Vegan Matcha Ice Cream is a creamy banana-based frozen treat with bright matcha green tea flavoring. This vegan matcha nicecream is healthy, delicious, and easy to make. Just freeze the bananas, blend the ingredients, and enjoy!
We enjoy nice cream throughout the summer and occasionally during the winter when the craving strikes. In this recipe, we use traditional banana nice cream and add one of our favorite Japanese ingredients: matcha green tea. The matcha adds a sweet earthiness to the banana base that creates a unique and exciting flavor.
This vegan matcha nicecream recipe is incredibly easy to make whenever you're craving something sweet! It only calls for 4 ingredients, a few minutes of prep, and a blender. Make a batch to enjoy immediately or freeze ahead for a future treat.
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About this Matcha Nice Cream
- Taste - Vegan matcha ice cream is sweet with a bright, earthy green tea flavor.
- Texture - This frozen dessert is creamy and smooth.
- Effort - This dessert takes minimal effort! All you need is a blender and 4 ingredients.
- Time - Freeze the bananas for at least 2 hours and take a few minutes of prep to make the actual frozen treat.
Leftover Bananas? No Problem
Sometimes we buy more bananas than we can eat. Instead of throwing the bananas in the compost, we use them to make tasty treats like chocolate chip banana bread or nice cream. Lately, we have been making this nice cream recipe because we love how healthy and easy it is. This nice cream is creamy and delicious like regular ice cream but without the added sugar and dairy.
What is Matcha?
Matcha green tea is made by taking young tea leaves and grinding them into a green powder. Since it is 100% green tea leaves, it is much more concentrated than regular green tea and as a result has a much stronger green tea flavor. It is traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies.
Ceremonial grade matcha is subtle flavor and intended to be consumed after being whisked with hot water. On the other hand, culinary grade matcha is stronger and more bitter, and is designed to be added to baked goods, lattes, and ice cream.
For this recipe, we recommend culinary grade matcha because it's less expensive and has a delicious matcha flavor.
Ingredients
- Bananas - The bananas should be very ripe and beginning to turn brown. The riper the bananas, the sweeter the Nice Cream will be because of the natural sugar produced in ripe bananas.
- Matcha Powder - Matcha is green tea leaves with a distinct earthy, sweet flavor. It comes in a variety of grades for cooking and drinking.
- Dairy-Free Milk - Use a milk of your choice to help smooth the ingredients in the blender. Almond, soy, oat, or coconut milk are great options.
- Honey or agave - Adds a floral and sweet accent to the ice cream.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- Chocolate matcha nice cream - If you want to add chocolate to the recipe, add semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips for extra chocolate flavor. You can also add a drizzle of chocolate sauce or fudge for a decadent chocolate twist.
- Skillet cookie - Enjoy this matcha tea nice cream recipe with a warm chocolate chip skillet cookie.
- Pistachio - Top the ice cream with roasted pistachios for a nice crunch.
- Vanilla Extract - Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract to enhance the sweetness of the nice cream and add vanilla flavor.
- Kid-friendly - Add toppings like fudge, sprinkles, whipped cream, etc. to make this recipe kid friendly.
- Healthy Toppings - Add healthy toppings like sliced strawberries or coconut flakes.
Instructions for Matcha Nicecream
- Prepare bananas - Peel and slice ripe bananas into ½-inch pieces. Place the banana slices on a baking sheet or plate and freeze for at least 2 hours.
- Blend the ingredients - Add the frozen bananas to the blender carafe. Add matcha powder, honey, and 2 tablespoons of dairy-free milk. Blend the ingredients on high for 1-2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the blender to incorporate all of the ingredients. If the bananas get stuck in the blender add more dairy-free milk one tablespoon at a time.
- Serve or store - Once the mixture is blended and smooth, the mixture will be thick and creamy. Eat immediately or put in an air tight container and store in the freezer.
Pro tip - Cut the bananas into half inch chunks (or even slightly smaller) so they are easy to blend and don't get stuck. Use a spoon or silicone baking spatula to scrape the sides to incorporate all of the banana chunks.
Recipes FAQs
You can use any grade of matcha for this ice cream, but culinary is the most economical and offers a rich matcha flavor.Â
Yes, matcha ice cream does contain some caffeine because matcha naturally contains caffeine. This recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of matcha powder, which contains approximately 64 milligrams of caffeine, divided by 4 servings.Â
You can buy matcha at Japanese markets, like Mitsuwa or Nijiya, some common chain grocery stores, and online retailers, including Matcha Bloom (use code KAT for 10% off).
Equipment
You don't need an ice cream maker to make this healthy gluten free ice cream, you just need a food processor or blender. Our Vitamix is our tried true blender and we highly recommend this blender if you want to upgrade! It is an incredibly powerful machine and blends nice cream, smoothies, soups, and sauces effortlessly.
In order to make this soft serve matcha nicecream recipe, you will also need a measuring spoons, knife, and cutting board.
Storage
Store this homemade matcha tea nice cream in an air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When you want to enjoy the ice cream again, let it soften for a few minutes before serving.
Top tips
- If you want thicker matcha nicecream, put it in the freezer immediately after you finish blending it and wait 30 minutes. This will make the nice cream extra thick.
- If your blender has trouble and the bananas get stuck, add more dairy-free milk one tablespoon at a time.
- To enjoy immediately, use chilled dairy-free milk. This will help keep the bananas frozen when blended.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Matcha Ice Cream (Nice Cream)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Matcha powder
- 2 teaspoon Honey or agave
- 4 Ripe bananas sliced into ½-inch pieces and frozen
- 2-4 tablespoon Non-dairy milk chilled
Instructions
- Peel and slice ripe bananas into ½-inch pieces. Place the banana slices on a baking sheet or plate and freeze for at least 2 hours.4 Ripe bananas
- Once the bananas are frozen, put them in a blender carafe. Add matcha powder, honey, and 2 tablespoons of dairy-free milk. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until smooth and scrape the sides of the blender so all of the ingredients are incorporated. If the bananas get stuck in the blender add more dairy-free milk one tablespoon at a time.1 teaspoon Matcha powder, 2 teaspoon Honey, 2-4 tablespoon Non-dairy milk
- Once the mixture is blended and smooth, the mixture will be thick and creamy. Eat immediately or put in an air tight container and store in the freezer.
Notes
- Store leftover ice cream in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 1 week. When you want to enjoy the ice cream again, let it soften for a few minutes before serving.
- For a thicker matcha nicecream, put it in the freezer immediately after you finish blending it and wait 30 minutes. This will make the nice cream extra thick.
- If the bananas get stuck in your blender, add more dairy-free milk one tablespoon at a time.
- To enjoy immediately, use chilled dairy-free milk. This will help keep the bananas frozen when blended.
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