Fresh Cantaloupe Berry Nice Cream

This dessert has a strong cantaloupe flavor. The berries take over the color, though! Cantaloupe is a great source of beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A, and potassium. This article from the Maine Cooperative Extension explains more about how to select a cantaloupe. I can have trouble waiting a few days for them to get juicier.

You don’t need an ice cream maker to make delicious homemade frozen desserts like cantaloupe berry nice cream and sorbet. Just blend your fruit and other ingredients in a food processor: see the details below,

Nice cream is a fruit-based pureed frozen dessert, made without cream – and with no or very little sugar. For this recipe, I used a little light coconut milk. This adds creaminess and flavor, without too much saturated fat – just a little with 0.8gm. per serving. In the can of coconut milk, the cream floats on the surface. I mixed it all together with a whisk before measuring. And as I used very ripe fruit, there was no need for added sugar. You could add a little agave nectar or maple syrup if you feel the fruit mixture isn’t sweet enough.

• Cantaloupe
• Pineapple – I used fresh pineapple. Canned pineapple in water juice should work as well.
• Blackberries – fresh or frozen
• Blueberries – fresh or frozen
• Light coconut milk
• Lime juice – I prefer fresh for the flavor, but you could use bottled lime juice instead

Choose ripe fruit. Cut the cantaloupe and pineapple into small chunks of about 3/4 to 1 inch each.

Freeze the fruit on a piece of parchment paper on a baking tray for about a half hour. Make sure the pieces are separated.

Puree fruit in a food processor until smooth. This took about 30 seconds. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl and process a little more. I actually tried it in a blender at first this time, BUT, there was no way this was blending: there is just not enough liquid.

Then, transfer the mixture into a loaf pan. You can line it with parchment paper. I use a nonstick loaf pan and skip this step. Freeze the nice cream for at least an hour, unless you plan on eating it very soon.

Defrost it before you serve it. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, it may need to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour until it is scoopable.

Store your cantaloupe berry nice cream in the freezer in a covered container so it doesn’t take on any off-flavors. Since this is fresh fruit, use it within a week for the best quality.

You could make this with ripe mango, peaches, bananas, or strawberries, too.

The blackberries do have a few little seeds in them. If that bothers you, just smush them through a sieve before freezing to strain them out.

I think this would be great with crumbled gingersnaps or graham crackers in it!

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Check this post about Vegetarian Meals for Beginners for ideas from around the globe.

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