Seven "nice cream" recipes that you can make at home in less than ten minutes
People are crazy about ice cream, no matter how you serve it! According to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the United States produced roughly 1.38 billion gallons (or 5.25 billion liters) of ice cream and related frozen desserts in 2022. The third Sunday in July has been declared National Ice Cream Day, a celebration that most Americans gladly partake in whether they are aware of this distinction or not.
According to Newsweek, ice cream may seem like a uniquely American dessert, but many historians think it really originated in ancient China (though this is still up for debate). A far cry from the pints laden with toppings and sugar, the original recipe for the sweet, creamy, frozen dessert called for a mixture of rice and milk with fruit to sweeten it purchase today.
Ice cream is good as a treat once in a while, but the calories, unhealthy fats, and added sugars can add up quickly. For instance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA] recommends a two-thirds cup serving of Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean ice cream, which has 340 calories, 32 grams (g) of sugar, including 24 g of added sugar, and 13 g of saturated fat — a full day's worth of calories, based on the American Heart Association's recommended limit. And that's presuming you avoid adding any mix-ins or toppings and adhere to the recommended serving size.
That means it might not be such a bad idea to revisit that earlier recipe for a straightforward ice cream sweetened with fruit. And as it happens, it's not hard to accomplish. Your favorite frozen dessert can easily be made healthier at home, and since they contain more nutrients that are good for you and less unhealthy fat and sugar, you can enjoy them more frequently. These vegan-friendly "nice cream" recipes retain their creamy and delectable texture by omitting the dairy.