You Only Need 3 Ingredients For A Classic Peanut Butter And Jelly Ice Cream

Who knew that making completely vegan and gluten-free ice cream could be easier than the regular dairy-based treat? Frozen fruit-based ice cream may just be the most effortless ice cream that you can make. Also known as nice cream, it takes minimal ingredients and very little time to whip up a batch. Nice cream refers to ice cream desserts that get their sweetness and texture from frozen fruits instead of dairy-based cream and sugar or artificial sweeteners. While it was traditionally made with bananas, nice creams have evolved to incorporate a variety of fruits. What's important is that they don't have a bunch of additives and are safe for most special diets (vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, etc.), so they really are "nice" enough for everyone.

For the peanut butter and jelly version, all it takes is frozen fruit (typically bananas) and — you guessed it — peanut butter and jelly. It doesn't require an ice cream maker, either — a blender or food processor will get the job done. This frozen treat — essentially a peanut butter-flavored banana ice cream with jelly mixed in — can be eaten as a kind of soft serve right away. Or, those who prefer a more traditional hard ice cream texture can opt to leave it in the freezer overnight. Better still, enjoying this dessert really isn't much different from eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a ripe banana for lunch.

The first thing to remember when making three-ingredient peanut butter and jelly ice cream is to break the frozen bananas up a bit when tossing them into the blender or food processor. This will not only help them fit more easily than if they were whole, but the smaller pieces will break down faster in the machine. You'll also want to use conventional shelf-stable peanut butters and skip the all-natural kind for this particular goodie. Not only are commercial peanut butters creamier, but they will blend up much better (possibly due to their added stabilizers), resulting in that ideal velvety smooth ice cream texture. When giving the peanut butter and bananas a good whirl, make sure they're fully blended — you don't want any lumps.

Only once the mixture reaches a creamy consistency should you transfer it to a freezer-safe container — preferably one with a tight-fitting lid (unless you're planning on polishing off the batch all at once, in which case any kind of container will do). With the ice cream base set, you can gently mix the jelly in by hand. Just be careful not to stir too vigorously since you're looking to create ribbons of jelly to compliment the peanut butter-flavored banana nice cream. Feel free to use any flavor of jelly that you like. Grape and strawberry are great, but tart fruits like blackberry, blueberry, and boysenberry will be just as good.

Peanut butter and jelly nice cream is rich and delicious in a bowl all on its own or enjoyed in a simple sugar or cake cone. But there are also plenty of fantastic ways to dress it up. Consider a sundae with crushed peanuts and strawberry or blackberry (or any berry flavor) compote on top. Or make a banana split out of it. The frozen banana base makes the perfect complement to slices of the fresh fruit, while chocolate sauce or fudge will really amp up the peanut butter and jelly flavors. Keep it vegan if you like by using dairy-free whipped topping.

Another great option is to use peanut butter and jelly nice cream to make fried ice cream. The crunchy exterior makes a fun treat out of plain vanilla ice cream, so just imagine how much better the dessert could be when it's peanut butter and jelly flavored. Since there are vegan and gluten-free options available for both the extra dairy and exterior cereal coating, even fried peanut butter and jelly ice cream can meet the requirements of special diets. However you go about it, there are plenty of options for taking this easy, homemade ice cream to new heights. But even with only three ingredients, it's an instant classic.