My friends introduced me to the wonders of Ben & Jerry’s in high school. It’s a sundae in a container! A typical Friday night before we had licenses was walking to the nearest 7-11 and each of us pick out a flavor before heading over to Blockbuster to rent that night’s movie. Needless to say it took longer for 6 girls to agree on a 90s teen flick than each of us pick out a B&J pint. Of course the thought of putting away a half-eaten container was just silly. Thank goodness for hours of cheerleading in high school to combat those calories!
In college, I was introduced to a new world of ice cream. Penn State is famous for its creamery. Not only did my friends Ben & Jerry learn to make ice cream at Penn State, but Mr Rodgers even came and did a segment about making ice cream. Yes, it’s been featured on Food Network too, but seriously, Mr Rodgers was way more exciting. Penn State creamery ice cream is unlike anything you’ve ever had, mainly because it’s made from milk, cream, and sugar. The way ice cream is supposed to be made. The rumor at school was that the ice cream can only be sold on campus because “the FDA won’t approve the fat content”. Truth is, the creamery wants to maintain the integrity of their ice cream by not adding preservatives for longer shelf life. Now whenever I go back for a visit, Mr E and I get a few containers packed in ice for the 4+ hour car ride home. Seriously, if you ever get a chance to be at the greatest university in the world, don’t miss out on their ice cream.
Mandy & Mr E Top Ice Cream Spots at the Jersey Shore:
- Hoffmans (Point Pleasant, Spring Lake, Little Silver, and Long Branch) – the OG homemade ice cream shop. Their Fudge Mint Cookie is award-winning!
- Cookman Creamery (Asbury Park) – a relative newcomer to the Jersey Shore ice cream scene, their unique flavors and large vegan selection make it a hit among hipsters, yogis, and Mr E and myself. Thunder Road is a fave in our house.
- Beach Plum (Bradley Beach) – great local ice cream shack making the classics and doing them well. Pralines & Cream is my go-to.
- Ryan’s Ice Cream (Shrewsbury) – my mom continues to drive 30 minutes each way with coolers full of ice packs to get containers of their Black Raspberry Chocolate Bombe
Check out these Nice Cream recipes created by fellow dietitians, and tell me what you think:
Chocolately
Banana Fudge Vegan Ice Cream from Nutrition Starring You
Caramel Chocolate Chip from Nutrition by Nazima
Chocolate Banana Nice Cream from Amy Gorin Nutrition
Salted Chocolate Chip Banana “Ice Cream” from C it Nutritionally


Fruity
Cantaloupe Banana Nice Cream with Pistachios from Amy Gorin Nutrition
Mango Coconut Soft Serve from Liz’s Healthy Table
Pumpkin Nice Cream from Food, Pleasure & Health
Strawberry Banana Nice Cream Hearts from Emily Kyle Nutrition
Vegan Blueberry Banana Soft Serve from Halsa Nutrition


Peanut Buttery
Creamy Chocolate Peanut Butter “Ice Cream” from Better is the New Perfect
Peanut Butter Banana “Ice Cream” Sandwiches from How to Eat


Funky
Cold Brew Froyo from Food, Pleasure & Health
Peanut Butter, Banana and Dark Chocolate Frozen Truffles from Tasty Balance Nutrition
Are you an ice cream fan as well?
Where is your go-to spot?
Do you do Ice Cream Date Nights?
Give these Nice Cream recipes a shot and leave some love for myself as well as the creators!
DISCLAIMER: All opinions are my own and are not influenced or biased by any third parties. I am not compensated for mentioning any specific brands or retailers on this blog.
Thank you for including my nice cream recipe!
Of course – it’s awesome!
I’m ready to dive into every single one of these recipes!
Me too!!!!!!
This post makes me starving for ice cream. So many great ideas!
I know – I love how creative my colleagues are!
This is a really fun post. You cover all the ice cream bases.
Especially as long as chocolate & peanut butter are represented!
These all sound amazing! Can’t wait to try them!!
Me too!
I want all of these RIGHT NOW! 😉 We are big ice cream and fro yo fans in our house. Do you ever go to those fro yo places where you can add all the toppings? Man, those places are deceiving. I load up on toppings then get up to the counter and it’s like “OK, that’ll be $27 for your yogurt” 😉
Chrissy – I’ve actually NEVER been to a Pinkberry or Top It type fro-yo place. For me it’s all about the quality of the ice cream, and I’ve never heard anyone rave about the ice cream/fro yo at those places. Plus I equate the DIY toppings to when I go to the salad bar at Whole Foods – I try to casually try a little of everything and then go into sticker shock when I get rung up (“I didn’t think it was THAT much stuff…”)
Thanks so much for including my Nice Cream Hearts!
How could I not – they’re so stinking cute!!!!!!