High-speed blender

Blend frozen fruit into creamy “nice cream” or a quick sorbet. No machine to plan for, often no added sugar — but it has to be eaten straight away.

A high-speed blender or food processor can turn frozen fruit into a creamy dessert in a few minutes. The best known is nice cream — “ice cream” made from frozen bananas, with no cream and often no added sugar. You can make sorbet from frozen fruit just as quickly. It is not classic ice cream, but it is an excellent quick alternative if you do not have an ice cream maker or want a lighter dessert.

How it works

An ice cream maker freezes the base while churning it. A blender does the opposite: the ingredients are already frozen, and the blades crush them into a smooth mass. Bananas give the creamiest result — blended frozen slices form a mass that resembles soft ice cream. Other fruit (strawberries, mango, raspberries) makes something closer to sorbet.

Because the mixture warms up rather than cools during blending, the result is soft and melts quickly. That is why it is served straight away.

Step by step

1. Prepare the fruit. Peel the bananas and slice them into rounds; cut other fruit into small pieces. The smaller the pieces, the easier they are to blend.
2. Freeze it. Spread the pieces out side by side on a plate or tray lined with baking paper so they do not stick together into one block. Freeze for several hours, ideally overnight. You can then store the frozen pieces in a bag.
3. Blend. Put the frozen pieces in the blender or food processor. Blend in short bursts and push the mixture down with the tamper, or with a spatula while the machine is off. At first the fruit crumbles, then it turns into a smooth cream.
4. Adjust. If the blender cannot get going, add a spoonful of milk, yogurt or juice — only as much as is absolutely necessary.
5. Serve straight away, or return the mixture to the freezer for a short while so it firms up a little.

The blending itself takes a few minutes. The total time depends on whether you already have fruit frozen in advance.

Capacity and the result

The quantity is limited by the size of the blender jug and its power. In practice it is worth making a few portions at a time — more frozen fruit is harder to blend, and longer blending needlessly warms the mixture.

We did not find the temperature or overrun of nice cream in a reliable source. In principle, though, it contains very little air and is as soft as fresh ice cream from a machine. The consistency resembles soft serve, and it melts quickly.

A blender is best for sorbet and its fruit variations. You cannot make classic cream ice cream, custard or gelato this way — they need a base that freezes while being churned.

Try banana nice cream, cocoa banana nice cream, quick sorbet from frozen fruit or mango sorbet with no added sugar.

A blender and a CREAMi are not the same

The reverse is also true: a CREAMi recipe is not a blender recipe. A blender needs frozen pieces, not a hard block.

How to adapt a recipe

• Ripe fruit is sweeter, so there is no need to add sugar. Frozen fruit tastes less sweet than fresh.
• As little liquid as possible. Every extra spoonful turns the dessert into a smoothie.
• Flavour comes from cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, a spoonful of nut butter or a little lemon juice.
• For a creamier version, add a little yogurt or skyr.
• For a firmer consistency, briefly return the mixture to the freezer after blending. Frozen for long, however, it sets rock-hard — this is not ice cream for storing.

Maintenance and hygiene

Wash the blender straight after use, before the remnants dry on. Rinse the jug with warm water; with most blenders, a short blend with water and a drop of washing-up liquid helps. Mind the blades when washing by hand. Wash the fruit before freezing and cut it on a clean board.

Typical mistakes

• A weak blender — it cannot cope, and when you add more liquid you end up with a smoothie.
• Large pieces of fruit — the blender cannot break them down and the motor strains needlessly.
• Fruit frozen in one block — it cannot be blended until it softens a little.
• Blending too long — the mixture warms up and turns runny.
• An overloaded motor — with a very thick mixture, stop the blender and let it rest.

What to look for when buying

You do not need a special appliance — use the blender you already have. If you are choosing one with frozen desserts in mind, though, these are useful:

• a high-speed countertop blender with a tamper, which you use to push the mixture towards the blades while it runs,
• or a food processor with a wide bowl, in which the mixture is easy to scrape down,
• sturdy blades and a powerful enough motor.

We have not checked specific models or prices for this category.

Safety

Blender blades are sharp. Only push the mixture down with the tamper designed for this, never with a spoon or your hand while the blender is running. With a food processor, always stop the machine before scraping down. With children, you operate the blender, and do not leave it plugged in unattended.