Healthy Ice Cream Recipes for Children

Who doesn't feel like eating ice cream during the summer? In this article, discover healthy ice cream recipes for children!

Written and verified by the nutritionist Silvia Zaragoza.

Last update: 27 December, 2022

When summer arrives, the warm weather and long afternoons make us crave something cool and refreshing. That’s why we’ve put together this list of healthy ice cream recipes that you can make at home along with your children.

If you’re wondering whether ice cream can be healthy and looking for great recipes to try at home, keep reading.

What does ice cream provide?

It depends on whether the ice cream is creamy or if you’re eating a popsicle instead. Creamy ice cream is made with milk and cream, which is what gives it its characteristic texture. Therefore, it’s a good source of calcium, protein, and fat. In addition, to make it, people add sugar that, along with the cream, increase its caloric content. Therefore, you should consume it only occasionally, since it contributes to excess weight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

Instead, popsicles contain vitamins and minerals that come from fruit juices. Thus, they contain fewer calories and are healthier. In either case, our advice is to make them yourself with the help of your children!

How to make healthy ice cream recipes for children

The main ingredient is fruit, especially those whose texture is creamier and that provides a neutral flavor, such as banana, apricot, or mango. You can add other fruits along with the ones we mentioned. However, remember to choose those that don’t contain a lot of water.

Therefore, choose between berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries), kiwi, pineapple, medlars, and cherries. We don’t recommend melon and watermelon. If the fruit doesn’t make the ice cream sweet enough, opt for dates, raisins, prunes, or dried apricots.

Also, if you want it to be as similar to commercial ice creams, quality fats, such as Greek yogurt, avocado, or peanut butter without added sugar, will make it creamier.

To finish, decorate it and give it more flavor with toppings such as unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon, chopped nuts, 70-80% pure chocolate, or seeds.

Healthy ice cream recipes for children

Chocolate and almond ice cream

Ingredients

• 1 ripe banana
• 1-2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2-3 ounces of 70-75% dark chocolate
• Chopped almonds

Instructions

1. Firstly, peel and slice the banana. Put it in a bag and freeze it for at least two to three days.
2. Next, blend the banana with the cocoa until you get a creamy and homogeneous texture.
3. Add the almonds and mix it with the help of the spatula.
4. Pour the mixture into a baking tin (if possible with a stick) and put it in the freezer again.
5. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Make sure it doesn’t burn.
6. Finally, unmold the ice cream and pour the chocolate on top.
7. Garnish with almonds.

Strawberry ice cream

Ingredients

• 6 strawberries
• Half a Greek yogurt with no added sugar.
• 1 or 2 dates

Instructions

1. Wash the strawberries, remove the leaves, cut them, and freeze them.
2. Soak the dates.
3. Blend all the ingredients.
4. Pour the mixture into a bowl and make a ball with it.

Orange and apricot popsicle

Ingredients

• 1 orange
• 4-5 apricots

Instructions

1. Wash and deseed the apricots.
2. Cut the orange in half and squeeze it.
3. Blend the juice and apricots.
4. Pour the mixture into a mold and freeze it.
5. Once frozen, unmold and enjoy.

Happy summer! And remember that this is a different way for your children to eat fruit. Also, if you allow your children to help you make these healthy ice cream recipes, you’ll see they’ll be really excited to try them out!