16 Healthy Ice Cream Alternatives
Refreshingly smooth texture and flavors galore — is there’s anything like ice cream on a scalding hot day? If your diet is limiting your licking time, this list of healthy ice cream hacks will have you enjoying the cool stuff in a float, on a boat, in a sandwich, as a cake or even in shake. From diary free and low cal to sugar free and paleo, this list of the cream of crop offers something for everyone. Best of all? Each one is easy to make and most don’t require an ice cream maker. So when the faint sound of ice-cream-truck music comes rolling down your street, head to the kitchen to whip up your own creme de la creme and let all the kids on the block eat their hearts out.
1. Sugar-Free Coconut Vanilla Ice Cream: Never in our wildest dreams could we come up with a better use for two ingredients. The combination of coconut milk and vanilla bean creates a one-of-a-kind ice cold treat you’ll be making all summer. (via In Sonnet’s Kitchen)
1. Avocado Ice Cream: Although this dreamy treat contains a little sugar and cream, it gets its silky texture from avocado. Light and refreshing, the avocado gives this dessert the rare addition of fiber and vitamins. (via Sweetest Kitchen)
2. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard: Vegan and gluten free, this is the kind of sweet treat you can enjoy every day. A hearty shake packed with chocolate chip cookie dough balls, this is the kind of recipe we regret not knowing about earlier in life. (via Nutritionist in the Kitch)
3. Double Dipped Chocolate Covered Bananas: This ice cold snack on a stick boasts big flavor with way fewer calories than traditional ice cream. Although it might look like a simple dipped banana, a layer of peanut butter is hidden under the chocolate! (via Keepin’ It Kind)
4. Fruit + Yogurt Cones: This snack gives the illusion of ice cream because it’s served in a cone, but it’s really just your average fruit and yogurt combination. Bonus points for presentation! (via Labrada)
5. Lemon Buttermilk Sorbet: Although this recipe does require an ice cream maker, you only need three ingredients and about 20 minutes to whip it up. The sublime combination of sugar, buttermilk and lemon is supremely refreshing. (via Buzzfeed)
7. Chocolate Soft Serve: It tastes like the classic soft serve from your childhood, but this dessert gets its creamy texture from avocados and sweetness from coconut milk and honey. The smart addition of silky milk chocolate? Sign us up. (via Half Baked Harvest)
8. Greek Frozen Yogurt: While it looks like ice cream, this frozen Greek yogurt packs extra protein healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast! So get out of the long line at your neighborhood froyo joint and head home to make this. Three easy ingredients and a little time in the freezer is all you need to put together this divine dessert. (via Chobani)
9. Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, Honey + Banana Ice Cream: It looks and tastes like ice cream but the base of this dreamy treat isn’t dairy at all. Skip the sugar and dress up frozen bananas with some favorite toppings for an indulgent bowl of magic you’ll never believe isn’t the real deal. (via Got Chocolate)
10. Healthy Ice Cream Sandwich: A cold, sweet cream sandwiched between soft, flavorful cookies. It’s a dessert that will take you back to childhood, only this version is entirely gluten and dairy free. (via The Sweet Life)
11. Coconut Fig Ice Cream: The traditional cream and sugar combination gets replaced with a beautiful marriage of fig and coconut that packs surprising flavor into this dairy-free treat. (via The Raw Food Beginner Chef)
12. Vegan Chocolate Shake: It’s rich and thick and comes together beautifully in a blender. Fruit and spinach packs it with flavor so you’ll never miss the sugar. What’s not to love? (via Minimalist Baker)
13. Coconut Ice Milk: While nothing can replicate the silky indulgence of true homemade ice cream, this sugar-free version comes in a close second. Plus, the bold coconut flavor is seriously refreshing. (via Cafe Johnsonia)
14. Blueberry Orange Pops: We’re crazy for a dessert on a stick. This simple combination of coconut and fresh fruit pulls off this perfect pop without the sugar. (via Two Loves Studio)
15. Nutella Banana Ice Cream: Frozen bananas form the base of this bowl of sweet, silky, gluten-free goodness. The addition of Nutella makes it feel ultra indulgent. (via Cooking for Keeps)
16. Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream: Sweetened with your choice of honey or maple syrup, this unbelievably tasty four-ingredient ice cream is pure heaven. (via The Detoxinista)
What’s your favorite healthy ice cream alternative? Leave your favorite recipe in the comments below!
