Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: ice cream

  • Vegan Lavender Almond Raspberry Ice Cream

    Vegan Lavender Almond Raspberry Ice Cream

    I love making my own home made ice cream! It’s so fun to just think of a flavor and then be able to make it and put into it whatever you want at the time! Since we are still in prime hot weather ice cream season, I decided to whip up a batch last weekend! The flavor I decided on was a Vegan Lavender Almond Raspberry Ice Cream!

    For the base I used full fat coconut milk with almond butter to make it rich and delicious. I added in dates to sweeten it this time and a touch of vanilla and sea salt. I like the dates because I don’t always want to use regular sugar and they make it sweet without adding extra moisture (which would happen if I used a liquid sweetener). You just need a powerful blender with the dates like a Vitamix to get them really well blended.

    I added lavender along with the other base ingredients. I love adding lavender to desserts lately, just a little. It is so fragrant and heavenly! After the ice cream was done churning, as I layered it into the container I added a sweet raspberry jam swirl!

    This ice cream was so heavenly! Rich, creamy and delicious, scented with vanilla, almonds and lavender which was perfect paired with the jammy raspberry swirl! If you are looking for a heavenly home made ice cream, definitely give this Vegan Lavender Almond Raspberry Ice Cream a try!

    Vegan Lavender Almond Raspberry Ice Cream
    Makes 3 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups full fat coconut milk
    • 2/3 cup smooth almond butter
    • 1 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 Tbsp dried lavender flowers
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Swirl:

    • 3/4 cup raspberry jam

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine the coconut milk, almond butter, 1 cup dates, vanilla, lavender and sea salt in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    3. Spoon 1/3 into a freezer safe container with a lid, then drop 1/3 of the raspberry jam over that by the Tbsp.  Then pour the other 1/3 of the ice cream over that, then half the remaining jam, then the rest of the ice cream and rest of the jam and swirl with a knife.  Place the lid on and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Vegan Key Lime Pie Raspberry Ice Cream

    Vegan Key Lime Pie Raspberry Ice Cream

    We are almost into summer and it’s been pretty warm here the last few weeks, so I am definitely craving ice cream! I could just go buy some vegan ice cream at the store, but I really enjoy making my own unique flavors. Last weekend I was thinking something citrusy sounded good, so I made some Vegan Key Lime Pie Raspberry Ice Cream!

    It was easy to make and so delicious! Getting your own ice cream maker is a really good investment if you are an ice cream lover! Then you can make your own fun flavors! For the base in this one to make it really creamy I used coconut milk and avocado as the base.

    I added in plenty of lime juice and zest to give it just the right of tartness, and used dates to sweeten it. Also just a touch of vanilla. Lastly some spinach for color (you could also use natural green food coloring). Once it was churned to creamy perfection I layered and swirled it with raspberry jam.

    It was so heavenly! Like rich key lime pie, a balanced tart sweet flavor and sweet jammy raspberries! This is perfect for summer! If you are in the mood for some ice cream definitely give this Vegan Key Lime Pie Raspberry Ice Cream a try!

    Vegan Key Lime Pie Raspberry Ice Cream
    Makes about 4 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat coconut milk
    • 2 medium avocados, seeds and skin removed
    • 3/4 cup soft pitted dates
    • 1/4 cup lime juice
    • 2 Tbsp lime zest
    • 1 handful spinach
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup raspberry jam

     

    Instructions:

    In a blender combine everything but the raspberry jam and blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions until thick and the consistency of soft serve. Alternatively if you don’t own an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl
    And put it in the freezer, whisking it every so often until it is thick.
    Pour 1/3 into a freezer proof container, top with some of the jam, swirl it with a knife, then half the remaining ice cream, then more jam then the rest of the ice cream and swirl with a knife. Put the lid on and freeze until a little more firm and scoop-able, a few hours.
    Enjoy! If it becomes too firm let it sit out 15 minutes before scooping.
    Keeps for 4 months in the freezer.

     

  • Vegan Maple Pecan Ice Cream

    Vegan Maple Pecan Ice Cream

    It might be almost fall, but I am still completely in the mood for ice cream!  It is still hot here after all, and I love ice cream year round even if it wasn’t.  I decided last weekend I wanted to make some of my own home made ice cream, because it sounded good and I wanted some to go with apple desserts, so I made some Vegan Maple Pecan Ice Cream.  It turned out super delicious so I had to share! 

    One thing about vegan ice creams that can be off putting is how hard they get in the freezer, but I like to use a rich milk for the base.  For this one I used full fat coconut milk because I think it makes the best ice cream.  I blended it with pecan butter to give it more of a pecan flavor and gelato like texture.

    I added in both maple syrup and maple extract for the flavor, as well as vanilla and it smelled totally heavenly!  For the overall sweetener though, I used dates because they give it a caramel like flavor and don’t add a lot of moisture to the ice cream. I don’t want to add a lot of moisture because it creates ice crystals and that makes for hard ice cream.  But the dates keep it perfect and creamy!

    This ice cream turned out so heavenly and so delicious!  It is rich and creamy, sweet and the crunchy nutty pecans are the perfect add in!  It is so good by itself, or served with some warm apple pie or crisp!  I love fall desserts so much!  If you are in the mood for some delicious ice cream, definitely give this Vegan Maple Pecan Ice Cream a try soon!

    Vegan Maple Pecan Ice Cream

    Makes about 4 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 2 15 oz cans full fat coconut milk
    • 3/4 cup soft, pitted medjool dates
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple extract
    • 3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans, chopped lightly
    1. To make the ice cream, combine all ingredients but the pecans in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour it into an ice cream maker and process according to the directions. (If you do not have an ice cream maker, alternatively, you may pour it into a bowl, place in the freezer and whisk every half hour until it becomes the consistency of thick malt and proceed with the recipe).
    3. When it has finished, stir in the pecans, then pour into a freezer safe container with a lid and let chill and firm up a few hours more before serving.
    4. Enjoy!
  • Vegan Peach Almond Ice Cream

    Vegan Peach Almond Ice Cream

    I have been buying lots of peaches lately because they are amazing right now! I am mostly just eating them as is, but I was thinking of how delicious they would be in some ice cream as well!  It was hot and humid last week, so it was the perfect time to make and enjoy some! I still go outside when it is hot to run and go for walks and enjoy the sun, because it makes me happy despite the heat, but it is still nice to be able to come home to a cooling treat!  What I ended up making was a Vegan Peach Almond Ice Cream! I remember my Grandparents used to buy a peach frozen yogurt that I really liked when I was a kid that I would enjoy when I visited their house.  So I thought I could make something similar to that.  But I also decided to add the flavor of almonds as well, because I thought it would be lovely with the peaches!

    I used a coconut milk base, because I find that it makes the most luscious creamy ice cream, but I also added almond butter to it since this was peach almond ice cream, and it made it even more smooth and decadent.  I sweetened this ice cream with dates, because I like that they don’t add any access moisture to the ice cream (so that it doesn’t freeze as hard and is easier to scoop) and they give it a nice hint of caramel flavor.  I also added a bit of vanilla to this as well, fresh sweet ripe peaches of course to give it plenty of peach flavor.  And lastly a touch of almond extract because I think it makes things heavenly!

    This ice cream base was delicious even before freezing it and honestly I scraped every last bit of it out of the ice cream maker to enjoy! The texture of this is kind of similar to gelato.  If you do not own an ice cream maker, you can still make this it just requires a little extra hands on while it is freezing.  I have included a note on that in the directions.  That said, if you are on the fence about getting an ice cream maker you should totally buy one!  There are some inexpensive ones out there that work pretty well, and I find that I use mine quite a lot and rarely buy ice cream at the store anymore.

    This ice cream turned out so heavenly!  It was sweet and scented with peach, vanilla and almond, creamy textured and pretty easy to scoop!  It was the perfect summer treat on a hot day!  If you have a bunch of ripe peaches on hand, definitely give this Vegan Peach Almond Ice Cream a try!

    Vegan Peach Almond Ice Cream
    Makes 3 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups full fat coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup almond butter
    • 3/4 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh peaches, cut into pieces
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp almond extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    3. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Vegan Tahini Date Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

    Vegan Tahini Date Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

    Last week was definitely a week for ice cream!  It was hot and humid every day, and in the 90s and I felt like I was sweating all day from working out in the morning, being hot in the kitchen at work and driving home in a hot car.  So I decided some ice cream was needed to cool off and I made a batch!  I love making my own ice cream in the summer!  It is so fun creating new and exciting flavors!  This time I made some Vegan Tahini Date Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream!

    It was inspired by halva, one of my favorite sweet treats ever. I was thinking, what would it be like to turn the flavor of halva into ice cream…and then this is what resulted.  I made a creamy base, with coconut milk and sesame tahini (hence the halva) added a bit of vanilla and a pinch of sea salt, with dates to sweeten it and it honestly tasted like halva!  I love sweetening ice cream with dates because they don’t add a lot of excess moisture.  This was a super delicious base even before it was frozen.  I could have just left it like that, but I wanted some sweet chunks in this ice cream as well.  So I stirred in some dates and dark chocolate chips at the end.

    I knew it would be good, but let me tell you it was crave worthy good!  So good that my husband polished off the rest without me even knowing that I didn’t use for my photo shoot. I went back to get some more later and it was an almost empty container. He normally eats things like Ben and Jerry’s so although I wanted the rest of that ice cream I am somewhat flattered that he liked it that much and that he is eating something fruit sweetened. I will just have to make more ice cream!

    This ice cream is super delicious, creamy and rich like a gelato, with the flavor of sweet vanilla scented halva, with chunks of gooey caramelly dates throughout and decadent dark chocolate! If you are in the mood for some really good ice cream definitely give this Vegan Tahini Date Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream a try!

    Vegan Tahini Date Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
    Makes 3 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups full fat coconut milk
    • 2/3 cup tahini
    • 1 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Mix ins:

    • 1/2 cup chopped soft pitted medjool dates
    • 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chunks

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine the coconut milk,  tahini, 1 cup dates, vanilla and sea salt in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.  Stir in the chopped medjool dates and dark chocolate.
    3. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Vegan Chocolate Dipped Maple Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pops

    Vegan Chocolate Dipped Maple Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pops

    We have been all about the ice cream lately.  Why not, since it is the peak of summer!  I have been enjoying mostly the scoopable variety of ice cream.  But Eric bought some chocolate dipped peanut butter ice cream popsicles at the store, and they sounded so good that I decided to make my own, but upgraded! So I made some Vegan Chocolate Dipped Maple Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pops!

    First, I made a peanut butter ice cream base.  I used oat milk as the base this time, which is a variation from what I normally use, which is coconut milk.  But I did not have any coconut milk on hand at the moment.  What I did have was full fat oatmilk and it worked perfect for these!  I find that sometimes in ice cream pops the coconut milk makes them a little soft and hard to get out of the molds but these were just right.  I sweetened them with maple syrup and added a touch of maple extract and vanilla and they were perfect!  I also added a good amount of home made peanut butter, since they are peanut butter pops after all!

    Lastly once they were frozen, I dipped them in vegan dark chocolate, and sprinkled them with crunchy peanuts for a nice texture contrast.  These turned out super delicious and they were pretty easy to make!  The peanut butter ice cream was just the right amount of sweetness, and so heavenly with the vanilla and maple!  The dark chocolate was the perfect addition to it and the nice crunch of the peanuts made these so satisfying! If you are looking for a cool summer treat, definitely give these Vegan Chocolate Dipped Maple Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pops a try!  This is the sort of thing I will be enjoying to cool off the rest of the warm season!

    Vegan Chocolate Dipped Maple Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pops
    Makes 8

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups full fat oat milk
    • 3/4 cup unsweetened peanut butter
    • 1/2 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 2 cups vegan chocolate, chopped or chocolate chips
    • 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine the milk, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into a popsicle mold, my mold made about 8 pops, but yours may make more or less depending on the size.  Stick sticks into them and place in the freezer.
    3. When popsicles have frozen, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler until smooth.
    4. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
    5. Quickly dip each pop into the melted chocolate, then place on the tray and sprinkle with a little of the chopped peanuts. Repeat with remaining pops.
    6. Place in the freezer until completely frozen. Enjoy!

    These keep for up to 2 months in an air tight container in the freezer.

  • Vegan Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

    Vegan Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

    Strawberries and rhubarb together is one of my all time favorite combos!  Ever since I first tried my Grandma’s strawberry rhubarb sauce when I was little that she made with the rhubarb growing in her back yard I was a fan.  That stuff was so simple, just strawberries, rhubarb and sugar.  It was so good!  I ate it by the bowlful!  I still love strawberries and rhubarb in desserts.  I had just gotten some rhubarb from my Dad’s back yard and I decided that I needed to make something good with it.  Since it has been warm here lately I thought Vegan Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream sounded amazing!

    Now roasted ice cream may sound like an oxymoron, but the roasting part takes place before the fruit is added to the ice cream.  I just spread out the strawberries and rhubarb on a sheet pan and roasted them to extreme flavorful deliciousness!  Roasting brings flavors out and intensifies them after all, and this was the idea.  That and it gets rid of excess moisture in the fruit.  Which contributes to more icy ice cream which is actually not a good thing unless you are going for a granita or popsicle or something.  The less ice the more creamy the ice cream.

    For the ice cream base, I used a combination of coconut milk and almond butter this time.  If you wanted you could use cashew butter I just prefer almond (as much as I love cashews they upset my stomach a bit), and it was what I had on hand. I really couldn’t taste it in the finished product, it just contributed to the ice cream’s gelato like texture. I also added a touch of vanilla and I sweetened this one with dates because I wanted to go the natural sugars route this time. Plus again, they don’t add excess moisture like say, maple syrup would add.  But if you do not want to use dates and maple syrup is easier for you, it is about 1/3 of a cup you would need for this.

    This ice cream turned out super delicious!  It was so creamy and dreamy, the perfect balance of tart and sweet from the strawberries and rhubarb and packed with flavor!  If you have strawberries and rhubarb on hand and are craving some delicious ice cream, definitely give this Vegan Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream a try this spring or summer!

    Vegan Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream
    Makes 3 cups

    Ingredients:

    • coconut oil spray for pan
    • 1 1/2 cups strawberries
    • 1 1/2 cups sliced rhubarb
    • 1 15 oz can full fat coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup almond butter or raw cashew butter
    • 3/4 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment, lightly oiled with coconut oil.
    2. Spread out the strawberries and rhubarb on the parchment and place in the oven. Roast until the fruit is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
    3. Combine the fruit with all other ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
    4. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    5. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.
  • 6 Ingredient Vegan Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

    6 Ingredient Vegan Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream

    I am a little obsessed with pumpkins and all things fall right now.  I already have a bunch of pumpkin decor, mainly glass and ceramic ones, but I just bought another one, and then I also bought some cute mini pumpkins because I have been walking past them on display at work and they were calling to me!  I am also loving all things pumpkin flavored! I have been making pumpkin spice lattes at home, and I just decided to make a delicious 6 Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream last week!  It is still warm here, we are not yet into the chilly fall weather, so it is the perfect time for some fall flavored ice cream to be made!

    This one is super simple to make!  It only has 6 ingredients, and if you used part of a can of pumpkin for something (which is what I did, when I made a pumpkin spice latte mix) you could use the rest for this!  I used a coconut milk base, because I find that it makes the creamiest ice cream and I always have some on hand in my pantry.  I also added some smooth almond butter to this, because I wanted it to be rich and creamy like the ice cream you get in shops!  If I am going to indulge, I like to indulge and have really good ice cream.  Which is why I hardly ever buy store bought, I can make good ice cream at home!

    To sweeten this ice cream, I used medjool dates.  Because I like to eat fruit sweetened stuff much of the time, and dates are about as natural as sweeteners come.  Plus they don’t add a bunch of excess moisture to the ice cream (moisture makes it more icy), and they have a lovely caramel brown sugar flavor that goes so well with pumpkin!  If you do not have a high speed blender, and you end up with little flecks of dates and you want a super smooth ice cream you can always strain the mixture.  But I find that my vitamix blends them up so you don’t even know they are there!  Lastly I flavored the ice cream with pumpkin spice mix (it contains ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves), and a touch of vanilla!

    This ice cream turned out so delicious!  It tastes like pumpkin pie, but more rich and creamy like a pumpkin frozen mousse!  It has just the right amount of spice and sweetness in my opinion.  If you are a pumpkin spice lover and obsessed with all things pumpkin like me right now, definitely give this 6 Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream a try!  It is really good with apple crisp too!

    6 Ingredient Vegan Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream
    Makes about 3 ½ cups

    Ingredients:

    Ice Cream Base:

    • 1 15 oz can organic full fat coconut milk
    • 1 cup organic pumpkin puree
    • 1/2 cup almond butter
    • 3/4 cup pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water 30 minutes and drain well before using)
    • 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice mix
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

     

     

    Directions:

    1. To make the ice cream base, blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.  Pour into an ice cream machine, and process according to package directions.  Or, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour into a bowl, place in the freezer and stir every 30 minutes until the consistency of soft serve.
    2. Once the ice cream has finished churning, pour it into a freezer container with a lid, cover and place the ice cream in the freezer and allow it to freeze until firm enough to scoop, which takes at least 2 hours.
  • Vegan Raspberry Rose Gelato

    Vegan Raspberry Rose Gelato

    It has been really hot and humid here in Minnesota lately and I couldn’t think of anything more lovely than some home made cooling ice cream, so I decided to make some yesterday!  Although popsicles and granitas are delicious and light, I really wanted some rich and creamy more along the lines of gelato.  Like something you would get in an ice cream shop!  I also wanted to use ingredients that I had on hand, so I decided to make a Vegan Rasberry Rose Gelato!

    The combination of sweet berries and rosewater is a match made in heaven!  Honestly it is a combo that I should use more often, especially in the summer!  I got my rosewater from a local business called House of Halva and it is a good sized bottle that has lasted me a while.  For this ice cream base, I used a combination of coconut milk and raw almond butter because it makes it so rich and creamy!  But if you preferred to make it with cashew butter that would also be delicious, I just didn’t happen to have any.  I had the almond because I make my own at home for other recipes.

    To sweeten the gelato, I used dates, because they are just the right amount of sweet and don’t add a bunch of moisture to the ice cream. They might tint the color a little more brown than vibrant but I don’t mind.  If you didn’t want to use dates, you could use about 1/3-1/2 cup maple syrup or agave nectar, it just might turn out a little more icy.  I used frozen berries this time, but you can use fresh or frozen, whichever you have on hand.  I scented this with the rosewater I mentioned earlier and a little vanilla and it was perfect! The ice cream base tasted delicious, and I could not wait to try it frozen!

    The ice cream turned out sooo heavenly!  Rich and creamy, just the right amount of sweetness and tartness from the raspberries with the heavenly aroma of vanilla and rosewater!  The texture was perfect too, it reminded me of a gelato, which is why I am calling it that (even though I know someone might come at me and claim that it is technically not because it doesn’t have eggs yada yada yada, but guess what?  This is a vegan page).  If you are looking for something to cool off with and indulge in this summer, definitely give this Vegan Raspberry Rose Gelato a try!

    Vegan Raspberry Rose Gelato
    Makes 3 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup raw almond butter
    • 1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh organic raspberries
    • 3/4 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 Tbsp rosewater

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    3. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Vegan Brownie Caramel Ice Cream Cake

    Vegan Brownie Caramel Ice Cream Cake

    It has been warm every day here in Minnesota, and although I am somewhat getting used to it, ice cream still always sounds good.  I like a dish of regular ice cream, but this week I decided that what sounded really good was an ice cream cake!  I always loved Dairy Queen ice cream cakes growing up, especially that gooey fudge in the middle and crunchy cookies (because I am a big texture person).  So now when I make an ice cream cake I love add ins!  This time I made a Vegan Brownie Caramel Ice Cream Cake and it turned out awesome!

    I had a few pints of vegan vanilla ice cream on hand and rather than just scoop it into a bowl with toppings like I usually do, it became this cake. Do I usually make my own ice cream?  Yes.  But I was gifted this ice cream, and I feel like when you are making a cake with ice cream it is a lot easier to make it with store bought for one less step. I used vanilla but honestly if you are a chocolate lover I feel like this would be awesome with chocolate as well!  For the crust, I decided to make it brownie, and what I ended up doing was one batch of brownie batter, half of which became the crust, and the other half was to be crumbled into the cake.  It worked out perfectly, and Eric and I enjoyed a few of the leftover scraps that didn’t make it into the cake as I waited for it to set up.

    I decided to make a date caramel to swirl into the cake. It was either that or fudge, but honestly date caramel is my favorite and I already had other chocolate elements to this cake. Date caramel is really easy to make in a high speed blender, for mine I just used dates, cashew butter, maple syrup, sea salt, vanilla and water and it came out lovely!  The last element of the cake was adding in chocolate chunks for another addition to texture elements.

    This cake turned out heavenly!  This is perfect for summer, and I think I would have enjoyed this much more than an ice cream cake as a kid for my birthday.  Maybe you have a birthday coming up, and you could make this Vegan Brownie Caramel Ice Cream Cake for it (or have someone else make it), or you could make it because ice cream cake is amazing!  Either way, you should definitely give this a try if you are craving something sweet!

    Vegan Brownie Caramel Ice Cream Cake

    Ingredients:

    Brownie Crust and chunks:

    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds
    • 1/4 cup filtered water
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
    • 1/2 cup flour
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking powder

    Caramel:

    • 2 cups soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in water 30 minutes and drain before using)
    • 1/3 cup raw cashew butter or almond butter
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup filtered water

    For assembly:

    • 2 1/2 cups vegan vanilla ice cream, softened (I used store bought this time)
    • 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate chunks

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line 1 6 inch spring-form cake pan, and one regular 6 inch round cake pan with parchment.
    2. In a bowl, whisk together the sugar and coconut oil.  Then in a smaller bowl, mix the flax seeds and water, then add to the sugar mixture along with the vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
    3. Add the cocoa powder, flour, sea salt and baking powder and mix until smooth.
    4. Pour into the two prepared 6 inch pans, and place in the oven.  Bake for about 25 minutes until the brownies are set and starting to pull away from the sides.
    5. Remove from the oven and let cool.
    6. Chop the brownie in the regular 6 inch cake pan up into 1/2 inch cubes and set aside.
    7. Meanwhile, to make the caramel, combine dates, cashew butter, maple syrup, sea salt, vanilla and water in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
    8. When ready to assemble, pour half the ice cream over the brownie base in the spring form pan, smoothing it out to the sides.  Drop some of the caramel over it by the Tbsp and swirl with a knife.
    9. Sprinkle some of the brownie pieces over that, and half the chocolate chunks.
    10. Spread the remaining ice cream over that, then repeat with the caramel (you may have extra for serving), brownie chunks and chocolate chunks.
    11. Place in the freezer and allow to set for at least 4 hours until firm enough to slice.
    12. Slice into pieces and serve!

     

  • 5 Ingredient Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

    5 Ingredient Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

    I love enjoying any type of berries in the summer!  Local are best, and picking them yourself is even better!  I went berry picking several times with Eric on our trip to Michigan a few years back, and they were honestly the best berries I have ever tasted. That was at a farm, but here in Minnesota we usually just pick wild black raspberries and mulberries.  We don’t quite have ripe berries here yet (almost), but thank goodness I can get them at the store, and I have some frozen from last year.  Last weekend I decided to make some 5 Ingredient Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, because it has been so warm here lately I needed something cooling.

    I love making ice cream at home because you can create whatever flavors you want, any time you want.  You can dream up a flavor and just make that!  I really haven’t made anything I did not like, some flavors are definitely better than others though!  Some of the more weird ones I have made are roasted tomato vanilla, arnold palmer iced tea lemonade flavor, avocado, and habanero pineapple.  I think my favorites are the ones with berries and the ones involving caramel and gooey filling.  If I want a more simple one though a berry base like this vegan blueberry cheesecake is perfect!

    For the base, I used full fat coconut milk and raw cashew butter to make it nice and creamy like a gelato.  This is kind of my go to starting off most of my ice cream bases using a coconut milk mixed with a little nut butter of some sort because it produces the most rich and creamy ice cream. I used cashew this time because it has a more cheesecake like flavor in things. Is it low fat? No, but I like to indulge once in a while when I do have dessert.  This does happen to be fruit sweetened though, because I used dates to sweeten it since they do not add excess moisture unlike some sweeteners (I wanted to avoid more moisture since the berries have a high moisture content).  Lastly I added a dash of vanilla to this, and the base was perfect!

    I could not wait to try it but it needed to churn first which luckily does not take too long with my ice cream maker.  If you do not have an ice cream maker you can still make this, it will just take a little longer (I included that in the directions). This ice cream turned out sooo yummy!  Soft and the perfect balance of sweet blueberry flavor and vanilla cheesecake flavor!  If you are in the mood for some delicious ice cream, definitely give this 5 Ingredient Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream a try!
    See the video on Instagram!

    5 Ingredient Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
    Makes 3 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh organic blueberries
    • 3/4 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    3. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Vegan Ginger Carrot Ice Cream

    Vegan Ginger Carrot Ice Cream

    Ever since I bought an ice cream maker years ago, I have pretty much always made my own ice cream at home instead of buying store bought.  Because not only can I make sure good quality ingredients go into it, it is also fun to make my own flavors and there is nothing like home made ice cream! Last weekend I decided to make some Vegan Ginger Carrot Ice Cream! It may sound a little odd to someone that just likes classic flavors like vanilla or strawberry (not that there is anything wrong with those), but actually it is no more odd than say, making a pumpkin spice ice cream in the fall (which I have made and it is delicious).

    I like to experiment with new ingredients and flavors in my ice cream and I had just made some carrot cake and thought those flavors would be lovely in ice cream!  I didn’t call it carrot cake ice cream though, since instead of adding in shredded carrots, and nuts I wanted a smooth ice cream with the same flavors.  I started with a coconut milk and cashew butter base to make it nice and creamy, then added in mashed, cooked carrots.  In case you are wondering why I cooked them, it is because I did not want the raw carrot texture to be in the ice cream I wanted it more smooth.  Also, if you cook them they are softer and easier to blend plus the ice cream will have less moisture. You don’t want excess moisture because it results in ice crystals in your ice cream which means it won’t have that smooth melt in your mouth texture.

    I sweetened this ice cream with dates because they give the ice cream a nice caramel flavor which goes well with the rest of the ingredients, plus they don’t add excess moisture to the ice cream, they just contribute to its soft texture. I love adding dates to desserts instead of sugar when I can, or when I want something to be more natural.  They are so delicious and do such a good job of sweetening things.  They are like nature’s candy, and sometimes when I am craving caramel I just eat a few of those and they do the trick!

    Lastly, to the ice cream I added some vanilla, ginger, cinnamon and a little cardamom.  I used the most of the ginger, and added the other spices to balance it out and give it a carrot cake like flavor.  The ice cream base was delicious, so I knew the ice cream itself would be too!  It was rich and creamy and tasted like carrot cake in smooth ice cream form!  This would be perfect alongside some carrot cake if you are a cake and ice cream kind of person.  If you enjoy the flavor of carrot cake, then definitely give this Vegan Ginger Carrot Ice Cream a try!

    Vegan Ginger Carrot Ice Cream 
    Makes 3 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk or coconut cream (unsweetened)
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter or almond butter
    • 1 cup cooked mashed carrots
    • 3/4 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using and drain well)
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp ginger
    • 1/4 tsp cardamom
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    3. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Vegan Rosewater Peach Ice Cream 

    Vegan Rosewater Peach Ice Cream 

    There is nothing like a perfectly ripe flavorful summer peach!  I have been enjoying a lot of them lately, because my Dad gifted Eric and I a case.  Although they are amazing on their own, I thought they would be amazing in some desserts as well.  So I made a peach galette and some Rosewater Peach Ice Cream last week. Summer may be coming to an end, but I am enjoying its flavors while I can!  They both turned out so good I am sharing the recipes (galette recipe coming soon).

    For the ice cream, I started out with a coconut cashew base to make it nice and rich and creamy.  No, this is not a low fat ice cream.  When I want that I make some banana soft serve.  This is the rich and creamy type ice cream texture I remember eating at ice cream shops growing up.  I don’t think I ever ate peach ice cream but I did like peach frozen yogurt and this ice cream base tasted even better than that!

    I actually used dates to sweeten this, because I love that they are about as natural as you can get when it comes to sweeteners, and they yield a less hard ice cream that is more scoop-able because you aren’t adding a liquid sweetener.  I also added in plenty of fresh peaches, some vanilla and rose water to flavor the ice cream and it was heavenly!  I love rosewater with summer fruits like peaches, cherries and berries!  I forget sometimes that I have it on hand, but I happened to think of it this time and the aroma is so lovely!

    The ice cream churned up nicely, and before pouring it into the freezer container I have I swirled in some of Eric’s Dad’s peach jam to make it even better (I love things swirled into ice cream)!  If you don’t have any peach jam I have included instructions at the bottom to make something similar.  This ice cream turned out so heavenly!  The light fresh flavor of peaches paired so well with the vanilla and rosewater and it was so rich and creamy!  If you have peaches on hand, definitely give this a try before summer is over!

    Vegan Rosewater Peach Ice Cream 
    Makes 3 1/2 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk or coconut cream (unsweetened)
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh organic peaches
    • 2 Tbsp rosewater
    • 1/2 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 cup peach jam or preserves*

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine the coconut milk with all other ingredients but the jam in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    3. Swirl in the jam.
    4. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.

    *If you don’t have peach jam, you can make a quick peach jam by combining 1 cup fresh or frozen peaches, 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a sauce pan.  Cook over medium heat until the peaches are completely soft and falling apart, stirring often.  This will take about 15 minutes.  Add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and stir in well, mash the peaches up with a fork, or process in a food processor if you want them more smooth. Let chill in the refrigerator until cold.

  • Vegan Blueberry Lavender Ice Cream 

    Vegan Blueberry Lavender Ice Cream 

    I have been eating so many berries lately.  Mostly because it is summer and I feel berry deprived the rest of the year and because I bought a large amount.  Berries are not something that is bad to eat a ton of though, why not get your daily antioxidants the natural way, right?! I wanted to make some recipes with them too, and since I have been in an ice cream sort of mood lately I decided to make some blueberry lavender ice cream.

    I wanted something fancy (the lavender) but still classic (the blueberry).  It is such a lovely refreshing combination too!  For the base I used full fat coconut milk and almond butter to make it extra creamy.  I don’t just throw the lavender into it and blend though, I go through the process of heating the milk, then adding the lavender and letting it sit to let the flavor of the lavender bloom into it.  It might be a little extra work, but it is so worth it!  You then have to let it cool though, in order to freeze better in the ice cream maker.

    This base tasted so good even before freezing!  I added a little bit of vanilla as well, and dates to sweeten it instead of maple syrup or another liquid sweetener this time.  Don’t get me wrong I love the maple syrup, but it makes for a little bit more icy hard ice cream. The dates have less moisture and help it stay more soft.  This turned out nice and scoopable!  If you don’t have an ice cream maker, no worries!  I have included instructions for how to make it without them.

    This turned out soooo good!  Just like something I would get at a local ice cream shop but I can enjoy it in the comfort of my own home.  If you have an abundance of berries on hand and are in an ice cream eating mood too, give this a try in this last part of summer. It is still prime ice cream season after all!

    Vegan Blueberry Lavender Ice Cream 
    Makes 3 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk or coconut cream (unsweetened)
    • 1 Tbsp fresh lavender flowers
    • 1/2 cup raw smooth almond butter
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh organic blueberries
    • 1/2 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. Heat the coconut milk in a saucepan with the lavender, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let steep for 15 minutes, then strain through a fine meshed strainer into a bowl or glass measuring cup (discarding the lavender) and chill in the refrigerator until completely cold.
    2. Combine the coconut milk with all other ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
    3. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    4. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Vegan Mocha Caramel Ice Cream

    Vegan Mocha Caramel Ice Cream

         

    It has been a bit warm here lately, so I have been in the mood for frozen desserts and ice cream!  Rather than buy it at the store, I make mine at home because it can be spendy there and I like to use more natural ingredients in mine like dates instead of sugar.  I wanted something decadent last week, so I decided to make a mocha caramel ice cream!  Natural Delights Dates recently sent me some of their dates along with an ice cream maker and some popsicle molds, so I thought I would use the dates for the caramel in this and try out my new ice cream maker!  It is a Cuisinart, and I have always wanted one like this! 

    For the ice cream base, I used full fat coconut milk.  This is my favorite ice cream base because it has a light sweetness and it is nice and rich and tends to be less icy.  I combined it with a bit of almond butter to thicken it as well as well as give it a little more richness. I am not really a fan of low fat ice cream unless it is a soft serve nice cream or something.  I like my scoop-able ice cream more creamy and thick.  

    For the caramel I added in a full cup of dates and some vanilla for the sweetness and it was perfect!  A bit of espresso powder and it tasted like an amazing chilled chocolate caramel latte (which I now have to try making at home now in drink form after having this ice cream flavor because I love it so much).  The base was heavenly!  I just needed to freeze it and let it thicken!  The ice cream maker worked lovely, and I could not wait to try the finished product! 

    It was sooo good!  Rich and creamy with a vanilla caramel flavor with just the right amount of coffee and chocolate!  It was amazing on its own but it would also be really good as an affogato (ice cream with coffee poured over).  If you are in the mood for some rich and dreamy ice cream give this a try!  If you don’t own an ice cream maker, no worries I have included instructions for that as well! 

    Vegan Mocha Caramel Ice Cream

    Makes about 3 1/2 cups ice cream 

    Ingredients:

    • 1 15 oz can organic full fat coconut milk
    • 1 cup soft, pitted dates
    • 1/2 cup almond butter
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 Tbsp espresso powder or 3 Tbsp strong brewed coffee
    • 3 Tbsp cacao powder

     

    Caramel Sauce: 

    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 3 Tbsp almond butter
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • pinch of sea salt
    • 2-3 Tbsp water (or as needed)

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process until thick, then pour into a freezer container with a lid.  Alternatively if you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can pour into a bowl in the freezer and whisk about every half hour until a thick malt like consistency.
    3. Allow to sit in the freezer until firm enough to scoop and serve!  If it becomes too hard in the freezer allow to sit out 15 minutes before serving. 
    4. To make the caramel whisk ingredients together until smooth, adding enough Tbsp water to make it pourable but not too runny. 
    5. Serve the ice cream with the caramel sauce. 
  • Vegan Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake

    Vegan Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake

    I always liked neapolitan ice cream.  It seemed kind of fancy with its 3 flavors layered together and it meant that you didn’t have to simply choose one flavor of ice cream which was always hard for me. But I haven’t seen any vegan neapolitan ice cream for sale, so I thought I would make my own.  Except I thought it would be fun to make a cake instead of just ice cream to scoop so I went for it!  It has been warming up here lately and pretty soon it will feel summery so it is the perfect time of year to start making ice cream treats! Not that I don’t eat them year round because I totally do!  They are just that much more refreshing if it is warm.

    I have an ice cream maker but I actually didn’t use it to make this because it was not frozen and I didn’t want to wait  until the next day. So that makes the recipe a little easier!  If you wanted to use one you could if you wanted to speed up the process you would just end up freezing the plain vanilla base, then dividing it and whisking in the other two flavors then layering it.  But it turned out just as delicious without that step and I am all for making it a little more easy.

    For the base I used coconut milk with a little raw cashew butter to make it rich and creamy and it was heavenly!  I made the vanilla first, then whisked a strawberry puree into some and also cacao powder for the chocolate portion.  For the crust I made something similar to what I make for my raw style cheesecakes and it worked out perfect!  I like to think of it as a much healthier version of an oreo crust, since I don’t keep oreos on hand or really any store bought cookies that could be used for a crust.

    I drizzled it with a little chocolate fudge and topped it off with strawberries and it was ready to dive into!  I could not wait!  It was so heavenly!  The vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice creams were creamy, dreamy and sweet the perfect match for each other!  This upgraded version of the ice cream I ate as a child is way better than the original!

    Vegan Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake

    Makes 1 8 inch round cake

    Crust:

    • 3/4 cup organic gluten free rolled oats
    • 3/4 cup finely shredded dried unsweetened coconut
    • 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 3/4 cup soft pitted medjool dates (soaked in filtered water if not soft for 30 minutes and drained well.)
    • 3 Tbsp almond butter
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Ice Cream:

    • 2 15 oz cans full fat coconut milk (use a brand that is mostly thick cream like Thai Kitchen)
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 3/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 Tbsp cacao powder
    • 1/3 cup strawberry puree

    For topping:

    Fudge:

    • 2 Tbsp cacao powder
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup or as needed

    Strawberries

     

    Instructions:

    1. Oil a 8 inch spring form pan and line with parchment paper.
    2. To make the crust, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until fine and starting to hold together when squeezed. Once it is at that stage, press it into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Set aside.
    3. To make the ice cream, combine all ingredients but the cacao powder and strawberries in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until very smooth (if you are using a food processor and it still has little bits you may want to strain it through a fine meshed strainer to remove them).
    4. Pour into a bowl and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until chilled, whisking after 15.
    5. Divide between 3 bowls, and whisk the cacao powder into one of them, the strawberries into another and leaving the last vanilla.
    6. To assemble the cake, pour vanilla ice cream over the crust, then place in the freezer for about 20 minutes until the top is more firm, then pour the chocolate ice cream and repeat the process then the strawberry.
    7. Place in the freezer until firm, about 6 hours.
    8. Unmold the cake.
    9. To make the fudge, whisk together the cacao powder and maple syrup until smooth (if it is too thick add a little more syrup until it is pourable but still thick).
    10. Drizzle the fudge over the top of the cake and top with strawberries.
    11. Enjoy!

    Store any leftover cake in the freezer in an airtight container.

     

     

  • Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream 

    Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream 

    I know a lot of people hate all of the hype of pumpkin spice lattes, and I get it.  There are many chain coffee shops that just use a mix that doesn’t even contain real pumpkin and isn’t that good.  But once you have had one at a coffee shop that makes their own artisan drinks with real pumpkin and spices it is hard not to love them.  Or if you make your own like I do sometimes. I actually love them as long as they are good quality.  I love getting fall themed coffee with Eric at one of our favorite local shops and going for a walk, sipping it as we go.  It is one of my favorite things ever!

    I also love making pumpkin spice latte flavored things.  I have made a few cakes, and candies.  But I thought some pumpkin spice ice cream would be amazing!  So I whipped some up last week.  I have my ice cream maker in the freezer at all times ready to go in case the need to make it strikes, and I use it pretty often because I always have to have some ice cream on hand even in the cooler months.

    I usually start with coconut milk as my base, because it always turns out so rich and creamy.  For this one, I combined it with cashew butter to give it almost a cheesecake like quality.  If you are not a fan of cashew butter though, feel free to substitute almond butter.  I combined the base with a good amount of pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices plus dates.  I like sweetening it with dates because they give it a caramel like flavor and don’t add as much moisture as liquid sweetener does. If you would prefer to use maple syrup instead though, you can it will just freeze a little harder.

    To make this coffee flavored, I added some ground espresso powder.  If you like it strong you can use two Tbsp or if you just like a light coffee flavor just use one.  The base for this tasted sooo good I could not wait to try it once it was churned.  It was totally heavenly!  Sweet, creamy and rich with all of the pumpkin spice coffee flavored goodness!  This would actually be really good as affogato (with coffee poured over it).  If you are a pumpkin spice latte fan, give this a try!

    Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream 
    Makes 3 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk or coconut cream (unsweetened)
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter or almond butter
    • 1 cup pumpkin puree (or canned pumpkin)
    • 1/2 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 1-2 Tbsp espresso powder  (depending on how much coffee flavor you like)
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp ginger
    • 1/4 tsp cloves
    • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    3. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Vegan PB and J Ice Cream Sandwiches

    Vegan PB and J Ice Cream Sandwiches

    It has been quite steamy outside here in Minnesota lately, so it is the perfect time to enjoy cool treats like ice cream!  I have been wanting to make some, and Eric and I had been watching a video on YouTube about this place that makes all sorts of different ice cream sandwiches, and it made me hungry. So I decided that I needed to make my own at home.  I thought long and hard about what kind I wanted to make, that would fit with the ingredients I had on hand, and I ended up landing on PB and J.  Because I am kind of obsessed with that combo.

    I was thinking PB cookies with raspberry ice cream for the “jelly” flavor.  I make peanut butter cookies at work all the time, but not much at home, so those sounded good as well, if I had extras to snack on.  The thing I like about Peanut butter cookies is they are nice and simple.  These ones always turn out good, and the dough is super delicious too if you are one of those people like me that likes to eat the cookie dough and thinks that is one of the best parts of the process.

    For the raspberry ice cream I used a coconut milk base with a bit of cashew butter to make it nice and creamy.  The base tasted amazing even before freezing, like delicious raspberry cheesecake batter. It turned out nicely in the ice cream maker, but if you didn’t have one I have included instructions for how to make it without one as well.  It was heavenly on its own but I knew it would be even better with the cookies!

    I haven’t had an ice cream sandwich in quite a few years, so I was excited about these!  They turned out super delicious!  The creamy smooth raspberry ice cream was the perfect partner for the rich, slightly salty, chewy peanut butter cookies! I did think about swirling PB and J into this too, and you could if you wanted to, I just didn’t want it to be super messy and oozing out. They were perfect as is in my opinion!  If you are a PB and J fan, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan PB and J Ice Cream Sandwiches 

    Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
    Makes 12 cookies

    Ingredients:

    Cookies:

    • 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 3 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 cup coconut sugar
    • 3/4 cup organic peanut butter
    • 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
    • 3/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seed and water.  Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes, this is your flax egg.
    2. In a large bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix together the sugar, peanut butter, coconut oil, vanilla and flax egg, until smooth.  Then mix in the flour, soda, baking powder, and sea salt in until the mixture is smooth.
    3. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment.
    4. Shape the cookie dough into 2 inch balls, place on your baking sheet a few inches apart and flatten with a fork, like you would with peanut butter cookies.
    5. Place in the oven and bake at 350F for 12 minutes or so, until lightly browned and set.  Allow to cool on a rack, then place in the freezer until ready to add the ice cream.

     

    Vegan Raspberry Ice Cream
    Makes 3 cups

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh organic raspberries
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    3. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to spread onto the cookies for sandwiches.

     

    Assembly:

    1. Spread some of the ice cream about 3/4 inch thick on half of the cookies, then add the other half to sandwich together.
    2. Place them all on a tray in the freezer until they are firmed up, then enjoy!
    3. Place any leftovers in a container with a lid, and store in the freezer for up to a month (they keep longer but might get freezer burn).
  • Vegan Black Sesame Maple Ice Cream

    Vegan Black Sesame Maple Ice Cream

    I am a big tahini lover, I like to keep some on hand at all times for recipes both sweet and savory, or just for drizzling over things and snacking on.  We have a giant tub of it in the deli I work in for making things like hummus, and one time my coworker stated that he hated plain tahini, so I proceeded to get a spoon and eat a giant spoonful of it.  Yum, tastes good to me!  I said.  It is after all kind of like peanut butter with a less dominant flavor.  I know some brands can have a little bit of a bitter aftertaste, but even if they do I have come to love tahini of all kinds.  One of my favorite brands is Dastony Tahini from Raw Guru.

    It is the smoothest tahini I have ever tried.  Their regular tahini is really good, but they recently sent me some of their black sesame tahini and it is beautiful! I have used it to make cookies before and they were sooo good.  So I thought, why not try making a black sesame ice cream with it?  I like things like halva which is pretty much straight sweetened sesame, so why not in ice cream with a bit of coconut cream for the base mixed with the tahini then sweetened?  I also added a little maple to it, because I thought it would be a great combo.

    This was a super simple recipe to make which is always awesome as far as I am concerned.  That is if you have an ice cream maker.  If not you can still make it but it is a little more hands on, because it involves whisking it every so often in the freezer. To make the base though, you just blend everything up, pour it into the ice cream maker, and that’s it besides just pouring it into the container.  It comes out like a nice soft serve but if you want it more scoopable, you just need to let it sit a few hours.

    It turned out so good!  The ice cream was silky smooth rich and creamy with a light tahini flavor and a hint of sweet maple!  It had a beautiful color as well thanks to the black tahini!  If you have tahini on hand, and you are in the mood for some ice cream (we are approaching that season), give this a try!  If you don’t have black tahini, you can use regular tahini as well, it just won’t be this color.

    Vegan Black Sesame Maple Ice Cream  
    Makes about 3 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 1 15 oz can organic full fat coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup maple syrup (or to taste)
    • ½ cup Dastony black sesame tahini
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Directions:

    1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions.
    3. Once the ice cream has finished churning, pour it into a freezer safe container with a lid.
    4. Place the lid on, place in the freezer and freeze for about 4 hours or until firm enough to scoop. Enjoy!

     

    *Note, if you do not have an ice cream maker you may also freeze it this way. Pour into a bowl, and place in the freezer. Whisk once every half hour until it has frozen to the consistency of soft serve. Then continue to pour into your freezer safe container as the above directions state.

    *If your ice cream gets hard after freezing, let sit out about 15-20 minutes before scooping.

  • Pumpkin Spice Hazelnut CBD Ice Cream Pops

    Pumpkin Spice Hazelnut CBD Ice Cream Pops

    Fall may be here, but it is still pretty warm outside so I am still in the mood for ice cream treats.  So I thought, why not make some fall flavored ones?!  I have been making a lot of apple and pear stuff lately, so this time I made pumpkin.  Plus we are almost into October, so we are in prime pumpkin season!  I could have made scoopable ice cream but I made ice cream pops instead.  I like that they are individually portioned so you can just pull one out when you want one.  Plus, I made these CBD ice cream pops since Raw Guru had recently sent me some of their Cinnamint CBD oil.  Because why not get your daily dose of CBD along with delicious ice cream?!

    I take CBD every day to help with inflammation, mood and overall well being, and sometimes I like to add it to my recipes as well as just take it plain. I like the Veggimins brand because it is good quality and it tastes better than some other brands.  I have added it to my ice cream pops in the past with good results, so I knew it would work well in this recipe.  I was going to make these just plain pumpkin spice ice cream, but I thought that hazelnut would be delicious with the pumpkin and spices so I added that in as well in the form of hazelnut butter.

    The base for these was heavenly.  It tasted like a really good pumpkin spice milk shake.    First, I added in full fat coconut to make these rich.  They are ice cream after all and I like my ice cream to taste like it and I am really picky about the texture, it has to be smooth. I feel that coconut milk does the best job of this.  Next, I added in some canned pumpkin which I already happened to have on hand from another recipe.  Then the smooth hazelnut butter, which was some of my home made stuff but of course you can buy it at the store if you like, or substitute cashew butter for a more neutral flavor.

    Then, I added in just the right amount of the same spices that you find in pumpkin pie. I could not wait to try them!  But of course I had to let them chill overnight in the freezer.  It was well worth the wait though!  They tasted so good when I finally got to enjoy them after work the next day!  They were rich and creamy, lightly spiced with the aroma of pumpkin pie and a hint of nutty hazelnut.  If you are a fan of all things pumpkin like I am, definitely give these a try!  If you would like to get some Veggimins CBD for yourself, here is the code for 10% off on their website: VEGFRAGVANILLA

    Pumpkin Spice Hazelnut CBD Ice Cream Pops 

    Makes 4-6 (depending on your mold size)

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup organic full fat coconut milk
    • 1 cup pumpkin puree
    • 1/3 cup hazelnut butter
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
    • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 tsp cloves
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
    • 2 tsp Veggimins CBD oil
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup or to taste (stevia may also be used, a few drops to taste)
    1. Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth.
    2. Pour into popsicle molds and place in the freezer for at least 6 hours (or when they are firm) or overnight to set up.
    3. Remove from molds (you may need to run them under hot water briefly to loosen them), and enjoy!
  • Vegan Maple Pecan Brownie Sundaes

    Vegan Maple Pecan Brownie Sundaes

    A lot of restaurants have brownie sundaes on their menu. I have seen other people order them, but I have never actually had one of my own. One of the restaurants I went to this year for my Birthday had a brownie sundae that came free if it was your birthday, but it wasn’t vegan sadly, so they brought it and my family ate it and I just watched. Don’t worry I wasn’t sad, but I was inspired to create my own brownie sundae at home! Why not? I like to bake brownies, and make ice cream!

    Now I could have gone with the standard plain brownies with fudge and vanilla ice cream, or maybe chocolate ice cream, but I was in the mood for caramel. So I decided to pair the caramel with what it pairs best with, pecans and maple. My decision may have just been influenced a little by the fact that I had recently made some maple pecan ice cream and happened to have it on hand. That and the fact that I love pecans, caramel and chocolate together. I mean, turtle (not the animal, the candy and flavor combo) is amazing.

    All I had to do was bake the brownies and make the caramel. I like my brownies super fudgy. So I made them a little different than usual and used a combination of nut butter and applesauce. Which also means that these brownies happen to be oil free as an added bonus! They turned out super delicious all fudgy and intensely chocolaty just how I like them with crunchy pecans and rich dark chocolate chips!

    I layered the brownies with my home made creamy rich maple pecan ice cream and some quick one minute caramel that I make often, plus the crunchy pecans and it was so heavenly! I am sure this is much better than that non vegan brownie sundae ever would have been!

    Vegan Maple Pecan Brownie Sundaes

    Vegan Maple Pecan Ice Cream

    Makes about 4 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 2 15 oz cans full fat coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup maple syrup
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple extract
    • 3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans, chopped lightly
    1. To make the ice cream, combine all ingredients but the pecans in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour it into an ice cream maker and process according to the directions. (If you do not have an ice cream maker, alternatively, you may pour it into a bowl, place in the freezer and whisk every half hour until it becomes the consistency of thick malt and proceed with the recipe).
    3. When it has finished, stir in the pecans, then pour into a freezer safe container with a lid and let chill and firm up a few hours more before serving.
    4. Enjoy!

    Vegan Pecan Brownies

    Makes 16 regular sized brownies or 9 large ones

    Brownies:

    • 3/4 cup applesauce
    • 1/4 cup pecan butter ( or smooth almond butter if you don’t have pecan)
    • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
    • 3 Tbsp ground flax seed
    • 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 3/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 cup vegan chocolate chips plus more for sprinkling on top
    • 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, oil and 8×8 inch pan and line it with parchment.
    2. Whisk together the sugar, apple sauce and almond butter until well combined and the sugar is starting to break down. Add the flax eggs and beat until smooth. Add the flour, cacao powder and sea salt and beat until smooth.  Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
    3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle more chocolate chips over it.
    4. Place in the oven, and Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until set (but do not over bake).
    5. Let cool completely before cutting into bars, for the sundae recipe I cut them a little bigger than normal, 9 pieces instead of 16. But you can cut them the size you like.

    For Sundae Assembly

    Caramel and Pecans:

    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup pecan butter (or almond butter if you don’t have pecan butter)
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • filtered water as needed
    • toasted pecans

    Instructions:

    1. To make the caramel, whisk together the maple syrup, pecan butter sea salt and vanilla until smooth, adding a few tablespoons of filtered water, plus more if it seems too thick. You want to be able to pour it but not have it too runny.
    2. To assemble the sundae, place a brownie on a plate, then top it off with ice cream, the caramel and chopped pecans!
    3. Enjoy!
  • Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream

    Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream

    It was really warm here in Minnesota last weekend. We really haven’t had any hot weather yet this year until now (we have been lucky), but now that we are almost to the 4th of July it is about time. I was day dreaming about some delicious cold ice cream on one of my runs last weekend and I made up my mind that I had to make some for myself. I mean, sure I could go out and buy some and that might be easier, but I wanted peanut butter and jelly ice cream and I don’t know if you can buy a vegan version of that at the store. Plus I think it is fun to make my own.

    I have actually made it before, but that was years ago and it was about time I made it again. I decided to use fresh berries to start with to make the jam swirl, and cook them into a “jam” myself instead of just using store bought jam since the berries are so amazing right now. Of course you could just use your favorite jam if you wanted to make it a little easier on yourself. The berry “jam” turned out so good though!

    For the ice cream, making the base was really simple. Just blend up all of the ingredients and pour into the ice cream maker. I used coconut milk for the base, because I like a nice rich and creamy ice cream, and just combined it with peanut butter, maple syrup and a touch of vanilla.

    After the ice cream was all churned and ready to go I layered it with the jam in a container. It had to sit for a few hours, to be the perfect scoopable consistency but it was well worth the wait. It was super delicious! The peanut butter ice cream so rich, creamy and dreamy and the sweet gooey raspberry jam the perfect partner for it! If you are a big PB and J fan like me, definitely give this a try!

    Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream
    Makes about 4 cups

    Berry Jam:

    • 3 cups fresh organic raspberries and strawberries (strawberries cut into quarters)
    • 2-3 Tbsp maple syrup (to taste, depending on how sweet the berries are)
    • pinch sea salt
    • 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder dissolved in 1 Tbsp filtered water

    Ice Cream:

    • 3 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled
    • 3/4 cup maple syrup
    • 3/4 cup smooth organic peanut butter
    • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

    Instructions:

    1. To make the jam, combine all ingredients but the arrowroot mixture in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes until the berries are falling apart and it is jammy.  Add the arrowroot mixture and cook just until thickened.  Remove from heat, and let cool completely, then refrigerate until cold (you will have extra for another use or for topping the ice cream, I store mine in a jar).
    2. To make ice cream, combine all ingredients in a blender, and process until well blended.  Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can pour it into a bowl, and whisk it every half hour or so until it reaches thick malt consistency. Then proceed with the recipe.
    3. Once processed, pour 1/3 into a freezable container with a lid, then drop a few large Tbsp grape jam on top.  Pour half remaining ice cream over, then more jam, then the remaining ice cream and more jam.  Swirl with a knife to distribute jam throughout and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results.
  • Vegan Mocha Hazelnut CBD Ice Cream Pops

    Vegan Mocha Hazelnut CBD Ice Cream Pops

    I am in an ice cream sort of mood lately. It is feeling more like Summer here now, and almost every time I go running I get home and I think to myself, ice cream sounds really good right about now. Too bad I usually have to go to work so there is no time for ice cream but I do not forget as the day goes on. I only dream up what flavor I would like or what I can make. So last Wednesday I thought about what sort of ice cream treat I would like to make, and chocolate, hazelnut and coffee sounded good so I decided to make some mocha hazelnut ice cream pops!

    I didn’t stop there though, I decided that I wanted to include some CBD oil in them as well, because why not get your daily dose of CBD oil along with your dessert! I had some Veggimins 500mg coffee cbd oil from Raw Guru on hand so it was perfect! It went with the flavor pairing and all!

    I wanted this ice cream to be rich and luscious so I gave it a coconut milk base plus hazelnut butter to give it that hazelnut flavor. I make my own nut butter a lot, so I happened to have the hazelnut butter on hand, but of course you can use store bought as well, or Raw Guru has some really delicious hazelnut butter.

    Also, I added plenty of cacao powder and some espresso powder to give it that intense mocha flavor. The ice cream base was super delicious, it was hard to wait until they were all frozen and set to go (that is the only bad thing about ice cream pops versus ice cream with an ice cream maker, longer before you can enjoy them). But they were well worth the wait! They were rich and creamy with intense chocolate mocha flavor and a hint of nutty hazelnut. Sooo good! If you are in the mood for some chocolate ice cream, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Mocha Hazelnut CBD Ice Cream Pops

    Makes 4-8 popsicles (depending on what type of molds you have)

    Ingredients:

    • 1 15 oz can organic full fat coconut milk
    • 1/4 cup Raw Guru cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/2 cup hazelnut butter
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 Tbsp espresso powder or 3 Tbsp strong brewed coffee
    • 4 dropperfuls Veggimins organic coffee CBD oil 500mg 
    • 1/2 cup coursely chopped vegan dark chocolate or vegan chocolate chips

    Instructions:

    1. Combine all ingredients but the chocolate chunks in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into molds, and freeze until firm before un-molding.
    3. Once un-molded place back in the freezer until completely hard again.
    4. Get a rack ready to set your ice cream pops in (I used a cooling rack set over a bowl).
    5. Melt the dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler.
    6. Working quickly, spoon a little dark chocolate over each ice cream pop then place it in the rack. Once they are all dipped put them back in the freezer until completely hard again.
    7. Serve!
  • Vegan Chocolate Dipped Raspberry Lavender Ice Cream Pops

    Vegan Chocolate Dipped Raspberry Lavender Ice Cream Pops

    Warmer weather is approaching and they said it was supposed to be nice last weekend so I figured I would make some ice cream. Not the scoop-able kind though, some ice cream popsicles! I love that they are portable, and easily shareable and it is always nice to be able to take them along on a walk outside when it is warm. I made some chocolate dipped cherry ones a few years back and they were pretty bomb, so I decided to make some raspberry lavender ice cream ones dipped in chocolate this time.

    Raspberries have always been my favorite fruit. We always had raspberry jam at my Mom’s house when I was little, and my Mom used to make these really good cheesecake tart things topped with raspberries, and I feel like we bought them the most often just to snack on. I think what I love about them is the balance of tart and sweet that they have. It is perfect for my tastes. In the Summer here, there are woods close to where I live where you can pick wild black raspberries and they are amazing! We are not quite to that season yet, but I am still craving them! Hence using them in the popsicles.

    I decided to add the lavender because I am also loving that lately in desserts and drinks. It is so calming and heavenly. Also it pairs perfect with berries. The base for this ice cream was pretty simple, but tasted so good. Just coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, a touch of bright lemon, fragrant lavender and of course the sweet berries. I could not wait to try it in its finished form.

    Unfortunately I had to wait overnight because I was making these after work, but it was so worth the wait. I dipped them in good quality vegan dark chocolate, and they were so heavenly! They were rich and creamy thanks to the coconut milk, and the sweet raspberries and fragrant lavender were so good together! The dark chocolate put them over the top to crave worthy status! You can’t go wrong with berries, chocolate and ice cream. If you are looking for a cooling treat to make when the warm weather hits, give these a try!

    Vegan Chocolate Dipped Raspberry Lavender Ice Cream Pops

    Makes 8

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups full fat coconut milk
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • pinch sea salt
    • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
    • 2 tsp dried lavender flowers
    • 2 cups organic raspberries
    • 3/4 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate

    Instructions:

    1. Combine the full fat coconut milk, syrup, vanilla, sea salt, lemon juice lavender, and berries in a blender and blend until smooth. 
    2. Pour into popsicle molds (I got 8 popsicles, but you may get more or less depending on the size of your molds.
    3. Place sticks into the molds, leaving about 1 inch at the top, then place in the freezer until completely hard, about 4-6 hours (or overnight).
    4. Remove from the molds then place back in the freezer on a parchment lined tray until completely hard (you don’t want them melty when you put the chocolate on).
    5. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, then quickly dip each popsicle into it, then place back onto the tray and put back in the freezer until hard.
    6. Enjoy!  Store any leftover pops in a sealed container in the freezer. 
  • Vegan Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

    Vegan Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

    Cookies and cream ice cream was one of my favorites when I was a kid. My Dad usually had it on hand in his refrigerator and it was perfect for layering up with the other flavors for a giant sundae. He used to let me make whatever I wanted, no matter the sugar content or the size of the dessert so I usually went with the cookies and cream, peppermint bon bon, and moose tracks or something else similar plus a topping of fudge and caramel, and whipped cream. Sounds like an odd combination but I thought it was pretty darn good. That is also probably why I was so hyper sometimes.

    I have to admit I haven’t had any cookies and cream ice cream as an adult, since I am not really a big fan of Oreos now. I know that they are technically vegan but I try not to eat processed packaged foods with artificial ingredients. So, I thought I would make my own cookies and cream ice cream, with my own home made cookies, since I haven’t had any of that ice cream in so long!

    I made some chocolate shortbread cookies, which were also drizzled in chocolate (because why not?!), broke those up and stirred those into my ice cream base. They don’t taste exactly like Oreos, but I like them better. They taste like real cookies. For the ice cream base, I used a mixture of coconut milk and cashew butter to make it extra creamy and just added some maple syrup, vanilla and dash of sea salt (because it makes flavors even more intense) and it was perfect!

    This was not the ice cream I ate as a kid, it was better. I went a little overboard on adding cookie chunks (I have adjusted the recipe so you will have just the right amount), but it was ok, it was amazing tasting. The cookies stayed nice and crunchy, with plenty of chocolate flavor and the ice cream was rich and creamy with a nice mellow vanilla flavor. You would never guess that it was vegan! It tasted just as creamy as dairy ice cream! I am so happy ice cream season is now here.

    Vegan Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

    Makes about 3 cups

    Cookies:

    • 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 3 Tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 3 Tbsp coconut sugar
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
    • 2 Tbsp avocado oil (or other neutral oil liquid at cool temperatures)
    • 1 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1/4 cup melted vegan dark chocolate

    Ice Cream:

    • 2 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup maple syrup (or to taste)
    • 1 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 325F degrees, and line three baking sheets with parchment.
    2. To make the dough, mix all ingredients but the chocolate together in a bowl until combined and smooth (it may be slightly crumbly, and that is ok, just squeeze it back together), then place on a piece of parchment paper and roll out 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into circles with a medium sized cookie cutter and place them onto two of the prepared pans. Re-roll any scraps squeezing them back together and rolling them out, and cutting into more shapes until all of the dough is used. 
    3. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until set and just barely beginning to brown at the edges.
    4. Remove the pans from the oven and let cool completely on wire racks.
    5. Drizzle with the dark chocolate then place in the freezer until the chocolate is set.
    6. Break up some of the cookies until you have 1 cup of cookie pieces and set aside. (reserve the rest for eating)
    7. For the ice cream, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
    8. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions.
    9. Once the ice cream is done churning, stir in the cookie pieces and pour into a freezer safe container with a lid. Place the lid on, place in the freezer and freeze for about 4 hours or until firm enough to scoop. Enjoy!

    *Note: If you wanted to make these gluten free, you could use Bob’s Red Mill AP baking flour in the cookies instead of the whole wheat pastry flour subbed 1:1.

    *Note, if you do not have an ice cream maker you may also freeze it this way. Pour into a bowl, and place in the freezer. Whisk once every half hour until it has frozen to the consistency of soft serve. Then continue to pour into your freezer safe container as the above directions state.

    *If your ice cream gets hard after freezing, let sit out about 15-20 minutes before scooping.

  • Baked Stuffed Apples with Cinnamon Ice Cream

    Baked Stuffed Apples with Cinnamon Ice Cream

    Apple pie may be the most popular apple dessert, but you know what else is delicious? Baked apples.  Not only that, they are a little bit lighter option with all of the same delicious apple flavor.  There was a time back in my early 20s that I made baked apples and pears all the time all Fall and Winter long because I enjoyed them so much.  Not only that, I appreciated that it was a healthier but still satisfying dessert.  Sometimes I would stuff them with things, and sometimes I would just bake them and then fill them with ice cream or chevre. All three of the variations were delicious.  I was watching a movie last weekend and they were talking about making baked apples and I started craving some.  Then I realized I haven’t actually made any for at least 6 years and remembered how good they used to be.  I decided that I needed to get on making some.  They are really easy and not hard to make after all.  So much easier than pie.

    So I picked up some giant organic honeycrisp apples at work that were on sale.  I was super excited since I haven’t had these in a while.  I used to just stuff them with walnuts and maple syrup, maybe some crasins, but I wanted a less heavy filling so I decided to make a oat streusel to stuff them with.  I nave never actually stuffed apples with streusel before, I usually just put it on top of pie, but I thought it would be delicious as a stuffing as well.  I can never resist streusel.  I did add a few pecans to it as well for a little more crunch. If you wanted to make a gluten free version of this, you could just swap out the oats for quinoa flakes, and the whole wheat flour for gluten free all purpose flour.  I also drizzled a little maple onto the apples  and it became kind of a thick caramel sauce in the pan that I spooned over them once they were baked.

    They smelled amazing!  They baked up to tender perfection and I couldn’t wait to try them!  I made a cinnamon ice cream the day before to serve with them also because I love cool creamy ice cream with warm fruit desserts.  It was so good together!  The sweet crunchy streusel was perfect with the tender cinnamon scented apples and rich ice cream! If you have apples on hand, definitely give these a try!

    Baked Stuffed Apples with Cinnamon Ice Cream
    Makes 3

    Apples:

    • 3 large organic honeycrisp or other sweet apples
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

     

    Filling:

    • 3 Tbsp organic rolled rolled oats
    • 3 Tbsp organic whole wheat pastry flour
    • 1 Tbsp maple sugar
    • 1 Tbsp chopped pecans
    • 1 Tbsp pecan butter or almond butter
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 tsp cinnamon

     

    Caramel:

    • 3 Tbsp pecan butter
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup

     

    Cinnamon Ice Cream for serving (recipe follows)

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 400F degrees and oil a pie dish.
    2. Core the apples (but not all the way to the bottom), and scoop out a couple Tbsp of flesh from the cavity so that you have a place to put your stuffing.  Place the apples in the pie dish.
    3. Mix together the maple syrup and 1/2 tsp cinnamon and drizzle over the apples (it is ok if it goes to the bottom of the pan, it makes a nice caramel while they bake).
    4. Mix together the filling in a bowl, scrunching it together with your hands until larger crumbs of filling are formed.
    5. Spoon the filling into the apples, and press it in but leave the top a little mounded.
    6. Tent with foil, and place in the oven.  Bake for about 30 minutes uncovered, then remove the foil and bake until the topping has lightly browned and the apples are tender.  Remove from the oven, and spoon the sauce at the bottom of the pan over the apples.   Let cool for at least 15 minutes.
    7. Meanwhile, to make the caramel, whisk together the pecan butter and maple syrup until smooth.  Drizzle over each apple.
    8. Serve warm with the cinnamon ice cream!

     

    Vegan Cinnamon Ice Cream
    Makes about 3 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 1 15 oz can organic full fat coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup maple syrup (or to taste)
    • ½ cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions.
    3. Once the ice cream has finished churning, pour it into a freezer safe container with a lid.
    4. Place the lid on, place in the freezer and freeze for about 4 hours or until firm enough to scoop. Enjoy!

     

    *Note, if you do not have an ice cream maker you may also freeze it this way. Pour into a bowl, and place in the freezer. Whisk once every half hour until it has frozen to the consistency of soft serve. Then continue to pour into your freezer safe container as the above directions state.

    *If your ice cream gets hard after freezing, let sit out about 15-20 minutes before scooping.

     

  • Vegan Bourbon Peach Ice Cream 

    Vegan Bourbon Peach Ice Cream 

    I have been really into the berries this Summer, but what I have really been craving lately are some peaches!  They are not something that grows local here, but this is the time of the year when you can get the really good ones, so when I find some, I have to get them.  A lot of the ones this year that I have seen have not been the most ripe, so I have refrained from buying them, but Eric and I finally made it over to a store that always has really good perfectly ripe ones, and I bought a whole bunch.  Enough for a batch of wine, a pie and making some ice cream!  The latter of which today’s post is about.  I decided that some peach ice cream sounded perfect so I had to make some.  Growing up, my Grandparents often had peach frozen yogurt or ice cream in their freezer and it was pretty good!  It wasn’t something that we had at my house, we usually  just had the ice cream flavors with chocolate, mint or strawberry.  So it was something that was kind of a treat at my Grandparent’s.  They always let me have some too if I asked. I was thinking about that ice cream and how good it was while I was at work sweating it out in the kitchen, and I had all of the ingredients on hand at home!

    It was quite simple to make really, I used a coconut milk and cashew butter base to make it extra creamy, rich and delicious! No, this is not a low fat recipe.  So no need for anyone to comment on that letting me know. I am fully aware that this is rich, and that is how I wanted it!  Because ice cream is a treat.  Man was the base ever dreamy too!  It happens to be completely fruit sweetened, because the peaches were sweet, and I added dates as well to give it a slight caramel flavor.  Also, I decided to give it a slight upgrade and add some bourbon, because why not?!  Not only does it give the ice cream a little bit of smooth delicious bourbon flavor, but it prevents it from freezing too hard so that it is more scoop-able.  But you don’t want to add too much or it will not set up, just enough to give it flavor.

    Once it was all frozen and ready to go, I couldn’t wait to try it!  It was sweet, full of peach flavor, creamy, dreamy and delicious!  This is something I would get a double or triple scoop of at an ice cream shop!  You would never be able to tell that it is vegan either because it tastes even better than the dairy ice cream I ate growing up.  If you have peaches on hand, give this s try!

    Vegan Bourbon Peach Ice Cream 
    Makes 3 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh organic peaches
    • 1/2 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 2 Tbsp bourbon (make sure it is vegan on Barnivore)
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    3. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Vegan CBD Mint Chip Ice Cream Pops

    Vegan CBD Mint Chip Ice Cream Pops

    It was super hot and humid in Minnesota last weekend.  We have had a few big thunderstorms, and then when the sun came back out it just brought more of the humidity into the air.  I went on a long 28 mile bike ride and I felt like I had jumped into a pool when I got home, only it was just my own sweat.  I try not to let the heat stop me from doing things outside like running, biking and walking because I need the fresh air and sunlight, but boy it is hard sometimes.  I was craving something in the form of ice cream hard core.  So, I decided to make some ice cream pops.  Mint chip was what I had decided on.  Back in the day when I was little, mint chip was one of my favorite ice cream flavors.  There is just something super refreshing about the combination of vanilla and mint, and those dark chocolate pieces distributed throughout it made it heavenly.  It sounded like the perfect thing to cool me off, and they would be individually portioned which is awesome for when you don’t want to scoop ice cream.

    Raw Guru recently sent me a box of goodies including some CBD oil and chocolate bars.  I decided that my ice cream pops would be even better with these items included.  The CBD oil is 300 mg Veggimins organic CBD oil , and I was super excited about receiving it.  I have been taking CBD oil before bed for a few months now, and it really helps me sleep better and calms my nerves, and I really wanted to try the Veggimins brand.  CBD is also good for relieving inflammation, which I need help with sometimes since I work out a lot.  If you have never tried this oil, it does not contain THC the psychoactive part of cannabis, so you don’t get high, it just helps with things like decreasing anxiety, fighting inflammation, relieving nausea and decreasing depression among other things.  Definitely check it out, it is worth it! The oil they sent me was the cinnamint flavor, so I thought it would be the perfect thing to add to my ice cream pops, why not include my daily dose of CBD?!  I also chopped up some of the Sunbiotics Chocolate with Probiotics and Peppermint and their Original chocolate that they sent me, because it paired so well with the mint theme I had going.  I have to add though, that that chocolate bars were delicious on their own too, because I had to sample them while I added them to the ice cream of course. I love the idea of including probiotics in chocolate.  Why not have dessert and healthy probiotics too?!

    The ice cream bars turned out sooo good!  I made a creamy base with a secret ingredient, avocado.  Don’t worry, you can’t taste it, it just makes the ice cream silky smooth and gives it a light green tint that is typical of mint chip ice cream.  The bars were so refreshing and delicious!  They tasted like the ice cream I enjoyed as a kid but in ice cream bar form, and no refined sugars added.  If you are a mint chip fan, give these babies a try!  If the CBD oil and Sunbiotics chocolate sounded like something you would like to try, you can get 10% off on the Raw Ruru Website when you order with the code: FRAGRANTVANILLA entered when you check out.  I hope you are all staying cool if it is hot where you live like it is here currently!

    Vegan CBD Mint Chip Ice Cream Pops

    Makes 4-8 popsicles (depending on what type of molds you have)

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine all ingredients but the chocolate chips in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Stir in the chocolate chunks or chips.
    3. Pour into molds, and freeze until firm before un-molding.

     

  • Vegan Strawberry Jalapeno Gelato

    Vegan Strawberry Jalapeno Gelato

    Although I have my favorite ice cream flavors that I make again and again, I will never tire of coming up with new ones.  I have over 100 ice cream recipes on my blog already but why stop there?  Keeps it interesting for me at least.  Once you get your own ice cream maker, it is hard to go back to store bought.  Or at least for me, because I enjoy making it, and many of the store bought vegan ice creams don’t have a texture that I like, or are made with refined sugars or artificial ingredients.  I have tried other ones that had a good texture and no refined sugars that were just ok, but I missed my home made stuff.  Ice cream is so easy to make at home.  Even if you don’t have an ice cream maker (see the note in the recipe if you don’t).  I have been making it for over 10 years at home with and without an ice cream machine.  It feels like Summer here and I was craving some ice cream after a long day at work, so I made some strawberry ice cream a few days back.  Not just strawberry ice cream though, that isn’t exciting enough for me right now.  Strawberry jalapeno gelato!  I am a big fan of sweet fruit desserts with a kick from chilies. Especially in the Summer because chilies actually have a cooling affect on the body.  If you are skeptical, trust me on this one.  I started adding chilies to things because Eric loves spicy food and desserts and I have come to love them too.

    This ice cream was super easy to make.  I don’t want to go through too much work to make things on a work night, so all it took was a moment in the blender and it was ready to go into the ice cream maker.  The base tasted delicious like a strawberry milk shake with a kick. How did I give it that gelato like texture?  With a mixture of coconut milk and cashew butter.  It makes for a super rich base that you would swear had dairy in it.  I added in plenty of strawberries, a dash of lime juice and of course the jalapeno.  I did not seed it because I like the kick, but you can if you want.  It actually ended up being just the right amount of heat.  Something that doesn’t hit you right away, but slowly builds as you begin to taste it.

    The gelato turned out so incredibly good!  Like classic creamy strawberry ice cream with a little heat at the end and a pop of lime flavor.  You know what would be amazing?  If you made a strawberry ice cream float with this in some strawberry kombucha with a shot of tequila.  Yes, I have made something like this before so that’s how I know it is bomb!  If you are someone who likes to try new ice cream flavors, or maybe you just love chilies in things, give this gelato a try!

    Vegan Strawberry Jalapeno Gelato
    Makes 3 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh organic strawberries
    • 1/4 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 1/4 cup lime juice
    • 1 jalapeno, diced (seeds removed if you want it less hot
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    3. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Vegan Peppermint Swirl Ice Cream Cake

    Vegan Peppermint Swirl Ice Cream Cake

    I know it is Winter, and it is chilly outside, but I still love to enjoy ice cream when I am home and all nice and warm in my pjs.  So, I still make ice cream year round, because it is fun to come up with new and exciting flavors, and I need something to serve with my fruit crisp, or pie.  It dawned on me though, I haven’t made a Winter ice cream cake in a long time.  You know, like a Dairy Queen ice cream cake with the crunchy bottom and smooth ice cream filling.  I used to love those as a kid.  Well, mostly just the crunchy bottom and fudge crunch layer in the middle that they had because their vanilla ice cream did not taste like real vanilla to me.  So, anyways, last weekend I decided to be ambitious and make an ice cream cake instead of just scoop-able ice cream. I thought it should have a Holiday theme, and I had 3 ideas of flavors to make, gingerbread, eggnog, or peppermint, but I decided on the peppermint because I thought I could have more fun with color.  Plus, I haven’t made anything peppermint in a while, and I love it this time of the year. I even put peppermint oil in my diffusers in the car and in my house because it smells so festive and happy.

    So, I thought it was the perfect flavor for my cake.  I made a crunchy crust for this ice cream cake with no refined ingredients, unlike the ones I enjoyed as a kid. I know it is traditional to use Oreos or something, but I  have never really been a fan of those, they have lots of artificial ingredients in them.  I also did not want to make cookies simply to crush them up because that was just too much work. So I used ingredients I had on hand to make a chocolate crust which was pretty much what I use for my raw cheesecakes sans the cacao powder.  It is the perfect thing to showcase an ice cream cake on, and it is easy and fast to make.  For the filling, I used a mixture of coconut milk and cashew butter to give it a silky smooth texture like real ice cream.  I sweetened it with maple syrup, and added vanilla and peppermint extracts and it was super delicious even before I froze it.  I mixed beet powder into half of it to give it a candy cane swirl look once finished and it turned out lovely!  If you don’t have beet powder for this recipe, you can use red food coloring, just make sure it is natural.

    Lastly, I wanted this cake to have a fudge element, so I topped it off with a gooey sweet chocolate fudge.  It was the type of thing you would make a delicious ice cream sundae with.  I then sprinkled the cake with some peppermint white chocolate and it turned out even more lovely than I thought it would!  Originally I was going to buy some candy canes just for garnish but I really don’t even care for them and they are pretty sugary and I didn’t want to buy a whole pack just to use one.  So I made the white chocolate instead.  It was a good choice because it tasted wonderful with the cake! The cake was heavenly!  Just the right amount of peppermint and vanilla, sweet, creamy and delicious that gooey fudge, rich white chocolate and crunchy crust the perfect additions.  If you are in the mood for ice cream for your Holiday dessert, give this a try!

    Vegan Peppermint Swirl Ice Cream Cake
    Makes One 8 inch cake

    Crust:

    • 3/4 cup organic gluten free rolled oats
    • 3/4 cup finely shredded dried unsweetened coconut
    • 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 3/4 cup soft pitted medjool dates (soaked in filtered water if not soft for 30 minutes and drained well.)
    • 3 Tbsp almond butter
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Ice Cream:

    • 2 15 oz can full fat coconut milk
    • 1 cup raw cashew butter
    • 2/3 cup maple syrup (or to taste)
    • 1 tsp peppermint extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 2 Tbsp beet powder or a few drops natural vegan red food coloring

     

    Fudge:

    • 1/3 cup almond butter
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 2 Tbsp filtered water (or as needed)

     

    Assembly:

    • vegan white chocolate*
    • vegan chocolate chips

     

    Instructions:

    1. Oil a 8 inch spring form pan and line with parchment paper.
    2. To make the crust, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until fine and starting to hold together when squeezed. Once it is at that stage, press it into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Set aside.
    3. To make the ice cream, combine all ingredients but the beet powder in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until very smooth (if you are using a food processor and it still has little bits you may want to strain it through a fine meshed strainer to remove them).
    4. Pour into a bowl and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until chilled, whisking after 15.
    5. Divide between 2 bowls, and whisk the beet powder into one of them.
    6. To assemble the cake, pour the two different colors of filling into the center of the pan by the 1/4 cup, alternating between the two until it is full.
    7. Place in the freezer until firm, about 6 hours.
    8. Whisk together the fudge until smooth (if it is too thick add a little more water, too thin a little more cocoa powder, you want it pour-able but not too runny).
    9. When ready to serve, pour the fudge over it, sprinkle with the white chocolate and chocolate chips, and enjoy!
    10. Store any leftover cake in the freezer in an airtight container.

     

    *You may use store bought vegan white chocolate or make your own, this is the white chocolate recipe I used:

    Vegan Peppermint White Chocolate

    • 1/4 cup cacao butter (2 oz)
    • 3 Tbsp raw cashew butter
    • 1/3 cup coconut butter
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup (or to taste)
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1 Tbsp beet powder, or a few drops natural vegan red food coloring

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine cacao butter, cashew butter, vanilla, peppermint, maple syrup,  and sea salt over a double boiler, and whisk until smooth.
    2. Divide in half, and whisk the beet powder or food coloring into one bowl until even in color.
    3. pour the two different colored chocolates into the pan, alternating between the two and swirl them, then place them in the freezer to set.
    4. Chop into pieces.
    5. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a few months.

  • Vegan Hazelnut Coffee Ice Cream with Fudge Swirl

    Vegan Hazelnut Coffee Ice Cream with Fudge Swirl

    I used to drink lots of coffee when I was in college.  Like 3 32 oz tall mugs every morning.  Don’t worry, I don’t anymore, I have adopted one large matcha tea instead.  I don’t know why I drank that much coffee, it was just a habit, and it tasted good and was warming and gave me energy. I usually just bought good quality coffee that didn’t need any add ins and drank it black.  I figured good coffee doesn’t need anything added to it.  But, I know I am kinda different in that respect.  Most people like a little something.  I know many people love to add hazelnut flavor to their coffee, but I never really got into that, because it always tasted fake to me (and probably had no trace of real hazelnuts).  You know what I mean, that fake hazelnut flavored creamer or hazelnut syrup, or coffee supposedly infused with it?  Well, it never tasted right to me, as in not like real hazelnuts.  But what if hazelnut coffee was done right and actually made with real hazelnut milk or something?  Now, I like that idea.  Because the idea of coffee and hazelnuts together sounds wonderful, just not the fake flavored stuff I was exposed to when I was younger.

    So, I decided to make an ice cream with those two ingredients.  I had lots of hazelnut butter on hand, because I had been given about 4 lbs of hazelnut meal and made a lot of it into butter.  Home made hazelnut butter is so much cheaper than store bought, and sooo good!  Especially if you turn it into nutella, but that is another post and another day.  Plain is awesome for using in recipes like this ice cream.  I used a coconut milk ice cream base, as it is my favorite for this.  I think it makes the silkiest ice cream next to cashew milk, but coconut milk is slightly sweeter and cheaper plus I have it on hand always. The base was super luscious with the mixture of hazelnut and coconut and just the right amount of sweet with maple syrup and vanilla added.  I also added espresso powder for the coffee flavor and it was so good!  Even better once churned all silky and creamy!  But I wanted to add even more deliciousness so I made a rich hazelnut chocolate coffee fudge to ribbon throughout it.

    It was simply heavenly!  Just the right amount of coffee aroma and the nutty flavor of real hazelnuts!  That fudge was the perfect pairing with it, gooey and rich on the luscious cool ice cream.  This is even better than the gourmet ice cream you buy at the store.  If you are a coffee lover, give this ice cream a try!

    Vegan Hazelnut Coffee Ice Cream with Fudge Swirl
    Makes about 3 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 1 15 oz can organic full fat coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup maple syrup (or to taste)
    • ½ cup hazelnut butter
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp very finely ground organic coffee (use your favorite kind) or 2 Tbsp coffee extract
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Fudge:

    • 1/3 cup hazelnut butter
    • 3 Tbsp cacao powder
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup cooled brewed coffee (or as needed)

     

    Directions:

    1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions.
    3. Meanwhile to make the fudge, whisk together all ingredients until smooth and pour-able but still thick (if too thick, add a little more coffee, to thin, a little more cacao powder.
    4. Once the ice cream has finished churning, pour 1/3 of it into a freezer safe container with a lid, then drop 1/3 of the fudge over it.  Pour half the remaining ice cream over that, then half the remaining fudge, then more ice cream and more fudge. Swirl with a knife a few times.
    5. Place the lid on, place in the freezer and freeze for about 4 hours or until firm enough to scoop. Enjoy!

     

    *Note, if you do not have an ice cream maker you may also freeze it this way. Pour into a bowl, and place in the freezer. Whisk once every half hour until it has frozen to the consistency of soft serve. Then continue to pour into your freezer safe container as the above directions state.

    *If your ice cream gets hard after freezing, let sit out about 15-20 minutes before scooping.

  • Vegan Roasted Banana Caramel Ice Cream

    Vegan Roasted Banana Caramel Ice Cream

    We all get over-ripe bananas on our counters from time to time, and although you can make banana bread or smoothies, I decided to make some ice cream last week with mine.  I know you can make banana nice cream and use just bananas, I think the texture is a little light for me when I want actual rich ice cream, so I gave mine a coconut base along with the bananas. I like more of a gelato type smooth texture going on that doesn’t get all icy once put in the freezer.  I decided to roast my bananas to get the ultimate banana flavor.  If you have never roasted or cooked your bananas before using them in dessert, you need to try it, they are amazing.  Think banana’s foster. Not only that, it gets rid of some of that extra moisture that might contribute to adding extra water liquid that makes for hard frozen ice cream.  I didn’t just make a plain banana ice cream though, I decided to make a banana caramel to make it even more amazing.

    So, I added dates and pecan butter along with some vanilla extract, and some sea salt to give it a sort of salted caramel vibe going on.  I also added in a Tbsp of bourbon.  Not only for the delicious flavor, but when you add a little alcohol to your ice cream base, it stays more soft once frozen.  Just don’t add too much or it will not freeze.  This base was luscious, and it tasted kind of like an amazing bananas foster malt.  Once it was chilled, took its time in the ice cream freezer and was ready to go, I decided that it needed even more caramel.  Not because it actually needed it, because it was amazing just like that.  But I love to add gooey toppings to my ice cream.  I think it goes back to the days when I used to build ice cream sundaes at my Dad’s house, and I would always use fudge, caramel and butterscotch.  Man was that good. So I still do that, only with my healthy date caramel usually.

    I think caramel was my all time favorite topper. Yes, even over hot fudge. This ice cream was super delicious with the date caramel too!  If you have over ripe bananas on hand and are are in the mood for some decadent ice cream, but don’t want to have to buy it at the store, you need to give this a try!  Even if you don’t have an ice cream maker, I have included instructions for how to make it.  I hope you are all having a wonderful week!

    Vegan Roasted Banana Caramel Ice Cream
    Makes about 3 ½ cups

    Ingredients:

    Ice Cream Base:

    • 3 medium organic bananas
    • 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 15 oz can organic full fat coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup pecan butter or almond butter
    • 1/2 cup pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water 30 minutes and drain well before using)
    • ¼ tsp sea salt
    • 1 Tbsp bourbon (make sure it is vegan on Barnivore)
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

    Caramel Topping (optional):

    • 3/4 cup pitted medjool dates (soaked as above if not soft)
    • 2 Tbsp pecan butter or almond butter
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • ¼ cup filtered water (or as needed)

    Directions:

    1. To make the roasted bananas, preheat the oven to 400F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.  Peel the bananas, and cut them in half lengthwise.  Place cut side down on the pan, and drizzle with a few Tbsp maple syrup. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes until they are soft, and gooey.  Remove from the oven and let cool.
    2. To make the ice cream base, blend all ingredients (including the bananas) in a high speed blender until smooth.  Pour into an ice cream machine, and process according to package directions.  Or, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour into a bowl, place in the freezer and stir every 30 minutes until the consistency of soft serve.
    3. Meanwhile, to make the caramel topping, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth adding a little more water if needed if the caramel is too thick.
    4. Once the ice cream has finished churning, pour it into a freezer safe container with a lid.  Place the ice cream in the freezer and allow it to freeze until firm enough to scoop.
    5. Serve with the caramel on top!
  • Chocolate Covered Cherry Ice Cream Pops

    Chocolate Covered Cherry Ice Cream Pops

    The truth is I hated chocolate covered cherries growing up.  You know, the ones that ooze sweet syrupy white goo when you bite into them, and a cherry so red it can’t possibly be the real color?  My Grandma would give us kids each a big box of chocolates on Holidays, and I always tried to avoid that cherry.  You would think as a child I would have liked the sweetness but even then the cherries did not taste real.  So, I ended up not liking cherries much until I enjoyed some fresh ones as an adult.  What a difference!  Fresh sweet cherries are like nature’s candy.  So sweet and delicious just as they are without sugar.  Dip them in chocolate and they are amazing without all the sweet white goo.  So, when my Mom gave me some cherries, I decided to make some chocolate covered cherry ice cream pops.  Just because they sounded amazing. I have never actually made chocolate covered ice cream pops and I am always drooling over everyone else’s on Instagram so I figured now was a good time.

    I made a sweet cherry ice cream, made rich with coconut milk and cashews, and it was so good!  Even before I froze it, I could tell it was going to be amazing.  I poured it into the molds with more fresh cherries and all there was left to do was wait.  Waiting overnight is hard for good desserts.  Don’t you agree?  Well, I was making these after work, so I had to wait until the next day to dip them in chocolate.  I felt kind of like a little kid at play when I covered them in chocolate.  It was something that my five year old self would have liked to do.  That and lick the bowl after.  Which I did anyway, because I don’t ever want to waste a drop of delicious chocolate!

    Once the chocolate was all hard and ready to go I could not wait to taste one!  The ice cream was sweet and delicious, the chunks of cherries like little jammy jewels to bite into, and the dark chocolate coating was amazing with it all.  There is nothing like real cherries and chocolate paired together, especially when vegan ice cream is involved too.  Try these while cherries are in season and at their most flavorful.  Cherry season is not long here in Minnesota, so I feel like they are special in a way.

    Chocolate Covered Cherry Ice Cream Pops
    Makes 8

    Ingredients:

    Ice Cream:

    • 2 cups full fat coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • pinch sea salt
    • 1 cup sweet organic cherries (pitted), divided

    Coating:

    • 3/4 cup chopped vegan dark chocolate

    Instructions:

    1. Combine the full fat coconut milk, cashew butter, syrup, vanilla, sea salt, and half of the cherries in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Drop a few cherries into the bottoms of 8 popsicle molds, then pour half of the ice cream mixture over that, then more cherries, then the rest of the ice cream.
    3. Place sticks into the molds, leaving about 1 inch at the top, then place in the freezer until completely hard, about 4-6 hours (or overnight).
    4. Remove from the molds then place back in the freezer on a parchment lined tray until completely hard (you don’t want them melty when you put the chocolate on).
    5. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, then quickly dip each popsicle into it, then place back onto the tray and put back in the freezer until hard.
    6. Enjoy!  Store any leftover pops in a sealed container in the freezer.
  • Vegan Maple Bourbon Caramel, Fudge and Bacon Ice Cream Sundae

    Vegan Maple Bourbon Caramel, Fudge and Bacon Ice Cream Sundae

    I always see these outrageous ice cream sundaes full of decadent ingredients on Instagram and Pinterest, so I was inspired to make my own.  I have always loved the idea of a Sundae.  I would have a small mudslide sundae at Dairy Queen when I was little, and I thought it was the bomb.  That gooey caramel and fudge with nuts and soft sweet ice cream was pretty amazing to my 8 year old self.  I no longer eat Dairy Queen as an adult, because obviously they are not vegan friendly.  But I still like to create my own vegan creations that are similar, not to mention more real and healthy than the sundaes I had as a child.  I have made ones just like the mud slide with date caramel and fudge.  But this time I decided to make the sundae over the top with some crunchy elements as well.  Coconut bacon was the main one.  It is one of my all time favorite things lately.  I make a big batch and keep a bag in the refrigerator at all times.  It is great on salads or savory dishes (added at the last minute so it doesn’t get soggy), but I love it on sweets even more.  I love a little salty and crunchy with my sweet!  It goes especially well with anything maple or caramel.

    So, for the sundae I mentioned, I made a delicious creamy maple bourbon ice cream.  It was delicious on its own, and I knew it would be out of this world once paired with the other ingredients. It was sweet and creamy, and it stayed soft once frozen.  That is one of the challenges of home made ice cream sometimes, keeping it soft and scoop-able.  But here is a tip.  Adding 1 Tbsp or two of alcohol keeps it soft, so the bourbon had a double use here.  For the caramel I used a date base again, and added some bourbon.  I divided it in half and added cacao powder to one bowl to make it fudge.  They were both luscious.  I have always been a huge fan of fudge and caramel on my sundaes.  Not that chocolate syrup stuff though, the gooey fudge which is accomplished perfectly using dates as the base!

    I layered these things all together with the crunchy coconut bacon, chocolate chips and pecans and it was amazing!  It was the most amazing mudslide ever.  I am a big textural person when it comes to desserts, and this one had it all.  creamy, gooey and crunchy. Plus the salty sweet combo which is irresistible!  The next time you are in the mood for something decadent, give this a try.  Might as well as we are at the warmest time of the year and I can not imagine anything better than an ice cream sundae right now!

    Vegan Maple Bourbon Caramel, Fudge and Bacon Ice Cream Sundae
    Makes about 3 1/2 cups ice cream, enough for about 2-3 Sundaes

    Ingredients:

    Coconut Bacon:

    • 1 1/2 cups large flake coconut
    • 2 Tbsp tamari
    • 2 Tbsp liquid smoke
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup

     

    Ice Cream Base:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup raw pecan butter or almond butter
    • 1/3 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp maple extract (optional)
    • 2 Tbsp bourbon (make sure it is vegan on Barnivore)

     

    Fudge & Caramel:

    • 1 cup pitted soft medjool dates (if not soft, soak in water 30 minutes and drain before using)
    • 1/2 cup filtered water
    • 1/3 cup raw pecan butter almond butter
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp maple extract
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 2 Tbsp bourbon (make sure it is vegan on Barnivore)
    • 3 Tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder

     

    For serving:

    • pecans
    • vegan dark chocolate chocolate chips

     

    Directions:

    1. To make the coconut bacon, preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
    2. Toss the large flake coconut with the tamari, liquid smoke and maple syrup and spread out on the pan.  Place in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes (depending on your oven), keeping a close eye at the end and checking it in the final minutes because it burns fast.  Remove from oven and let cool.
    3. To make the ice cream, combine coconut milk, nut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, maple extract, bourbon and sea salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions. Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    4. Pour the ice cream into a freezer safe container with a lid.  Place in the freezer with the lid on, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.
    5. Meanwhile, place all caramel and fudge ingredients except the cacao powder in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth, adding a little more water if too thick.  Divide between two bowls, and mix the cacao powder into one.  If either is too thick add a little more water and mix well.
    6. When ready to serve, spoon some of the fudge and caramel into a dish, then scoop some of the ice cream over it, then a little more fudge and caramel, then more ice cream, then sprinkle the coconut bacon, dark chocolate chips and pecans over that and enjoy!
  • Vegan Turtle Ice Cream Cake

    Vegan Turtle Ice Cream Cake

    I have been seeing a lot of turtles around here lately.  They are out in full force sunning themselves on logs, laying eggs, and crawling across the grass.  I saw 3 large snapping turtles laying eggs on one of my runs last week.  I recently read an article about how to help them cross the road last week HERE, and it makes sense to help them, since we built all of our homes on their territory that used to be just wild. It always makes me sad to see the ones that didn’t get across.  Anyways, seeing the turtles out always makes me happy because I know Summer is here. So in honor of the turtles, I decided to make a turtle dessert.  Not one made with actual turtles, that would not be vegan.  Turtle like the delicious chocolate caramel and pecan combination.

    It was super hot last weekend here, so I made an ice cream cake.  I don’t think I have made one in over a year, so it was about time!  A decadent chocolate one sounded really good.  For the ice cream, I veered off a little bit from my usual ice cream recipe and added a special secret ingredient.  Some chickpeas.  Don’t worry, you can not taste them, they just add a little protein and substance to the ice cream without having to add another can of coconut milk.  I still used one can to make it silky along with some almond butter and that was just enough.  Once I added some cocoa powder and dates it tasted like luscious mousse and was even better once frozen.

    The ice cream sat atop a simple chocolate crust, and I made a date caramel to swirl into it and added in crunchy pecans.  I could not wait for it to freeze so I could try it all together!  It was super decadent and delicious!  The texture silky smooth.  If you are in the mood for some ice cream cake for a special occasion give this a go.  It is way better than any of the Dairy Queen ice cream cakes I had growing up.

    Vegan Turtle Ice Cream Cake
    Makes One 6 inch cake

    Crust:

    • 3/4 cup organic gluten free rolled oats
    • 3/4 cup finely shredded dried unsweetened coconut
    • 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 3/4 cup soft pitted medjool dates (soaked in filtered water if not soft for 30 minutes and drained well.)
    • 3 Tbsp almond butter
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

     

    Ice Cream:

    • 1 cup cooked chickpeas
    • 1 15 oz can full fat coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup almond butter
    • 3/4 cup soft pitted medjool dates (soaked in filtered water if not soft for 30 minutes and drained well.)
    • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Caramel:

    • 1 cup soft pitted medjool dates (soaked in filtered water if not soft for 30 minutes and drained well.)
    • 3/4 cup filtered water (or as needed)
    • 1/4 cup almond butter
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Assembly:

    • 1 cup pecans (half chopped and half whole)

     

    Instructions:

    1. Oil a 6 inch spring form pan and line with parchment paper.
    2. To make the crust, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until fine and starting to hold together when squeezed. Once it is at that stage, press it into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Set aside.
    3. To make the ice cream, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until very smooth (if you are using a food processor and it still has little bits you may want to strain it through a fine meshed strainer to remove them).
    4. Pour into a bowl and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until chilled, whisking after 15.
    5. Meanwhile, to make the caramel, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and process until smooth.  If it is too thick add a little more water. You want it gooey and almost pour-able not not runny.
    6. To assemble the cake, spoon half of the ice cream mixture over the crust in the pan, then drop 1/3 of the caramel over it by the tsp and sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped pecans.  Swirl with a knife, then pour the remaining ice cream over that, smoothing the top, and drop half the remaining caramel over that and another 1/4 cup chopped pecans.  Swirl with a knife, and tap on the counter to get rid of any bubbles.
    7. Place in the freezer until firm, about 6 hours.
    8. When ready to serve, drizzle with the remaining caramel, and whole pecans, cut into pieces, and enjoy!
    9. Store any leftover cake in the freezer in an airtight container.

     

  • Vegan Toasted Almond Raspberry Ripple Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

    Vegan Toasted Almond Raspberry Ripple Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

    When I was little, I always loved going to ice cream places with many flavors.  You know, the shops that sold purely ice cream, and had at least 20-30 flavors at a time to choose from.  It was always exciting to eyeball all of them, and imagine what they would taste like.  Maybe asking for a few samples before buying if I wasn’t feeling too shy that day. One of my favorite places was up in northern Minnesota in a small town, and they had some super delicious flavors like blueberry cheesecake, blue moon, and turtle.  Which maybe don’t sound all that unusual now, but they were back in the 90s to my 10 year old self!  I had never heard of half the flavors let alone tried them.  Probably the most unusual ice cream I have ever had though was at Sebastian Joe’s ice cream in Minneapolis about 6 years ago before I went vegan, it was roasted garlic, and it was actually good.  Now, I like to dream up my own combinations of flavors to make.  I now have made at least 100 different kinds.  No roasted garlic, but I have made sweet corn, tomato, and habanero pineapple. Every now and then I just like some good home made ice cream.  The best part is you can make exactly what you are craving as long as you have the ingredients on hand.

    This week, it was Toasted Almond Raspberry Ripple Chocolate Chip.  I love adding nut butter to ice cream bases, it makes them so silky smooth.  What inspired this ice cream actually was one I used to enjoy with my Mom when I was little, a raspberry ripple chocolate chunk.  I just decided to pair the almonds with it because almonds go so good with raspberries and chocolate chips.  The base was super delicious, and I knew it would be wonderful once frozen and the add ins were incorporated.  Yes, it is good to have simple ice cream with no add ins sometimes, like if you are serving it with pie, but I like goodies in my ice cream if I am going to be eating it plain.

    This ice cream was simply heavenly!  The base was smooth, sweet and creamy a perfect balance with the slightly tart jammy raspberries and intense dark chocolate.  I added in some crunchy almonds as well for texture.  This is sort of like a sundae, but you don’t need to top if if you don’t want to because it is all there!  If you are in the mood for some ice cream, give this a try!  If you don’t have an ice cream maker, not to worry, I have included instructions to make this without one.

    Vegan Toasted Almond Raspberry Ripple Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
    Makes about 3 1/2 cups

    Ingredients:

    Ice Cream Base:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup roasted almond butter
    • 1/3 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Raspberry Swirl:

    • 2 cups organic raspberries
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • pinch sea salt

     

    For assembly:

    • 3/4 cup chopped or sliced toasted almonds
    • 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

     

    Directions:

    1. Combine coconut milk, almond butter, dates, and sea salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions. Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    2. Meanwhile, mash the raspberries in a glass measuring cup with a fork, along with the maple syrup and sea salt until they are the consistency of jam.
    3. Pour 1/3 of the ice cream base into a freezer safe container with a lid then drop some of the swirl over it and sprinkle with the toasted almonds and chocolate chips.  Repeat with another layer of ice cream, swirl and almonds, then another.  Swirl with a knife to marble the fudge (just a few times, not too much).  Place in the freezer with the lid on, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.

     

  • Vegan Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream Sundae

    Vegan Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream Sundae

    My Mom brought me a bag of Spanish peanuts from Trader Joes, and asked me if I would make her a vegan Peanut Buster Parfait.  Of course I couldn’t resist, because I love veganizing things.  If you have never heard of a Peanut Buster Parfait, it is a sundae from Dairy Queen with vanilla soft serve, gooey fudge, and peanuts.  It was something that my family used to love when I was younger.  I mean, what’s not to like about all of those things?!  It was pretty decadent and delicious. I did used to love going to Dairy Queen, up until I started eating healthier and giving up refined sugars and animal products.  They do include a lot of both in their foods.  The last time I ate it over 10 years ago, I was disappointed, and just missed my home made ice cream.  Once you buy an ice cream maker it is really hard to go back to buying it.  Just sayin’!  I have made hundreds of flavors, and I I still get pretty excited about new ones.

    This ice cream was going to be even better than a Peanut Buster Parfait.  I decided that instead of just vanilla ice cream, I would make a peanut butter vanilla ice cream.  Because I love peanut butter, and the more the better.  I also sweetened the ice cream with dates which gave it a slight caramel flavor, and it was so incredibly delicious even just like that, before being turned into a sundae.  If you don’t have any dates though, not to worry, you can substitute 1/4 cup maple syrup and it will still be delicious.  To top the ice cream, going along with the Peanut Buster Parfait theme, I made a simple fudge, with a little more peanut butter, maple syrup and cacao butter, and it was crave worthy.  This is something that you could bathe many different flavors of ice cream in, you could even make a big batch and keep it in the refrigerator for random ice cream cravings.

    I topped it all off with those Spanish peanuts from Trader Joes, which were really good by the way, and I would buy them just to snack on.  The sundae turned out beautiful, but more importantly it was delicious.  When I served it to my Mom, she loved it as well!  We both agreed that it was WAY better than any of those Peanut Buster Parfaits we used to eat.  Not only that, no refined sugar or animal products included, so it is something you can feel better about eating.  If you are in the mood for ice cream, definitely put this on your to make list!

    Vegan Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream Sundae
    Makes about 3 1/2 cups ice cream, enough for about 2-3 Sundaes

    Ingredients:

    Ice Cream Base:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup organic peanut butter
    • 1/2 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Fudge:

    • 1/2 cup organic peanut butter
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 2 Tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 cup filtered water (or as needed)

     

    For assembly:

    • 3/4 cup toasted organic Spanish peanuts

     

    Directions:

    1. Combine coconut milk, peanut butter, dates, and sea salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions. Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    2. Pour the ice cream into a freezer safe container with a lid.  Place in the freezer with the lid on, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.
    3. Meanwhile, whisk together the fudge ingredients until smooth, adding a little more water if too thick.
    4. When ready to serve, spoon some of the fudge into a dish, then scoop some of the ice cream over it, then a little more fudge, then more ice cream, then sprinkle the peanuts over that and enjoy!
  • Golden Chai Coconut Milk Gelato

    Golden Chai Coconut Milk Gelato

    golden-chai-coconut-gelato

    You would think I would stop with the ice cream making now that the temperatures are falling a little, and Fall is here.  Nope!  I love ice cream, and truth be told I even have to keep a supply on hand in the Fall and Winter to go with things like fruit pies and crisps which I like to serve warm with ice cream on the side.  The ice cream is essential to those in my opinion.  It provides something a little cool and creamy to balance out the warm and gooey of those desserts.  I am a big texture and flavor person when it comes to food, so it must have balance.  I make all of my ice cream in my own home too, that way I can choose what flavors I want and make them to fit with what I am serving them with.  I knew I was going to be making some apple desserts soon which would need ice cream, so I made Golden Chai Coconut Milk Gelato.

    copper-cup

    Copper Cup sent me some of their turmeric latte mix to test out, and it is delicious!  If you haven’t heard of it, it is a slightly sweet blend of spices that you add to coconut milk, and voila!  A delicious warming drink.  It also contains turmeric of course, and ginger so it has anti-inflammatory benefits as well.  I like it before bed, as it is calming plus has no caffeine. The company was previously named Golden Chai, and they are in the process of renaming to Copper Cup.  To celebrate, they are offering a deal on their website for 25% off your order. Use the offer code COPPERCUP25 when placing your order. Also, they are allowing me to give away some of their awesome mix to one lucky winner on Instagram, so be sure to head over there to enter!  Here is the link of you want to enter!  So, not only have I been drinking the turmeric lattes this week, I also decided to add it to the ice cream that I mentioned earlier.

    golden-chai-coconut-gelato-3

    I was thinking, why not!  The aroma and flavor of it remind me of Fall, and I bet it would be awesome in some coconut milk ice cream to serve with my Apple Pie! So, I made a 5 ingredient gelato using it.  Just coconut milk, cashew butter, dates, sea salt and the Copper Cup Turmeric Latte Mix.  Why the cashew butter you might ask?  Simple, it gives the ice cream that rich smooth flavor of gelato.  No icy low fat ice cream here…I like my ice cream to taste indulgent so even just a little will satisfy!  It tasted amazing too!  Smooth, sweet, and lightly spiced with the lovely golden hue of the turmeric. This is a super easy simple recipe, and it is perfect for this time of the year!  Because I don’t know about you, but I am baking a heck of a lot of apple and other fall fruit desserts lately that need to be topped off with ice cream!

    golden-chai-coconut-gelato-1

    Golden Chai Coconut Milk Gelato
    Makes about 3 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 3 cups full fat organic coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/2 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 2 packages Copper Cup Turmeric Latte Mix

     

    Directions:

    1. To make the ice cream, combine coconut milk, cashew butter, dates, sea salt and chai in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions. Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    2. Once it has finished churning, pour the ice cream base into a freezer safe container with a lid.  Place in the freezer with the lid on, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Vegan Pumpkin Spice Caramel Ice Cream

    Vegan Pumpkin Spice Caramel Ice Cream

    This time of the year gets me excited.  It makes me happy to be able to wake up on a cool morning, run through the crunchy leaves, eat some warm oatmeal when I get home and drink a warm matcha latte while dreaming up some fall baking recipes.  That is my ideal weekend morning actually.  Don’t even get me started about wearing warm sweaters and going for moonlit walks with Eric with the scent of bonfire in the air.  I love Fall.  it is my favorite season.  For the weather, for the experiences, and for the food of course!  Pumpkins and apples are highly anticipated at my house.  Especially since you can buy them locally at the orchards.  I am always a fan of buying local produce.  So, I am diving into the fall recipe creating full force.  I don’t care if it is not technically fall, I am one of those people that thinks of September as the beginning of fall, even if it is not official.  Some people do things like put up their Christmas decorations early, well I like to start the Fall festivities early.  I bought some pumpkin puree last Friday, and decided to make some Vegan Pumpkin Spice Caramel Ice Cream.

    Pumpkin Spice Caramel Ice Cream 1

    I am not a fan of really sugary pumpkin spice stuff like those syrupy lattes that you find in a lot of coffee shops with no real pumpkin. What I am a fan of is real, home made pumpkin desserts with healthy ingredients.  So, that is what I was going for with this.  For the base I blended coconut milk with almond butter for a silky base with pumpkin puree and added the spices I like to use in my pumpkin pies.  It tasted wonderful!  I sweetened it with dates, because they are actually my favorite sweetener of choice.  I mean, it doesn’t get any more natural than using a dried fruit (unaltered of course with no preservatives) as a sweetener in your dessert.  I could have left this ice cream just plain pumpkin spice and it would have been good, but I decided to add caramel to it as well.

    Pumpkin Spice Caramel Ice Cream 2

    The caramel had a date base too, because dates are like nature’s caramel candy.  This ice cream ended up being simply heavenly!  Back when I was in college, I went to a Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream store when I was visiting Boston for a 10k race, and I had some pumpkin ice cream.  I thought it was the cat’s meow and the most delicious pumpkin thing I had eaten.  Well, guess what?  This ice cream trumps that!

    Pumpkin Spice Caramel Ice Cream 3

    Vegan Pumpkin Spice Caramel Ice Cream
    Makes about 3 ½ cups

    Ingredients:

    Ice Cream Base:

    • 1 15 oz can organic full fat coconut milk
    • 1 cup organic pumpkin puree
    • 1/2 cup almond butter
    • 1/3 cup pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water 30 minutes and drain well before
    • using)
    • ¼ tsp sea salt
    • 2 tsp cinnamon
    • 2 tsp ground ginger
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/4 tsp cloves
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Caramel:

    • 3/4 cup pitted medjool dates (soaked as above if not soft)
    • 2 Tbsp almond butter
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • ¼ cup filtered water (or as needed)

     

    Directions:

    1. To make the ice cream base, blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.  Pour into an ice cream machine, and process according to package directions.  Or, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour into a bowl, place in the freezer and stir every 30 minutes until the consistency of soft serve.
    2. Meanwhile, to make the caramel, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth adding a little more water if needed if the caramel is too thick.
    3. Once the ice cream has finished churning, spoon some of it into a container with a lid, then some of the caramel, then more ice cream, then more caramel then more ice cream.  Swirl with a knife, and tap on the counter.  If you have extra caramel it is ok, just serve it with the ice cream.  Place the ice cream in the freezer and allow it to freeze until firm enough to scoop.

     



  • Vegan Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream with Blueberry Jam Swirl 

    Vegan Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream with Blueberry Jam Swirl 

    What does one do with 3 lbs of blueberries?  Eat them all in a big bowl and end up like Violet Beauregarde in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and turn into a giant blueberry?   To be completely honest after seeing that movie as a kid, I always thought about that scene of the movie when eating blueberries.  Not that it stopped me from eating them ever, it just made me laugh a little.  Well, I made a few things with those 3 lbs of blueberries I had at my house and I didn’t turn into a giant blueberry.  Although I am sure I am filled with plenty of antioxidants now.  I did eat some plain, as did Eric since he saw my huge bowl and swooped in to steal a few.  But I made some delicious recipes with them as well!  The first of which was a cheesecake ice cream with a blueberry swirl.  My Mom asked me if I had ever made blueberry jam, so I decided to make a quick blueberry jam, and it was so good, I decided it needed to be served with some cheesecake.  But I decided on cheesecake ice cream instead of actual cheesecake because it is Summer, and ice cream is so refreshing. I apologize if you are sick of my ice cream posts…but I am not sick of eating or creating ice cream yet!  It is good stuff!

    Vegan Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream with Blueberry Jam Swirl 1

    The base for this is actually quite simple.  I always use coconut milk for my ice cream bases.  Not low fat though.  Because  I used to use that when I was all fat phobic 10 years ago and it just makes for a harder more icy ice cream once it freezes.  If you use full fat, it turns out creamy and delicious.  Ice cream is meant to be an indulgence after all.  I would rather have a small amount of something rich than a large amount of something that is just ok.  Texture is very important to me.  This ice cream also has cashew butter to give it that cheesecake sort of flavor.  Plus a touch of vanilla bean, because vanilla bean flecks in ice cream has always made me smile. Growing up it made me feel like the ice cream was better quality (not that it always was, but the belief was there).

    Vegan Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream with Blueberry Jam Swirl 2

    I swirled my quick blueberry jam into it and omg…it was amazing!  So much more refreshing than just cheesecake would have been, and just as I had imagined it.  This reminds me of an ice cream I had as a kid in an ice cream shop up North in Minnesota that I used to go to with my Dad.  I had it several times one of the trips and asked for multiple scoops…like 3 in a waffle cone.  It was so good.  Well, this is just as good, and it is vegan!  Nothing beats that, am I right?!

    Vegan Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream with Blueberry Jam Swirl 4

    Vegan Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream with Blueberry Jam Swirl 
    Makes about 3 1/2 cups

    Ingredients:

    Blueberry Jam:

    • 3 cups fresh organic blueberries
    • 2-3 Tbsp maple syrup (to taste, depending on how sweet the berries are)
    • pinch sea salt
    • 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder dissolved in 1 Tbsp filtered water

    Ice Cream Base:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/3 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • seeds of one vanilla bean, or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

    Directions:

    1. To make the jam, combine all ingredients but the arrowroot mixture in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes until the blueberries have popped and it is jammy.  Add the arrowroot mixture and cook just until thickened.  Remove from heat, and let cool completely, then refrigerate until cold (you will have extra for another use or for topping the ice cream, I store mine in a jar).
    2. To make the ice cream, combine coconut milk, cashew butter, dates, sea salt and vanilla in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions. Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    3. Pour 1/3 of the ice cream base into a freezer safe container with a lid then drop some of the jam over it.  Repeat with another layer of ice cream and jam, then another.  Swirl with a knife to marble the jam (just a few times, not too much).  Place in the freezer with the lid on, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.  Serve with extra jam if you wish.



  • Vegan Toasted Almond Fudge Ripple Ice Cream

    Vegan Toasted Almond Fudge Ripple Ice Cream

    Toasted Almond Fudge Ripple Ice Cream 2

    So, I ran my first race in a year last weekend.  It was actually only my second in 4 years (after previously running about 20 a year), because I took a long time off of running in races after a string of injuries that had me feeling burnt out about it. I have still been running since then, but not competing at all.  I love going out for a run, and not having to think about it.  Not worrying about how fast I am going and whatnot.  But I have finally gotten to the point where I am ready to race again and actually push myself to try and run a better time.  The types of things going through my head when deciding to race or not were like… am I going to see people I know and embarrass myself?  Is it going to be a lot harder than it used to be?  I hope I don’t get injured.  You see, I used to run something like a 16:30 or less 5k on the regular and I knocked that out like it was nothing, so now that I am nowhere near that speed I question myself.  But hey, I am not a wimp, so I went for it.  It was a small local race after all, and I had to start somewhere.  By the way, none of the above problems I mentioned happened.  It went really well.  It was a rainy day, which some people might look at as a bummer but you know what?  I like running in the rain, it is refreshing and cooling in the Summer.  My goal was to break the time I ran last year, and I did that by 45 seconds.  I pushed myself, but I think I can push myself harder next time and get an even better time.  I wasn’t even sore the next day which was a plus. Sometimes you just have to face your fears and jump back into things.  You would think after running in the rain the last thing I would want is ice cream.  But not the case.  I wanted some really good ice cream.

    FullSizeRenderimage1

    I don’t go out and buy ice cream, I make it.  Not that there aren’t really good vegan ice creams out there now, but most of them have lots of refined sugar in them…and the flavors I want are not always available in stores.  I wanted some toasted almond fudge ripple ice cream.  Also, I did not want to go through a lot of work to make it.  So, this was fast and easy to make.  To be completely honest, start to finish including churning time (but not freezing time to firm it up after) was about 30 minutes.  Just blend up, churn, whisk the fudge together and assemble.  For the base I used only 5 ingredients, but it tasted amazing.  Almond butter gave it an incredible richness.  The fudge had an almond butter base as well, keeping with the theme.

    Toasted Almond Fudge Ripple Ice Cream 1

    I combined them with toasted almonds to complete the ice cream and it was amazing.  It tasted as good as the ice creams I remember getting at those shops with about 50 flavors as a kid.  You would not be able to tell this is vegan.  It tastes sweet, rich and delicious.  Just what I was going for.  And it doesn’t have to be a super hot day for me to appreciate it.  This stuff is darn addictive, I am just warning you!

    Toasted Almond Fudge Ripple Ice Cream 3

    Vegan Toasted Almond Fudge Ripple Ice Cream
    Makes about 3 1/2 cups

    Ingredients:

    Ice Cream Base:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup roasted almond butter
    • 1/3 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Fudge:

    • 1/2 cup roasted almond butter
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 2 Tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 cup filtered water (or as needed)

     

    For assembly:

    • 3/4 cup chopped or sliced toasted almonds

     

    Directions:

    1. Combine coconut milk, almond butter, dates, and sea salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions. Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    2. Meanwhile, whisk together the fudge ingredients until smooth, adding a little more water if too thick.
    3. Pour 1/3 of the ice cream base into a freezer safe container with a lid then drop some of the fudge over it and sprinkle with the toasted almonds.  Repeat with another layer of ice cream, fudge and almonds, then another.  Swirl with a knife to marble the fudge (just a few times, not too much).  Place in the freezer with the lid on, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.



    Toasted Almond Fudge Ripple Ice Cream 4

  • Vegan Coffee Caramel Peanut Butter Ice Cream

    Vegan Coffee Caramel Peanut Butter Ice Cream

    Coffee Caramel Peanut Butter Ice Cream

    There was a point in time where I drank coffee in the morning like it was water.  I would have 3 32 oz mugs before noon from the time I was in college until about 4 years ago. I liked coffee, but I always drank it so fast (because I am busy most mornings) that I hardly ever got to enjoy it, it was more of a routine.  You would think I would have been bouncing off the walls with all of that caffeine but it became normal to me.  All until one Sunday I got ill, and afterwards I just didn’t like drinking coffee anymore.  It might have had something to do with the fact that I had made a coffee flavored cake that day.  But whatever the case, I stopped drinking my coffee every morning cold turkey.  I did have headaches for a while which made me realize that I was addicted to it and it probably wasn’t good for my body at that volume.  I don’t drink it anymore, but I do still love it in desserts like tiramisu.  I do love the smell of freshly ground coffee as well, it is a happy comforting smell, it reminds me of being in my Grandma’s kitchen, and lazy weekend mornings.

    Coffee Caramel Peanut Butter Ice Cream 4

    Back in the day when I drank all that coffee, I discovered a delicious flavor pairing.  Coffee, caramel and peanut butter.  I had a caramel flavored stevia that I used to use in my coffee, and I ate peanut butter in my oatmeal every morning, so one day, I was enjoying them together and I noticed how good they tasted together!  I made a few desserts with that flavor combination and they were so good!  I was thinking about that the other day and I decided that some coffee caramel peanut butter ice cream would be really good.  It is really hot and sticky here lately.  Like come home after every run drenched hot (and not because I ran through a sprinkler).  So I am making ice cream every week.  And of course I have to make different flavors to keep it interesting.  I have been making a lot of fruity ones, so the coffee caramel peanut butter was a nice trade off.

    Coffee Caramel Peanut Butter Ice Cream 1

    It is super simple to make, just blend, freeze and enjoy.  But if you wanted something less smooth, I think adding chopped peanuts would be delicious for crunch.  This is good even alone, but to be more decadent (because I was in that sort of mood) I topped mine off with some raw date caramel thinned out a little so it was pourable. It was simply heavenly!  Trust me, you must try out these flavors together, you will love it!  The salty peanut butter is so good with the sweet caramel and aromatic coffee.

     

    Vegan Coffee Caramel Peanut Butter Ice Cream
    Makes 4 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 2 15 oz can organic full fat coconut milk
    • 1 ½ cups soft medjool dates, pitted (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes and drain well
    • before using in the recipe)
    • ½ cup organic peanut butter
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp very finely ground organic coffee (use your favorite kind) or 2 Tbsp coffee extract
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Directions:

    1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour through a fine meshed strainer over a bowl to remove any bits, pressing until all of the smooth base has gone through.
    3. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions. Once it has finished, pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and freeze for about 4 hours or until firm enough to scoop. Enjoy!

    *Note, if you do not have an ice cream maker you may also freeze it this way. Pour into a bowl, and place in the freezer. Whisk once every half hour until it has frozen to the consistency of soft serve. Then pour into your freezer safe container.

    *If your ice cream gets hard, let sit out about 15-20 minutes before scooping.



  • 5 Ingredient Vegan Mango Almond Cardamom Ice Cream

    5 Ingredient Vegan Mango Almond Cardamom Ice Cream

    It was super hot the last part of this week in Minnesota where I live.  Like the type of heat that when you walk outside your hair frizzes, your mascara starts running, and your armpits decide to cleanse their pores by sweating profusely.  Also, so humid that you feel like it is extra effort to breath because you are breathing in water.  I was hot all day Wednesday.  I went for a run before work, and it was really tough.  My face felt like it was on fire by the end and I was sweating buckets.  Sorry if any of that grosses anyone out, but I am just trying to explain the feeling of it all. Then I spent the day sweating in a hot kitchen with lots of ovens and things boiling on the stove, and after work Eric and I went out for a walk and  the dew points were in the 70s which is tropical.  The fact that I had company during this walk made it better though, I forget more about how I physically feel if I am talking to someone about interesting stuff.  It felt so good to be back in my air conditioned house after that, and I was grateful.  I feel genuinely sorry for anyone who does not have air conditioning.  I wanted to make something cooling and refreshing to enjoy for dessert, something that didn’t heat up the oven.

    mango almond cardamom ice cream 3

    I had some mangoes I had acquired from the discard pile at work because they were damaged, well super ripe…so perfect for blending up.  Ice cream was what I had on my mind.  Creamy, dreamy mango ice cream.  These mangos were really flavorful so it was perfect!  I used my usual coconut milk base made even more creamy with a bit of almond butter.  It was heavenly.  I then added a touch of cardamom and it was perfect.  The ice cream base was so good I could have drank it as was like a big old giant malt, but it made it into the ice cream machine, and what emerged was pure deliciousness.  Of course it was more refreshing and delicious once chilled.  It was super easy to make, which is what I was going for.

    mango almond cardamom ice cream

    Nothing beats a non-fussy dessert sometimes when it is too hot to think, and you want to just relax. A whole ice cream buffet sounded really good, but of course if you are going for home made that would be a lot of work to make multiple ice creams. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? As a kid, I mine was cookie dough ice cream, or peppermint bon bon. Yeah, I went for the really sweet stuff. Now, I appreciate the fruity ones too like this mango. Did I mention that it is completely fruit sweetened? Well it is, and I love that I can eat it and still feel good and not like I am in a sugar coma.

    mango almond cardamom ice cream 1

    5 Ingredient Vegan Mango Almond Cardamom Ice Cream
    Makes 3 cups

    1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    1/2 cup raw almond butter
    1 1/2 cups diced fresh ripe organic mango
    1/4 tsp ground cardamom
    1/4 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    1/4 tsp sea salt

    Instructions:

    Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

    2.Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions. Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.

    3. Once it has finished freezing in the machine or bowl, pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.



  • 6 Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Fudge Gelato

    6 Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Fudge Gelato

    For most of my life I have been a vanilla girl.  It was always vanilla cupcakes over chocolate, vanilla cheesecake over chocolate mousse cake, and vanilla ice cream over chocolate any day.  I don’t know if maybe the chocolate was just too intense for me when I had a good sized piece of dessert with it or what, but I have always preferred vanilla.  That is until lately.  I feel like in the last year I have come to appreciate chocolate more, actually craving chocolate things and wanting to make more chocolate cakes and desserts.  I guess now it is more of a balance between chocolate and vanilla which is good because everyone needs balance and variety in their life right?

    Chocolate Fudge Gelato 3

    So I was in one of these chocolate sort of moods last Friday, and I wanted some chocolate gelato.  Rich, smooth, silky chocolate gelato…it was sounding really good to me when I was on my post work stress relieving walk.  So, it had to happen.  I knew I could pull it off fast, ice cream is so easy and quick to make, when you are impatient or have little time.  It ended up being only 6 ingredients.  This is not diet or low fat ice cream.  So if you are one  of those people who fears fat, you might as well stop right here.  It does however contain healthy fats.  Coconut milk and walnut butter.  Nothing like getting some healthy omega 3 oils in your ice cream (walnuts have more than other nuts, which is why I love them). I sweetened it with dates, because I love how they give things almost a caramel flavor note.  It ended up being only 6 ingredients which is awesome for those who like simple things which was me the day I made it, I was not into having a big long ingredient list.

    Chocolate Fudge Gelato 1

    The base tasted amazing, and once churned into soft serve it tasted like delicious fudge ice cream, which is why I am calling it that.  It was so rich and chocolaty, sweet and delicious. Just a small serving will satisfy, which is good for those of use “ahem” (me) who sometimes are not good with portion control when it comes to things that are really good.  If you are in a chocolate mood, you need to try this.  It will make you happy, I promise.  Even if you don’t have an ice cream maker, I have instructions for you so you can enjoy it.

    Chocolate Fudge Gelato 4

    6 Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Fudge Gelato

    Makes 4 cups

    2 15 oz can organic full fat coconut milk
    1 1/2 cups soft medjool dates, pitted (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes and drain well before using in the recipe)
    ½ cup raw walnut or almond butter
    1/2 cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    1/2 tsp sea salt
    2 tsp pure vanilla extract

    Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions. Once it has finished, pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and freeze for about 4 hours or until firm enough to scoop. Enjoy!

    *Note, if you do not have an ice cream maker you may also freeze it this way. Pour into a bowl, and place in the freezer. Whisk once every half hour until it has frozen to the consistency of soft serve. Then pour into your freezer safe container.

    *If your ice cream gets hard, let sit out about 15-20 minutes before scooping.



  • Vegan Galaxy Berry Swirl Ice Cream

    Vegan Galaxy Berry Swirl Ice Cream

    I wanted to make a red, white and blue ice cream for the 4th, but I never thought that I would end up with a beautiful galaxy ice cream.  Most of the time in my kitchen, recipes sort of go like this.  It is an experiment, I am not exactly sure how it will turn out, and I build on it as I go, writing down the process so I can share it if it is a successful recipe.  So, I have made ice cream hundreds of times before, I know how to do that, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted an ice cream cake, or just a berry ice cream that was scooped.  If I mixed all of the berries together in the ice cream and blended it, then I wouldn’t have a pretty red, white and blue ice cream, it would just be purple.  So I decided to make layers of ice cream in a container.

    I made a vanilla almond coconut milk ice cream base which was delicious, silky and tasted better than any dairy that I remember having before going vegan. It was like the heavy cream of vegan milks if you will. I figured I would freeze it in the ice cream machine, then divide it in two and make one blueberry flavor and one strawberry raspberry flavor. It worked well, but when I was whisking the berries into the vanilla ice cream, it created these lovely swirls of color, and it looked kind of patriotic to leave some white in with the colors. I froze it like that in a container, and I expected it to be pretty, but what I ended up with was galaxy ice cream.

    You know, the galaxy trend that you see everywhere nowadays, like the galaxy prints on clothing, galaxy doughnuts etc…you know those beautiful swirling colors that look like a galaxy? Well this ice cream looked like that, so it was only appropriate to give it that name.  Just a beautiful accident.  I love it when my experiments yield better than expected results.  Because you know sometimes, I mess up and have to throw out a recipe and that makes me very sad.  Luckilly it doesn’t happen often and the good times more than make up for the mess ups.  Anyways, now I have this delicious ice cream to enjoy for the 4th of July to feel festive with!  I hope you are all having a wonderful day with your families and friends at your BBQs and get togethers!

    Vegan Galaxy Berry Swirl Ice Cream
    Makes 6 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 2 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    • 1 cup raw almond or cashew butter
    • 1/2 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh organic strawberries and raspberries (mixed together)
    • 1 1/2 cups fresh organic blueberries

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine all ingredients but berries in a blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions. Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.
    3. Meanwhile, while the ice cream is churning, puree the strawberries and blueberries separately and place in separate bowls.
    4. Divide the ice cream between the two bowls, and fold in the berry mixture leaving streaks of white.
    5. Spoon into a freezer safe container with a lid, alternating the two flavors, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.

     



  • Vegan Matcha Mint Chip Ice Cream

    Vegan Matcha Mint Chip Ice Cream

    There is nothing more refreshing to me than mint lately. My favorite thing to do after a workout or being in the hot sun is to take a bath with peppermint oil, or use my home made peppermint body spray after. It is so cooling and it smells amazing. Another favorite refreshing thing, iced matcha lattes. I got to thinking about the two and got it into my head that I should make some matcha mint chip ice cream. I am always thinking about what recipe I want to make next and what sounds good. Especially when I am hungry after a run. So I had to make said ice cream. It was about 90 degrees the day I made it so it was the perfect thing to cool off with!

    Matcha Peppermint Chip Ice Cream 1

    Mint chip ice cream (or peppermint bon bon as we called it here) was always a favorite of mine when I was little, I would have it at my Dad’s house. I loved the pretty light green color and little flecks of chocolate. I loved it even more when served with hot fudge. Now as an adult, I know that green color is fake, it was loaded with refined sugar, and that dairy would give me a tummy ache. But it is still a good memory, and I am not sad because I know I can make my own vegan healthier version. Adding the matcha is my grown up twist and this ice cream is a lovely color thanks to the mint and matcha not artificial color.

    Matcha Peppermint Chip Ice Cream 2

    This ice cream tastes wonderful, let me tell you. It is so smooth and rich tasting you would swear it had real cream but it is actually coconut milk and cashews. My favorite combination for a smooth ice cream base. I added in my favorite vegan sugar free chocolate chips and it was epic. I could not just have a scoop of it, I had to have a bowl. But that is the way I have always been with ice cream! If you are looking for a better version of a childhood classic, you need to try this out!

    Matcha Peppermint Chip Ice Cream

    Vegan Matcha Mint Chip Ice Cream
    Makes 3 cups

    1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    1 Tbsp matcha powder
    1 cup fresh organic peppermint leaves
    1/4 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    1 cup vegan chocolate chips

    Combine all ingredients but the chocolate chips in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions, then stir in the chips. Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.



  • 5 Ingredient Vegan Blackberry Hazelnut Ice Cream

    5 Ingredient Vegan Blackberry Hazelnut Ice Cream

    Blackberry Hazelnut Ice Cream 1

    When I bought an ice cream maker about 10 years back, I had no idea how much I would use it.  But I ended up using it almost every week for a few years.  I originally bought it because I wanted to create healthier ice cream than the store bought that wasn’t full of weird additives.  At the time, I wanted everything to be low fat, sugar free (back in the days when I considered that healthy, and did not read ingredients on things necessarily to find out what was being subbed for those things). I of course didn’t have a blog yet either and wasn’t vegan and I experimented with making things like low fat frozen yogurt (which did not have a very good texture).  The ice creams tasted ok, but there was one ingredient that I discovered which really changed home made ice cream making for me and allowed me to create some bomb ice creams. Coconut milk.  I started out with low fat, but then got hooked on full fat organic for the silkiest creamiest ice creams.  It is a blank palate ready for whatever flavors you wish to make.

    Blackberry Hazelnut Ice Cream 2

    I now pretty much have the ice cream thing down. It is equally good made with young coconut meat and cashews mixed together for a good mouthfeel.  But when you are in a hurry, coconut milk is hands down the winner as far as I am concerned.  I now know that my body needs healthy fats in order to function, and I am not fat phobic, so I no longer make low fat ice cream because I would rather have a smaller serving of something that tastes amazing than a large serving of something mediocre.  Unless of course it is banana nice cream, which is soft serve and that is a different story (love that stuff).  So if you want low fat, make banana soft serve. If you want more traditional tasting ice cream, read on.

    Blackberry Hazelnut Ice Cream 3

    I made this wonderful blackberry hazelnut ice cream last week to go with a pie I had made and it was sooo good!  I had to share the recipe with you all because it is only 5 ingredients and super simple to make.  The texture kind of reminds me of gelato, and the flavor is like no other.  Sweet and nutty.  Like Fancy PB and J thanks to the hazelnut butter and blackberries. If you get some fresh organic blackberries, you must try this ice cream.  I have included instructions both for with an ice cream maker and without, so no excuses not to try it!

    Blackberry Hazelnut Ice Cream

    5 Ingredient Vegan Blackberry Hazelnut Ice Cream
    Makes 3 cups

    1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    1/2 cup raw hazelnut butter
    1 1/2 cups fresh organic blackberries
    1/4 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    1/4 tsp sea salt

    Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions. Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt. Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.



     

     

     

     

  • 5 Ingredient Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

    5 Ingredient Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

    It was really hot and sticky last Monday.  I went out for a walk in the afternoon, and when I got home, I felt like I had been dipped into a stinky pond.  I took a refreshing bath laced with peppermint oil, and that helped to cool me down, but I also decided that I needed to make ice cream.  Because ice cream is always appreciated on a hot day, am I right?!  I knew I wanted to make something with strawberries, since I had a bunch of organic strawberries on hand, but I did not want it to require a lot of time or energy to make.

    Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

    If you have followed my blog at all, you may have noticed in the past I make some pretty fabulous ice cream flavors with a few components, like red velvet cake ice cream, or blueberry cobbler ice cream that have things that have to be made besides just the ice cream.  Well I was not doing that.  I wanted a simple blend and churn and chill ice cream.  What I decided on was strawberry cheesecake ice cream.  And it only ended up having 5 ingredients, which was awesome.

    Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream 3

    I always make coconut milk based ice creams, but I enhanced this one with cashew butter to make it taste like cheesecake. The organic strawberries were pretty sweet and flavorful, so all that was needed to sweeten it was some dates (but not too many).  This is as simple as it gets, but I promise you it is so good, and so worth making for yourself to enjoy!  I have included instructions for both with an ice cream maker and without, so everyone can make this.

    Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream 1

    5 Ingredient Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
    Makes 3 cups

    1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    1 1/2 cups fresh organic strawberries
    1/4 cup soft, pitted medjool dates (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes before using)
    1/4 tsp sea salt

    Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour it into a bowl, and whisk every half hour until it is to the consistency of a thick malt.  Pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and continue to freeze until firm enough to scoop (at least 4 hours or overnight). If it becomes too firm, simply let it sit out for 15 minutes before serving.



  • 5 Ingredient Vegan Salted Caramel Ice Cream

    5 Ingredient Vegan Salted Caramel Ice Cream

    It has been really warm here lately, more like Summer weather than Spring.  I think it is mostly the humidity, and it does wonders for plants but it makes me overheated and craving things like ice cream.  So, I decided that I needed to make ice cream.  I used to make ice cream every week, and have it in the freezer at all times.  But that habit has fallen by the wayside this past year and sadly I haven’t made any in a few months.  It used to be a thing of mine to make new flavors every week.  So, it was about time I made some.

    Caramel Ice Cream 1

    I wanted something simple and easy.  So I made some salted caramel ice cream.  Only 5 ingredients.  Just blend it up, freeze and enjoy!  Anyone can make this.  Including this busy girl.  I used coconut milk for the base because it is actually my favorite non-dairy milk to use in desserts, and especially ice cream.  Because to me, the ice cream needs to have the richness of the stuff I enjoyed as a child and coconut milk is perfect for that!  Dates are like nature’s caramel candy to me, so naturally I used them as the caramel in this.  Along with pecan butter, vanilla and sea salt you would swear this had real caramel in it.

    It is sooo good.  Good on its own, awesome with some raw caramel drizzled over it for extra goodness, or the perfect thing to serve atop some warm berry crisp.  I always like to serve my fruit pies and crisps warm with ice cream.  It is just the right thing to do.  Yes, I am picky.  Anyways, this ice cream is wonderful, so you should try it!  Don’t have an ice cream maker?  No worries, I have included the instructions for how to make the ice cream without it.

     

    Caramel Ice Cream 2

    5 Ingredient Vegan Salted Caramel Ice Cream

    Makes 4 cups

    2 15 oz can organic full fat coconut milk
    1 ½ cups soft medjool dates, pitted (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes and drain well before using in the recipe)
    ½ cup raw pecan butter
    1/2 tsp sea salt
    2 tsp pure vanilla extract

    Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions.  Once it has finished, pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and freeze for about 4 hours or until firm enough to scoop.  Enjoy!

    *Note, if you do not have an ice cream maker you may also freeze it this way.  Pour into a bowl, and place in the freezer.  Whisk once every half hour until it has frozen to the consistency of soft serve.  Then pour into your freezer safe container.

    *If your ice cream gets hard, let sit out about 15-20 minutes before scooping.



  • Raw Tag Along Blizzard

    Raw Tag Along Blizzard

    Tag Along Blizzard 4

    Last Sunday Eric wanted me to make him some sort of frozen treat, and I happened to have some raw tag along cookies in my freezer, so I thought, why not make a tag along blizzard?  He loves this sort of thing, sweet stuff stirred into ice cream. But this is way healthier than your typical blizzard since the “ice cream” is made from just bananas, peanut butter, vanilla and stevia.

    Tag Along Blizzard 1

    I used to love blizzards as a child, but the last time I had one (obviously before I went vegan) I was disappointed and it tasted fake to me.  So I am glad I can make my own delicious ones.  Really, any kind of sweet stuff chopped up would work.  But this time, the tag alongs were perfect.

    Tag Along Blizzard 3

    Eric devoured that blizzard in no time flat.  I had scooped some out for myself to enjoy too and we both agreed it was delicious.  It reminded me of warmer days and Summer, and luckily that day it was almost 70 degrees which is pretty darn nice for March.  Anyways, if you are a fan of tag along cookies, this blizzard is a must try. You will have leftover tag along cookies to enjoy too since the blizzard doesn’t use them all if you make the recipe for raw tag alongs I linked to.

    Tag Along Blizzard

    Raw Tag Along Blizzard
    Serves 3

    Ice Cream:
    8 frozen organic bananas, cut into chunks
    1/4 cup organic raw jungle peanut butter
    1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    stevia to taste

    1 cup Raw Tag Along Cookies, cut into pieces

    To make the blizzard, combine the bananas, peanut butter, vanilla and stevia to taste in a high speed blender and process until smooth using the tamper to press the mixture down into the blade.  Pour the mixture into a bowl, stir in the tag along chunks and then pour into serving glasses. Enjoy!



  • Vegan Tag-Along Ice Cream

    Vegan Tag-Along Ice Cream

    Next to samoa Girl Scout cookies, tag alongs were always a favorite.  I have never been able to resist peanut butter and chocolate.  I have made raw tag along cookies, but this year I decided to bake some, and they turned out delicious. I made some buttery tasting drop cookies that reminded me of shortbread for the base, and they were perfect with the peanut butter and chocolate, tasting better than real tag along cookies.

    Tag Along Ice Cream 1

    I wanted to make something with them.  Some ice cream.  I was craving ice cream, probably because the weather is warming up here.  So, tag along ice cream it was.  There was a time for a while a few years back when I would make ice cream every week, but I fell out of that habit, and I hadn’t made any for probably half a year. I was kind of missing it.

    Tag Along Ice Cream 3

    So, this was the perfect way to break that ice cream fast.  Eric loves tag alongs too, so I had the perfect person to share it with. I made a peanut butter coconut milk ice cream base, and it tasted heavenly.  Once the cookies were stirred in and it was frozen, even better.  This is waaaayyyy better than anything you can buy at the store.  So good.

    Tag Along Ice Cream 5

    Vegan Tag-Along Ice Cream

    Makes about 4 cups

    Ice cream:
    1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    2/3 cup organic peanut butter
    1/2 cup coconut sugar (or to taste)
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    2 cups vegan tag along cookies (recipe follows), cut into pieces
    To make the ice cream, place all ingredients but the cookies into a high speed blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to package directions.  Alternatively, if you do not have an ice cream maker, pour into a bowl, and place in the freezer, whisk every half hour until frozen. Once the ice cream has frozen (but not hardened, you want to be able to stir in the chunks) using either method, stir in the chunks and pour into a freezer safe container with a lid.  Allow to set in the freezer for a few hours at least until it is firm enough to scoop.  If it gets too hard ever, just let it sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes before serving.

    Tag Along Ice Cream 2

    Vegan Tag Along Cookies

    Makes 8 larger tag alongs

    1 cup gluten free all purpose flour

    1/4 tsp baking soda

    6 Tbsp coconut oil, softened

    1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
    1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    1/8 tsp sea salt

    8 scant Tbsp organic peanut butter
    1 1/2 cups chopped vegan dark chocolate
    Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, and baking soda.  In a large bowl, beat together coconut oil, sugar, vanilla, and sea salt. Mix in dry ingredients until well combined. Chill about 15 minutes until the dough is not as soft and wet, and roll into little 1 inch balls.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, and chill in the fridge until a little more firm, about 10 minutes.  Transfer parchment and cookies to another (unchilled) sheet, and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until set.  Cool on the pan for about 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool.
    Once cool, spoon about 1 scant Tbsp over each cookie, and spread out so it lays flat.  Place the cookies in the freezer and chill until hard, about 20 minutes.
    Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, and once it is melted, dip each cookie into it (letting the excess drain off, I like to set mine on a fork) and set on a piece of parchment paper. Once they are all dipped, place in the freezer for about 15 minutes to harden.
    Tag Along Ice Cream



  • Simple Vegan Vanilla Maple Sweet Corn Ice Cream

    Simple Vegan Vanilla Maple Sweet Corn Ice Cream

    I was given loads of fresh corn in my CSA box this week and I was trying to think of creative uses for it.  I love to just eat it raw and plain sometimes, and so does Eric.  The organic local varieties are so sweet and delicious without anything on them.  Because they are sweet, I like to use them in desserts sometimes.  I hadn’t made sweet corn ice cream in ages.  I had made a raw version a few years back which was a little more ingredients and complicated, but not a simple version with a coconut base.

    Sweet Corn Vanilla Ice Cream 2

    So I decided it was time to make that simple version.  No cracking coconuts, no nuts in this recipe, just good old organic canned coconut milk, the sweet corn, and some little additions of maple and vanilla to make it extra good.  Truth is, I was making this with a dessert I would be making later in the week in mind.  I love to serve cool ice cream with warm fruit desserts.  The combination makes me happy.

    Sweet Corn Vanilla Ice Cream 1

    This ice cream turned out sooo good!  Just the perfect amount of sweet, a light corn flavor with a hint of maple and vanilla.  Simply heavenly! If you think sweet corn in ice cream sounds weird…don’t knock it till you try it.  I can almost guarantee everyone will like this. It is sweet and simple on its own, but even better paired with fruit desserts like pie, cobbler and crisp.

    Sweet Corn Vanilla Ice Cream

    Simple Vegan Vanilla Sweet Corn Ice Cream

    Makes about 4 cups

    1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk

    2 cups organic sweet corn kernels

    seeds of one vanilla bean (or 2 tsp extract)

    1/4 tsp sea salt

    1/3 cup maple syrup (or to taste)

    1/2 tsp maple extract (optional)

    Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions. Once the ice cream has frozen, pour it into a freezer safe container with a lid, cover and freeze until firm enough to scoop (if it becomes too hard, let sit out 15 minutes before serving).



  • 40 Vegan Ice Cream Recipes

    40 Vegan Ice Cream Recipes

    I love ice cream year round, but this is the time of the year when I really, really, really appreciate it.  There is nothing like enjoying a bowl of cool ice cream on a hot Summer day to cool off.  There was a point in time I made an ice cream recipe a week.  And, they all had to be different.  So as you can imagine, I have tried out plenty of ice cream flavors. They were all pretty much amazing, but of course I have some favorites.  I decided that I would share with you my top 40 favorite vegan ice cream recipes in case you needed some inspiration as well. You will not find plain old chocolate or vanilla here, just recipes brought to life by my imagination and what I could possibly make into an ice cream flavor.  Hope you are all having a wonderful summer!  Stay cool, and enjoy!

    036

    PB & J Ice Cream

    003

    Pretty In Pink Ice Cream Sundae

    0102

    Lemon Basil Ice Cream

    019

    Raw Red Velvet Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

    Chocolate Mint Gelato 2

    Vegan Chocolate Mint Gelato

    008

    Raw Strawberry Lime Chipotle Ice Cream

    005

    Raw Banana Cream Pie Ice Cream

    Snickerdoodle Cookie Ice Cream 2

    Raw Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Ice Cream with Caramel

    Swirl

    018

    Raw Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Fresh Raspberry Sauce

     

    Apple Crumble Ice Cream 2

    Raw Apple Crumble Ice Cream

    Grape Ice Cream 2

    Raw Concord Grape Ice Cream

    0203

    Thai Peanut Ice Cream

    0011

    Apple Rosemary Ice Cream

    Tiramisu Ice Cream 3

    Raw Tiramisu Ice Cream

    002

    Raw Pink Grapefruit Lavender Ice Cream

    Cookie Dough Ice Cream 3

    Raw Cookie Dough Salted Caramel Ice Cream

    German Chocolate Icecream 1

    Raw German Chocolate Cake Ice Cream

    Chocolate Orange Ginger Ice Cream 2

    Raw Dark Chocolate Orange Ginger Caramel Swirl Ice Cream

    Kiwilicious Ice Cream 1

    Raw Kiwilicious Ice Cream

    Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream 3

    Raw Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream

    Brownie Bliss Ice Cream

    Raw Brownie Bliss Ice Cream Sundae

    Lime in the coconut ice cream 1

    Raw Lime in the Coconut Ice Cream (coconut ice cream with lime swirl, and macaroons)

    Raw Banoffee Ice Cream 1

    Raw Banoffee Pie Ice Cream

    Red Berry Love Ice Cream 3

    Raw Love Berry Ice Cream

    Fruits of Summer Sundae 4

    Raw Fruits of Summer Ice Cream Sundae

    Strawberry Rhubarb Ginger Ice Cream

    Raw Strawberry Rhubarb Ginger Ice Cream

    002

    Raw Pineapple Habanero Ice Cream

    Hazelnut Mocha Ice Cream 3

    Raw Hazelnut Mocha Ice Cream Sundae

    Cherry Berry Sorbets 3

    Quick Berry Cherry Sorbet Sundae

    Cherry Brownie Ice Cream

    Raw Sweet Cherry Almond Brownie Chunk Ice Cream

    Dirty Turtle Ice Cream

    Raw Dirty Turtle Ice Cream

    Green Tea Strawberry Ice Cream 1

    Raw Green Tea Ice Cream with Strawberry Swirl

    Caramel Banana Pecan Ice Cream 1

    Raw Salted Caramel Banana Pecan Ice Cream

    Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream 4

    Raw Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream

    Cookies and Cream Mint Ice Cream FV

    Raw Minty Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

    Vanilla Cake Ice Cream 2

    Raw Vanilla Cake Ice Cream with Raspberry Swirl

    Triple Berry Cacao Bliss Ice Cream

    Raw Triple Berry Cacao Bliss Ice Cream

    Blueberry Cobbler Ice Cream 1

    Raw Blueberry Cobbler Ice Cream

    Chocolate Silk Pie Ice Cream 2

    Raw French Silk Pie Ice Cream

    Raw Carrot Cake Ice Cream 3

    Raw Carrot Cake Ice Cream



  • Vegan Chocolate Mint Gelato

    Vegan Chocolate Mint Gelato

    Chocolate Mint Gelato 1

    It has been quite warm here lately which has me thinking about ice cream a lot.  Not that I don’t like ice cream year round, because I enjoy it in the winter too, but now nice cool desserts sound amazing after coming inside from a hot humid day, or working in a hot kitchen.  I wanted to make something rich, smooth and chocolaty last week, and what I ended up making was some amazing ch0colate mint gelato.

    Chocolate Mint Gelato

    I am calling it gelato at least, because that is what the texture of the finished ice cream reminded me of.  It was super simple to make which is always a plus and it had the most amazing silky texture.  I achieved this texture by using coconut milk and avocado…it is like mousse ice cream sooo good!  Not low fat at all…but I don’t care.  I am not  fat phobic and these are healthy fats our bodies need to function and absorb nutrients.  The flavor was wonderful, like truffles.  The mint makes it even more cooling which is perfect for summer.  If you are craving something rich, delicious and cool, this is your recipe!

      Chocolate Mint Gelato 3

    Vegan Chocolate Mint Gelato

    Makes about 4 cups

    Ingredients:

    3 ripe avocadoes, diced

    1 can full fat coconut milk (if you want to make it raw, use raw coconut milk, 1 1/2 cups)

    1/4 cup filtered water

    1/2 cup maple syrup

    pinch sea salt

    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

    1/2 cup fresh mint leaves or 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

    3/4 cup cacao powder

    In a high speed blender or food processor, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.  Pour into an ice cream maker, and process according to directions.  Once churned, pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, cover and chill until scoopable (mine took about 6 hours, it depends on how firm it is out of the ice cream maker).



  • Raw Tutti Frutti Ice Cream

    Raw Tutti Frutti Ice Cream

    Tutti Frutti Ice Cream 4

    Sprout Living was kind enough to send me some more of their Green Kingdom Epic Protein powder to use in recipes.  In case you didn’t catch my other post about it a few months back, this stuff is awesome!  Honestly, it is my all time favorite protein powder.  It is delicious as well as packed with nutrients including greens, it has a good texture, and most importantly it helps me refuel after a workout and feel good.  So what all is in this stuff?  Well, a blend of sprouted brown rice, yellow pea, sacha inchi, and cranberry proteins as well as superfoods  and greens.  It is raw, vegan, and organic.  I love it just plain with water mixed in (not all protein powders taste good that way, but theirs does).  And it is wonderful in smoothies and shakes like the Raw Green Berry Layered Shake I made recently. It has a fruity flavor to it, so I thought why not add it to a tropical ice cream recipe!

    Tutti Frutti Ice Cream

    I ended up making what I called Tutti Frutti Ice Cream.  I am not sure what the original or traditional tutti frutti ice creams had in them, but this tasted tutti frutti to me!  So delicious, a blend of mango, pineapple and banana with the sweet fruity protein and marbled with a strawberry swirl plus a plain fruit blend swirl for a pretty effect.  It was sooo good!

    Tutti Frutti Ice Cream 3

    Why not have your ice cream and get some protein too!  The protein powder enhanced the flavor and made it taste even better. Plus you get some of your daily greens in your ice cream!  If you have not tried the Sprout Living Green Kingdom Epic Protein Powder, you should definitely get on it.  I am super picky about protein powders and I love it.

    Tutti Frutti Ice Cream 1

    Raw Tutti Frutti Ice Cream 

    Makes 4 cups

    1 cup ripe mangoes

    1 cup ripe pineapple

    1 cup mashed banana

    2 cups young coconut meat

    3/4 cup coconut water

    2 tsp pure vanilla extract

    1/4 tsp sea salt

    1/2 cup raw coconut nectar

    3/4 cup coconut butter

    2 scoops Sprout Living Epic Green Kingdom Protein Powder

    Swirl:

    1/2 cup fresh strawberries

    1 Tbsp coconut nectar

    In a high speed blender or food processor, combine all ingredients for the ice cream until smooth.  Remove 1/3 cup of the mixture and set aside.  Add the protein powder to the remaining mixture in the blender and blend until smooth.  Pour the mixture with the protein powder into an ice cream maker, processing according to the package directions.
    Meanwhile, to make the swirl, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor until smooth, and set aside until the ice cream is done. 
    Pour 1/3 of the finished ice cream into a freezer safe container, then drop some of the swirl by the Tbsp over that, as well as the plain mixture, then half the remaining ice cream, then more swirl and plain mixture, then the last of the ice cream and more swirl and plain mixture, and swirl with a knife to marble.  Let chill in the freezer for about 4 hours or overnight until more firm before scooping (if it becomes too hard, let sit out about 15-20 minutes before serving.  

    Tutti Frutti Ice Cream 2

  • Raw Green Tea Ice Cream with Strawberry Swirl

    Raw Green Tea Ice Cream with Strawberry Swirl

    Green Tea Strawberry Ice Cream 3
    When I was enjoying a cup of warm matcha recently, I admired the lovely green color in my mug and I thought, how lovely would it be to make a matcha ice cream with a strawberry swirl?  The green contrasting the red, and the earthy matcha paired with the sweet berries.  I had to make it.  I have always been a fan of matcha ice cream, ever since I tasted some as an 8 year old in a Japanese restaurant.  At that point, I felt like I was eating something exotic and special.

    Green Tea Strawberry Ice Cream

    I still love it.  Especially when made with coconut based ice cream, because that flavor is perfect with the matcha.  That is exactly what I used for this recipe.  The base tasted wonderful, even before I put it in the ice cream maker.  Once frozen and swirled with a simple strawberry sauce, it was simply heavenly.  I don’t care if it is not summer yet, I love my ice cream.  And this is the perfect spring ice cream!
     Green Tea Strawberry Ice Cream 2

    Raw Green Tea Ice Cream with Strawberry Swirl
    Makes about 6 cups

    Ice Cream:

    1 cup coconut water

    2 Tbsp matcha powder

    4 cups young coconut meat*

    1/2 cup raw coconut nectar or maple syrup

    seeds of one vanilla bean or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

    a pinch of sea salt

    1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid

    Swirl:

    1 1/2 cups fresh organic strawberries

    2 Tbsp raw coconut nectar

    pinch sea salt
    Add coconut water to a high speed blender or food processor, along with matcha, coconut, coconut nectar, vanilla, and sea salt. Process until smooth, then with the processor running, add the coconut oil slowly and process until well incorporated, about a minute. Pour the strained mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.

    Meanwhile, to make the strawberry swirl, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Set aside.

    When ice cream has finished churning, remove from ice cream maker, and pour 1/3 of it into a freezer safe container with a lid. Then spoon some of the swirl over. Then half the remaining ice cream, then more swirl, then remaining ice cream, then swirl.  Swirl the ice cream through with a knife to marble it.  Cover.  Let sit in the freezer for at least four hours or overnight to firm up to scoopable consistency.

    *If young coconut meat is unavailable, you may substitute 4 cups raw cashews, soaked 4 hours and drained.

    Green Tea Strawberry Ice Cream 1

  • Raw Banana Almond Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

    Raw Banana Almond Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

     

    Sprout Living was kind enough to send me some of their protein powder samples to try out and create recipes with.  I was super excited because being as active as I am protein powders are always something I use.  I love them in smoothies, but I sneak them into other recipes as well.  Their protein powders appealed to me because they are raw, contain no GMOs, are gluten free, all made from whole foods and are vegan.  They all contain a good amount of protein per serving 19-26 grams depending on the flavor or type you choose which is getting your protein bang for your buck if you ask me! The big thing with me and protein powder if they taste good, how they make me feel and how is the consistency.  I have to say, theirs more than passed the test!  All of the flavors tasted great to me, I felt energized and the consistency was perfect!  


    I couldn’t wait to start trying it in recipes as well, and the first I decided to make was ice cream.  I sometimes add protein powder to my ice cream to give it a boost and make it a little better consistency.  I thought their vanilla lucuma Epic Protein would be perfect in some raw banana almond ice cream.  


    The base tasted amazing.  With the protein powder and addition of a little almond butter and the coconut banana base, it was incredibly silky and I could have drank it as was.  After it was processed in the ice cream maker, I decided that I wanted to add in some texture and extra deliciousness in the form of raw chocolate chunks and almonds.  It was simply heavenly!  

    And, I got a little extra boost of protein with my ice cream, which is always a good thing for me.  If you are looking for a protein that is clean, delicious and tastes wonderful, be sure to check out Sprout Living’s Website!  I can say that I have been enjoying this protein before and after my runs this week and I feel pretty energetic! Stay tuned, I will be using some of their other protein powders in recipes soon!

    Raw Banana Almond Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
    Makes about 6 cups

    Ice Cream:
    1 cup coconut water
    3 cups young coconut meat*
    2 cups ripe bananas, sliced
    1/4 cup Sprout Living Epic Protein vanilla lucuma flavor
    1/2 cup raw date paste (or maple syrup or raw coconut nectar or your choice liquid sweetener)
    seeds of one vanilla bean (or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract)
    1 tsp almond extract
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    1/4 cup raw almond butter
    1/4 cup raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid

    1 cup chopped raw almonds
    1 cup chopped raw dark chocolate

    To make ice cream base, to a high speed blender or food processor, add coconut water, coconut, bananas, protein powder, paste, vanilla, almond extract, sea salt, and almond butter and process until very smooth, about a minute or two. Add the coconut butter slowly so it gets incorporated and doesn’t clump up.  Process a minute more.  Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to directions.
    Set aside.  When the ice cream is done churning, remove from ice cream maker, stir in chopped almonds and chopped raw dark chocolate.  Place in the freezer and let sit for at least four hours or overnight to firm up to scoopable consistency (if it becomes too hard, let sit out for about 15 minutes before scooping).    *you may substitute 3 cups raw cashews soaked 4 hours and drained well for the young coconut meat if it is unavailable, or use 3 cups canned full fat coconut milk (if you are ok with it not being completely raw). 

  • Vegan Double Cookie Dough Blizzard and Zimt Artisan Chocolate Giveaway!

    Vegan Double Cookie Dough Blizzard and Zimt Artisan Chocolate Giveaway!

    Emma over at Zimt Artisan Chocolates was kind enough to send me a few samples to try.  Dark Chocolate Baking Pieces, which I made some Vegan Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cupcakes with, as well as some Double Chocolate Macaroons, and Cookie Dough Cups.  They were all amazing!  If you have never checked out Emma’s products before over at Zimt, you simply must!  I am always drooling over the things she posts on Facebook  and Instagram!  The best part is, you can order these products and enjoy them too!

    I thought you might all like to know a little bit about Emma and her chocolate business, so I decided to include a short interview with her in this post.  Here’s Emma!

     

    What got you interested in raw chocolate? 
    Well, it was a bit of a long and winding road. I became vegan almost 9 years ago- I had always felt that equality was a great idea, and I wanted to treat animals as equals and with respect. So, once I transitioned into that, I learned about the health benefits of raw foods- it was really intriguing to me- especially as I thought eating more raw foods would make me feel the need to sleep less due to huge bouts of energy! So, raw foods were definitely on my radar and in my fridge- including the one I used when I was studying for a term in Germany. I squished my courses for the year together, to fit into one term, and took the rest of my time on the continent to travel. Other than a myriad of incredible cultures, sights and, well, trains- there was raw chocolate. “This stuff would go over so well in my hometown, Vancouver, Canada.” I thought to myself. It would be safe to say that about 30% of the population live in yoga pants- we value healthy stuff. Raw chocolate seemed like it would be embraced and would make for a happy city.
     
    When did you start your company? 
    I started Zimt Artisan Chocolates, technically, 4 years ago. Though it seems like about a million! I’ve really only started to “get how it works” within the past year, though. So much to learn!
    How did your company get its name? Zimt means “cinnamon” in German. German is actually my first language and so I wanted to incorporate that into my company name. But many words in German are incredibly long, or have unfamiliar characters, or are not so easily pronounced by native English speakers. That was really basically it! I didn’t put the connection between cinnamon, blood sugar stabilization, and coconut sugar’s lower GI together until a while after, haha. I think my brain was a little preoccupied with all the other aspects of starting a business!
     
    What has been your best experience since starting Zimt? 
    Hands down, the wonderful people I have met. (Eating lots of chocolate is a close second!). Learning lots and lots has been incredible as well- lots of steep learning curves, but I am happy to be learning so much so early in the game.
     
    Any interesting stories about working in the chocolate business? 
    Oh I have a bunch! I met my Special Someone through Zimt- I guess he saw my website, but at that point, I had hardly had any stores carrying my product! He contacted me and well… the rest is history. I have a billion stories about how helpful my mom has been to me- she is most likely the most patient person to ever exist (and she has to be, with the kids she’s got ;-)). My Oma helps me lots, too, which has been so wonderful. I have a lot of stories that show how much you need to want something in order to get through the tough times. So, so many…
     
    What are your favorite things to do when you are not making chocolate? 
    You know what? I don’t even make the chocolate anymore! … that’s why it tastes so good. Thank goodness I have a talented team! When I am not working on Zimt, although I really do enjoy working, I love working out, volunteering at a local cat shelter, biking, learning languages, kickboxing, violin (eventually…), researching social justice and societal issues, learning about the history of human evolution (yep that’s right), and getting to spend time with my loved ones, which does not include work.
     
    What do you hope to accomplish with your company in the future? 
    Oh so much. Donating more to organizations I believe in- especially animal sanctuaries.  I’ve always been drawn to Africa, too. My ideal would be to create a sustainable, completely ethical, cocoa farm that provides valuable, safe, fulfilling, and very well-paying work to locals. It just breaks my heart to think of anyone getting taken advantage of, all animals- human or not, and I basically just want to grow Zimt as epically as possible for their benefits. 

    Emma is a pretty awesome lady right?!  Out of all of the products she sent me, the cookie dough was my favorite.  Although I could have eaten the cookie dough cups as they were (and I did about half of them), I decided that they would make an awesome blizzard.  Cookie dough blizzards were always my favorite as a child, and I knew the Zimt cookie dough would make the best ever! I made a creamy maca cacao laced ice cream base and it was super decadent with the three cookie doughs stirred in.  Talk about being on cloud 9!  This was the best cookie dough blizzard ever. Not only am I sharing the recipe for these with you today, but Emma has been kind enough to allow me to do a giveaway of her product as well!  I will be giving away some of her goodies, a Chocolate Nib’d Chocolate Bar, Coconut Crisp Chocolate Bar, and Dark Chocolate Baking Pieces to one lucky winner (US and Canada only please)!  Just in time for Valentine’s Day, how perfect is that?!  Just scroll to the bottom of the page to enter! If you would like to purchase some of Emma’s chocolate treats for yourself visit her website HERE.

    Vegan Double Cookie Dough Blizzard

    Serves 2
    Ice Cream:
    6 large bananas, frozen and cut into pieces
    1/4 cup raw coconut milk (depending on how liquidy you like it, I like mine thick so I add less)
    1 Tbsp raw maca powder

    1 Tbsp raw lucuma powder (optional)
    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

    2 Tbsp raw walnut butter
    stevia to taste (or your choice liquid raw sweetener)
    1/3 cup raw cacao powder
    2 pkgs of Zimt Cookie Dough, diced (it is best that you choose 2 flavors)
    For the ice cream, banana, milk, maca, lucuma, vanilla, walnut butter, stevia and cacao powder in a blender and blend until smooth, using the tamper to press the mixture into the blades. Stir in most of the cookie dough.  Pour into glasses and top off with more cookie dough.  Serve!

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  • Pretty In Pink Ice Cream Sundae

    Pretty In Pink Ice Cream Sundae

    Since I was a child, I have always been attracted to all things pink.  It is just a happy color!  Things have not changed now that I am 27.  I wanted a pink Birthday cake this year, and it was pink, inside and out!  So when I saw a challenge on Sweetly Raw to create a vegan ice cream sundae, I got to thinking, I need to enter this, and I thought a pink one would be lovely!  I could make 3 different pink flavors of ice cream and top them off with delicious things!  There would be no bubble gum or cotton candy flavored ice creams…I was thinking more along the lines of pink fruit flavors! 

     

    First off, raspberry lavender.  It is such a beautiful combination with the sweet tart berries, and the floral almost herbal lavender. I thought I could top it off with some fresh raspberry sauce as well to balance out the sweet ice cream. Second, a strawberry rosewater ice cream.  Since strawberries have a more delicate sweet flavor, I thought they would pair well with the delicately flavored rosewater.  It was the most beautiful light pink color, and I topped it off with a bit of red sweet strawberry sauce. Third, was a cherry almond ice cream.  I love this combination of flavors, as the sweet cherries and almonds work well with one another.  It was a little nutty and sweet, similar to a cherry nut ice cream I enjoyed as a child and ordered often at the local ice cream shop.  I topped it off with a bit of cherry almond sauce, keeping with the pattern of the sundae so far. 



    Although the sundae would be delicious with just the ice creams and their sauces, I thought it deserved to have a little crunch as well, so I added some pistachios.  The green color was beautiful against the pink ice creams.  Also, some fresh fruit was needed!  After all…what is a sundae without a cherry on top?  Or some strawberries and raspberries! I piled it all into one of my Grandmother’s antique rose bowls because I felt the lovely pink was appropriate for such a creation.  I couldn’t wait to dive in, and it was delicious!  All of the beautiful fragrant fruit flavored silky ice creams and sweet sauces!  I am not emabarassed to say I polished off the entire bowl! 

     

    Pretty In Pink Ice Cream Sundae

    cherry almond ice cream:
    makes 5 cups

    3 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled
    2 cups organic cherries, pitted
    3/4 cup agave nectar
    2 Tbsp almond butter
    1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    1 tsp pure almond extract
    1/4 tsp sea salt

    In a blender combine all ingredients, and process until well blended. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Once processed, pour into a freezable container with a lid, and place in the freezer for at least 8 hours, or overnight to firm up for best results.

    raspberry lavender ice cream:
    Makes 5 cups


    1 cup full fat coconut milk
    2 Tbsp dried lavender, divided
    2 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled
    3/4 cup agave nectar
    12 oz fresh organic raspberries or 12 oz bag frozen raspberries
    1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    1/4 tsp sea salt

    In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup lite coconut milk to a simmer and remove from heat. Add 1 Tbsp dried lavender flowers and stir in. Let cool, then chill in the fridge until very cold to let lavender infuse. Strain coconut milk, discarding lavender then add chilled milk to a blender, along with all other ingredients (except remaining 1 Tbsp dried lavender) in a blender, and process until well blended. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Once processed, stir in remaining Tbsp lavender and pour into a freezable container with a lid, and place in the freezer for at least 8 hours, or overnight to firm up for best results.


    strawberry rosewater ice cream:
    Makes 5 cups


    3 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled
    2 cups organic strawberries, hulled
    3/4 cup agave nectar
    1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    1 1/2 tsp rosewater
    1/2 tsp sea salt


    Combine all ingredients in a blender, and process until well blended. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Once processed, pour into freezable container with a lid, and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results.


    Raspberry Sauce:
    2 cups fresh raspberries
    2 Tbsp agave nectar
    2 tsp pure vanilla extract



    Strawberry Sauce:
    2 cups fresh organic strawberries
    2 Tbsp agave nectar
    2 tsp pure vanilla extract


    Cherry Sauce:
    2 cups fresh organic cherries, pitted
    2 Tbsp agave nectar
    1 tsp almond extract

    For the raspberry sauce, puree all ingredients until nearly smooth, and set aside until ready to assemble. Repeat with remaining sauces.   


    For assembly:
    1/4 cup pistachios (each sundae)
    fresh organic raspberries, strawberries and cherries
    fresh basil leaves


    To assemble, scoop 2 scoops of each ice cream into an obling bowl. Top with a bit of each fruit puree, pistachios, fresh fruit, and basil. Enjoy!