It’s difficult for a vegan to buy ice cream at fast food restaurants or ice cream shops, so why not make one yourself? Here are my 5 ingredients vegan vanilla ice cream recipe!
Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream Ingredients
This ice cream is a cashew and coconut cream-based ice cream. The combination of the two flavors creates a delicious ice cream flavor without actually letting you taste either of the individual flavors. All the ingredients are important here, so I want to get into each of them:
- 1 Cup Cashews: cashews are the base of this ice cream, along with coconut milk. The two are combined to make the ultimate cashew milk that makes this the kind of ice cream that Gav scooped directly into his mouth from the container. I advise doing your best because you want the highest quality possible. Make your cashews soak all night. Utilize the highest caliber you can find.
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Bean Paste/Vanilla Bean Extract/A Vanilla Bean: For this recipe, I always use vanilla bean paste. What is a dessert without vanilla extract, I use the Nielsen Massey brand, which I go through alarming amounts of. A few vanilla beans or vanilla extract in equal amounts can also be used.
- 2 Cans Coconut Milk(two 13.4 ounce cans): I make full-fat coconut milk in cans. Interestingly, you don’t need to separate the liquids in this situation. Since I had to make a kind of cashew milk anyway, I decided to use the liquid from the canned coconut milk as the “water” of the cashew milk. It makes it even better, you don’t have to try to separate it, and you get amazing ice cream.
- 2/3 Cup Sugar: ⅔ cup goes a long way in this recipe. Use ½ cup if you prefer your ice cream with a little less sweetness. You can use brown sugar or white sugar in place of the regular cane sugar I used.
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt: a pinch of sea salt always acts as a flavor enhancer, and balances the sweetness.
Instructions
- Verify that the cashews have been thoroughly soaked. Also ensure your ice cream maker freezer base is in the freezer for at least 7 to 24 hours before (preferably 24 hours) . If you just keep it in your freezer, then it’s always ready!
- In a high-speed blender, blend the soaked cashews, coconut milk, vanilla bean paste, cane sugar and sea salt together until completely smooth, about 2-4 minutes on high speed depending on your blender. Feel free to blend for an extended period of time to make sure all the cashews are completely incorporated if you want to make sure it is completely smooth. Blend until the desired smoothness is achieved, even if that requires more time.
- The mixture should be poured into a bowl or other container or left in the blender and covered. While blending, the mixture can occasionally become warm. If you don’t want to make ice cream right away, store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in the coldest part for 4 hours.
- Eject from the refrigerator. Then, after setting up your ice cream maker and adding the freezer base, the ice cream mixture, pour it into the device. Prepare for a churning time of 20 to 25 minutes according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The mixture needs to be smooth and thick. If you’re not using an ice cream maker, check out my chocolate avocado post for no-churn instructions.
- Smooth the soft serve ice cream into the pan you’ve chosen (I use a loaf pan). Wrap the outside of the pan as well after placing plastic wrap, a reusable wrap, parchment paper, or wax paper flat against the ice cream. To keep ice crystals from harming it, make sure everything is shielded. Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours, or even overnight, if you’d like. It’s also immediately gratifying, similar to soft serve!
- After at least 4 hours in the freezer, remove container from freezer and allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes on the counter (like you would store-bought ice cream). Serve and eat the scoop!
Ice Cream Making Tips & FAQ
- I made this recipe in an ice cream maker. Make sure your ice cream maker base is prepared! Although it might be alluring to cut this time in half, it’s essential to get the mixture cold enough to transform it into ice cream. My base is simply kept in the freezer, so it is always ready.
- Utilizing full-fat coconut milk is crucial. Don’t use lite. Also remember we are using the full can of coconut milk. Moreover, coconut milk powder should not be substituted. It isn’t creamy enough and will result in icy ice cream.
- Don’t hurry the process of chilling your ice cream base (the actual mixture). I made it after 10 minutes in the freezer, and after a few hours in the fridge and after whole night in the fridge. The last two were much creamier, froze in the ice cream maker much quicker, and were much simpler to scoop. I strongly advise chilling the cashew cream for the appropriate amount of time.
- If you live somewhere hot, like I do, I suggest doing this in the coolest part of your home or, if you have one, turning on your air conditioning. Thus, the mixture will properly solidify.
- Always cover your finished ice cream according to the recipe, or else ice crystals will form inside of it and cause some small ice chunks.
- Follow my advice for the best texture if you’re not using an ice cream maker when making my chocolate avocado ice cream.
