We’ve reached the end of our vegan Christmas dinner! We’ve already had this awesome vegan pate for starters, a whole roasted cauliflower on a bed of spicy lentils for mains, and these delicious maple mustard roasted carrots with garlic cashew cream for a side dish… phew! What’s for dessert? Well what else than a cranberry spiced nice cream! Marbled with sweet, sticky cranberry sauce, this nice cream is full of winter flavours, and is a nice, light way to finish off your Christmas meal.
Nice Cream has become a popular term, coined by vegans to describe a dairy free ice cream, usually made with bananas. Bananas make a great base for a vegan ice cream, because when properly ripe, they are naturally very sweet, so there’s no need to add any additional sweetener. When blended from frozen, you’re left with a delicious mixture that is similar to a soft serve ice cream. Once refrozen for a couple of hours, you’ll be able to scoop this out just like real ice cream!
This cranberry spiced version encompasses cinnamon, nutmeg and a little pinch of cloves, to bring together all these gorgeous winter flavours in one, easy to make, and totally satisfying dessert.
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
| Passive Time | 2 hours |
| Servings |
tray |
- 5 Bananas frozen (and ripe)
- 340g (3 cups) Cranberries
- 100g (1/2 cup) Sugar
- 115ml (1/2 cup) Orange Juice
- 1 tsp Orange Zest
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1 pinch Ground Cloves
Ingredients
| |
- To make the cranberry sauce, add all ingredients (except the frozen bananas) into a medium sized saucepan, and heat on a low heat until the cranberries are soft and have burst, leaving you with a thick, sticky sauce. Set aside.
- Add the frozen bananas into a food processor and blend until you have a smooth ice cream consistency. This can take a while and keep scraping down the sides of the processor to incorporate all the bananas.
- In a loaf tin, add one third of the banana mixture and spread so it covers the bottom. Add some blobs of cranberry sauce and swirl it into the banana mixture to create a marbled effect. Then repeat until you've used all the banana mixture. You will probably have some cranberry sauce leftover, so store this in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Cover the loaf tin with cling film and put in the freezer for 2 hours. Let sit out for 5-10 minutes before scooping and serving.
About Lauren Caris
Lauren is the author and chef of the vegan food blog, Lauren Caris Cooks. She is passionate about showing people just how awesome vegan food can be with simple, delicious recipes and vegan lifestyle tips.
