chocolate nice cream in a glass.

My Curated Tastes is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

When you see zucchini, I’m pretty sure the last thing you think of making is ice cream, right?  Not in a million years would I think of making ice cream with zucchini, nor would I have thought I’d like it.  Well, when the recipe came up at a recent WW meeting (Weight Watchers Meeting for those that don’t know the insider term), I couldn’t resist volunteering to make it.  Really, if someone thought it was a good idea, who was I to rain on their parade.  Besides, I like a challenge, and my curiosity got the best of me.  I’m not always a big fan of their recipes, and have my own well tested tried and true WW-friendly recipe guide that I recommend you check out. But, I jumped in on this one and made a couple of tweaks. The original recipe called for maple syrup and while you can definitely use that, I went with a sugar-free option to save points and calories.  The result is this chocolate “nice” cream recipe.  You aren’t going to believe this, but it is pretty good.  And for 1 point for a 3/4 cup serving, it is a bargain in the WW world.  For everyone else, there is no added sugar, it’s dairy free and a great stand-in for regular chocolate ice cream.  And if “nice cream” is your thing (it will be soon), don’t miss my Pistachio Cottage Cheese Nice Cream for Two – it packs a whopping 16-grams of protein in every serving!

Save

Want to share this infographic?

Download the Image Now or Copy and Paste the code below!

Ingredients in my chocolate nice cream

There are only a handful of ingredients in this recipe and unsweetened cocoa powder is one of them.  Use a good quality cocoa, Hershey’s can be found in every store’s baking aisle and I really like this rich, dark cocoa powder from Valrhona.

Zucchini should be fresh (simple enough). DON’T BE FRIGHTENED…I couldn’t believe it either, but it works!

Use pure vanilla extract (not the imitation, please).

I only had plain unsweetened almond milk on hand when I made this, but you could use the unsweetened vanilla almond milk too.  Both work just fine.

As I mentioned, the recipe originally called for maple syrup and that is a great choice for sweetening this nice cream.  Since I wanted to eliminate the sugar completely, I opted for a sugar-free maple syrup that I buy at my grocery store and use on my pancakes and in recipes when it calls for maple syrup.  I think the taste is great and there are very few calories (5 per two tablespoons).

You’ll also add a little salt but that’s it.  When this gets blended up, it turns into this creamy, sorbet like mixture that is chocolatey and pretty darn good.  So easy.

How to make chocolate nice cream with zucchini

Making this is a piece of cake (or should I say a scoop of ice cream?).  You just have to prep your zucchini before pulling this together.  You have options.  You can cut the zucchini into small chunks, spiralize the zucchini with one of those spiralizers or shred it using a box grater or the attachment for your food processor (my choice since it took 30 seconds).  Spread the cut or shredded zucchini on a baking sheet and put in the freezer for 2-3 hours to freeze.  (You can do it overnight if you have the time.)

Once frozen, you are ready to make the nice cream.  Put everything in the blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

The consistency is like a sorbet…a little icy.  I really like that and when working with almond milk, that is the consistency I usually get.  You can see my recipes for Almond Milk Pistachio Ice Cream and Nutella Peanut Butter Ice Cream recipes for other “nice” creams made using almond milk.

This dessert is best eaten as soon as it is made OR put into a freezer safe container and frozen no more than 2 hours.  If you choose to freeze this longer, it gets rock hard and can take 30 minutes or more to thaw and it never really thaws evenly.  It never becomes scoopable (is that a word?) after it has been frozen hard.  So, I always make these almond milk nice creams and eat immediately or just semi-freeze for a couple of hours and then enjoy.

The flavor is a deep chocolate.  Be sure you taste it and if needed, add more syrup to sweeten it further.  This is just a taste preference.  Serve in an ice cream bowl, dish or martini glass.  Interesting in add-ins or toppings?  Read on.

chocolate nice cream being whipped in blender.

Chocolate nice cream add-ins

This nice cream welcomes add-ins like mini chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles and/or fruit.  Everyone loves a good chocolate chocolate chip ice cream, so throw in some chocolate chips (sugar-free or regular). Or serve this chocolate ice cream with chocolate chunks. Want more?  Drizzle with a sugar-free chocolate syrup (or the real thing – you decide).  If you have people that crave chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, then this is the way to go.

Obviously, you can also sprinkle all of that on top of your bowl of nice cream too.  Treat this like any other ice cream you make or enjoy.

The surprise here is that the texture is great for me, and you absolutely cannot taste zucchini.  You’d never even know it was in this recipe.  Can you imagine getting a serving of veggies from a dish of nice cream?  Every kid in your life (young and old) will love this.

chocolate nice cream in blender.

When I reported back to the WW group, it was with a positive review.  I’ve already made this a couple of times and really like it.  If you make it, tell me what you think.  Did you use maple syrup or the sugar-free syrup?  Let me know in the comments below.

chocolate nice cream in a container.

FAQ: Chocolate Nice Cream (Zucchini-Based)

Can you actually taste the zucchini in this chocolate nice cream?

No — you absolutely cannot taste the zucchini. This is the number one concern people have, and it’s also the biggest surprise. Zucchini has an extremely mild flavor that disappears entirely when blended with cocoa powder, vanilla, and almond milk. The cocoa is the dominant flavor, giving you a deep, rich chocolate taste. No one eating this would ever guess a vegetable is the base ingredient — which makes it a great way to sneak produce into a dessert kids will love. I’ve made this a dozen times and not one adult has ever suspected either!

What blender or equipment do I need to make this?

A standard countertop blender works well for this recipe. The key is making sure your zucchini is frozen solid before blending — this helps the blender process it smoothly without overheating the mixture. To prep the zucchini quickly, a food processor with a shredding attachment is the fastest method (done in about 30 seconds). If you don’t have a food processor, a box grater works fine too.

Do I need to peel the zucchini before freezing it?

No, peeling is optional. The skin on zucchini is thin and blends up completely smooth, so there’s no need to remove it. Leaving the peel on adds a small amount of extra fiber and gives the finished nice cream a very subtle greenish tint — but once cocoa powder is blended in, you won’t notice the color at all. Just remember to wash the zucchini first. (rinse well with cold water) If you prefer to peel it, go right ahead; it won’t affect the texture or flavor either way.

Can I use regular maple syrup instead of sugar-free syrup?

Yes, absolutely. The original WW recipe calls for regular maple syrup, and it works beautifully. Regular maple syrup also has an added benefit: the natural sugars help prevent the nice cream from freezing into a rock-hard block, keeping it slightly more scoopable after longer freezing. The sugar-free version is the choice here to keep it at 1 WW point per serving and eliminate added sugar — but if points aren’t a concern for you, real maple syrup adds a lovely depth of flavor and is a perfectly delicious swap.

How long can I store this chocolate nice cream, and why does it get so hard?

This nice cream is best eaten immediately after blending (soft-serve style) or frozen for no more than 2 hours for a scoopable consistency. Unlike traditional ice cream, which contains fat and stabilizers that keep it creamy, this recipe is made with almond milk — a very low-fat liquid — which causes it to freeze quite hard over time. If you freeze it longer than 2 hours, plan on letting it sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving. Even then, it may not return to a perfectly scoopable texture. NOTE: I only make and serve this immediately or in that two-hour window. This never thaws correctly if frozen longer than that – I don’t care what you read online and that’s the truth!

chocolate nice cream in a glass.

As you know, I make most of my recipes for two and lean into high-protein and WW-Friendly recipes too.  So, be sure to check out my cooking for two guide, which will give you all my tips for scaling your kitchen to two.  Then, don’t miss my WW-Friendly Desserts options collection – I’ve got some good ones in there too!

Looking for other frozen dessert options?  Try some of these:

Grated Frozen Peaches and Cream (for two)

Blood Orange Olive Oil on Ice Cream

Sugar Free Chocolate Protein Truffles

Raspberry and Pistachio Semifreddo

Creamy Cantaloupe Sorbet

Blender Berry Sorbet

No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream


chocolate nice cream in a glass.

Chocolate Nice Cream

This chocolate nice cream uses zucchini as its base but is sugar free and remarkably delicious.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 6 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine General
Servings 2 Served

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
 
 

  • 24 Oz. Zucchini, shredded, spiralized or cut into small chunks
  • 1 Cup Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • ½ Cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 Tbsp. Sugar-Free Maple syrup
  • 2 Tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
  • ½ Tsp. Kosher salt
  • ¼ Cup Sugar-free mini chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Shred, spiralize or cut the zucchini into small chunks. Place on a baking sheet covered in foil or parchment paper and freeze for two hours.
  • Once frozen, add the frozen zucchini and the rest of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Mix in chocolate chips if using.
  • Pour into a freeze safe container, smooth the top and cover. Freeze for at least 4 hours until scoopable. Alternatively, add to an ice cream machine and process until done. (Follow ice cream maker’s manufacturer’s instructions.)
  • Scoop into two bowls and enjoy.

Explore More with AI

Dietary Options Substitutions Scale Recipe Summary
Keyword dessert, healthier choice, ice cream
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!