Although I try to live by the saying. “Eat to Live, don’t Live to Eat.” There are times I need to feed my cravings and eat something that is not necessarily the healthiest (and that is OKAY! Everything in moderation). My guilty pleasure is ice cream. I need to have a cone at least once during the summer and usually find myself cuddled up by the fire with a bowl of ice cream around the holidays. My go to is peanut butter cup flavored ANYTHING. If there is chocolate and peanut butter involved, count me in! Culvers is one of my favorite places to go for a sweet treat on a hot summer night – one of their famous Concrete Mixers with vanilla custard and Reese’s cannot be beat! At least that is what I thought until I saw the calorie count… Obviously calories aren’t everything but when you are looking at 1,050 calories for a Regular Vanilla Concrete Mixer with Reese’s, they kind of are everything! For most people 1,050 calories is a HUGE chunk of their daily intake (and that is just one sitting!)
I was determined to find a new way that I could enjoy my favorite ice cream treat without overloading on the calories and sugar. The solution is my favorite NICE Cream alternative. NICE Cream is made with ingredients that are nice to our bodies and our health. This sweet treat can be enjoyed guilt free and with a serving calorie count at 351 calories you can’t go wrong! The recipe will make four servings.
Ingredients:
- 4 bananas (sliced into coins)
- 1/2 cup Almond or Coconut milk (depending on preference)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted to liquid form)
- Pinch of salt
- 4 peanut butter cups (chopped into smaller pieces)
Directions:
- Mix the cocoa powder and coconut oil together. Add the banana, almond milk, cocoa powder/coconut oil mixture and salt to blender and mix until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter cup pieces and transfer to a 9×5 pan.
- Cover and place in the freezer until mixture becomes solid.
- Microwave for 30 seconds before serving to soften the NICE Cream. Scoop it out and enjoy!
Let’s do a side by side comparison between the two.
| Nutrition Facts: | Concrete Mixer | NICE Cream |
| Total Fat (g): | 62 | 21.5 |
| Saturated Fat (g): | 34 | 14.6 |
| Trans Fat (g): | 1.5 | 0 |
| Cholesterol (mg): | 290 | 2 |
| Sodium (mg): | 410 | 126.6 |
| Carbohydrates (g): | 109 | 41.4 |
| Dietary Fiber (g): | 2 | 6.1 |
| Sugar (g): | 95 | 10.9 |
| Protein (g): | 19 | 3.5 |
| Total Calories: | 1,050 | 351 |
Here is a little secret, I still love Concrete Mixers and get one each summer, but with my recipe I feel like I can enjoy my favorite treat more than just once a year!
Enjoy 🙂