Homemade Reese’s Dairy Queen Blizzard
Today we are making a Homemade Reese’s Dairy Queen Blizzard! This vegan ice cream treat is inspired by Dairy Queen’s Reeses Pieces Blizzard, which DQ describes as Milk Chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups blended with creamy DQ®soft serve to Blizzard® perfection. As a child going to DQ all the time, I recall a few favorite flavors that would be on repeat would were the Oreo Blizzard with chunks of Oreo cookies, and the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard with chunks of edible cookie dough. They would constantly have new blizzards on the menu, and every time my eyes boggled at all the delicious combinations of ice cream. Sign me up for one of each, please!
But blizzards weren’t vegan, and over time I stopped making frequent trips to this fast food chain. Eventually, I started making copycat, healthier recipes at home! This is a fun recipe that you can make with ingredients you may already have in your pantry, and it’s a healthier option as compared to getting store-bought ice cream for the summer.
So to make your own blizzard, you’ll be using a creamy frozen banana base (serving as the vanilla ice cream) combined with peanut butter, then crunchy pieces of peanuts and chocolate chips hidden within. It’s not exactly a Reeses Pieces cup, but the chocolate & peanut butter combination in any form can’t be beat! Plus, frozen bananas become so thick once blended that you can tip your cup upside down (or so I have done many times) and the ice cream won’t fall out of the blender cup because of how thick it is.
Upside Down or Free
Dairy Queen fans will remember every child’s favorite thing about Dairy Queen’s blizzards, that you may have seen in commercials as well – their “Upside Down or Free” campaign where the Dairy Queen employee has to flip the Blizzard upside down in front of you, or you will get a coupon for a free one! The first time I realized frozen bananas could make a soft serve ice cream so creamy it could pass the Upside Down test, I was hooked. Trust me on this one and try it out for yourself!
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Reese’s Dairy Queen Blizzard
Raw Vegan Blizzard: This homemade blizzard is vegan and can easily be made raw by using only raw peanuts instead of roasted, and cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips. The vanilla extract can be omitted or substituted with a freshly scraped vanilla bean too. All the other main items are simple ingredients that are fruits or nut-based. It’s the best way to enjoy ice cream while also getting in vitamins, minerals and healthy fats!
No Sugar Added: This recipe does not contain any extra sugar, as blizzards are usually full of sweetener, like corn syrup! Ripe bananas contain plenty of natural sweetness, but you can also add dates if you want to increase the sugar.
Minimal Equipment: Making cool treats for the summer has never been easier – with just one blender, you can whip up this Blizzard easily. No need to chill and churn your mixture using an ice cream maker!
Substitutions
Frozen Bananas: Peel and chop fully ripe bananas the day before. Place these in a freezer-safe container or a Ziploc bag. Then freeze them overnight so they are ready to use for the next day. Do not substitute with another fruit, as bananas provide creaminess due to their low water content when frozen.
Peanuts: Use raw peanuts to avoid extra oils, or use roasted peanuts for more flavor (albeit having extra oils to roast the peanuts in). I used roasted peanuts for this recipe, because it adds an extra-nutty flavor. You can even use raw peanuts and lightly toast them in a small saucepan for 1-2 minutes on low heat to bring out more flavor.
Chocolate Chips: Use vegan semi-sweet or dark chocolate, either as chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. Make sure to check the ingredient label to make sure the chocolate does not contain any animal products. For example, some chocolate contains milk or milk powder, and is not vegan.
For a raw and sugar-free version, use cacao nibs. These raw nibs are where chocolate comes from, which in turn come from the cacao bean. They are like raw “chocolate chips.”
Peanut Butter: For best results, use natural peanut butter, where the only ingredient on the label is peanuts! This type of peanut butter is usually next to the regular peanut butter in the aisle with sandwich spreads. It may also be in the natural foods aisle with alternative nut butters, like almond butter or sunflower seed butter.
Commonly used peanut butter usually contains added sugars and oils, which can work in this recipe but will not be the best option. You will also need to omit the additional pink salt if the peanut butter already contains some.
Homemade Reese’s Dairy Queen Blizzard Notes
- Top this blizzard with more chocolate, peanuts and vegan whipped cream for a deluxe soft serve experience!
- Use a high-speed blender or food processor with a very sharp blade that blends well. If the ice cream is not blending easily, add in a splash of vegan milk (eg. cashew milk, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk) to allow it to blend easier. Or, thaw the bananas for a half hour at room temperature before using.
More Ice Cream Recipes You’ll Love
If you make this Homemade Reese’s Dairy Queen Blizzard, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
Homemade Reese’s Dairy Queen Blizzard
Equipment
- High-speed blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 2 medium frozen bananas peeled and chopped
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts or raw for a raw recipe
- 3 tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp semisweet vegan chocolate chips
- ⅛ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch pink salt
- splash plant-based milk as needed
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients in a high-speed food processor, except the chocolate chips and peanuts.
- Once a soft serve ice cream consistency is formed, add in the chocolate and peanuts, and pulse the blender a few times to break them up into small pieces.
- Use a rubber spatula to scoop the ice cream out of the blender and into two serving cups.
- Top with any desired additional ice cream sundae toppings, then enjoy!
