz peppermint schnapps
  
• Dash of liquid as needed to thin it out
• 0.5 c chocolate chips or chunks added at the end
• Additional chocolate chunks and fresh mint for garnish

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Pina Colada Nicecream

Based on the iconic tropical cocktail, this alcholic ice cream recipe is fun, nostalgic, and summery. The addition of coconut cream makes it extra decadent and silky.

• 4 ripe, sliced, then frozen bananas
• 1 c frozen pineapple
• 1 c coconut cream
  
• 2 oz coconut rum
  
• Dash of liquid as needed to thin it out
• Edible flowers and fresh mint for garnish

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Strawberry Daiquiri Nicecream

The classic cocktail gets a nicecream update with this fresh, summery flavor. Feel free to experiment with other fruits; mango works especially well in this boozy ice cream recipe.

• 4 ripe, sliced, then frozen bananas
• 1 c frozen strawberries
  
• Juice of a lime
  
• 2 oz white rum
  
• Dash of liquid as needed to thin it out
• Few extra chopped strawberries added at the end

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Closing Thoughts

And there you have it; everything you've ever wanted to know about boozy nicecream. I hope you'll make yourself a couple of these and have fun with them this summer. And remember that these are all just ideas; the sky is the limit, so don't be afraid to experiment with different flavors. One of the great things about nicecream is that you can taste as you go and adjust as needed.

Don't forget to bookmark this page and check back. I'll keep adding more recipes as I create them, so there will always be new content coming. I have a few other classic cockails that I can't wait to re-create as nicecream.

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Share It!

It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.