Easy, creamy delicious and I’ll tell you my very favourite way to eat it!
Make your own Dairy Free Vanilla Ice Cream? Yes. And it’s super easy? Correct. And it’s rich and creamy and delicious? You got that right. Let me tell you how…
I know what you’re wondering… How is it so creamy? Is it bananas? It’s bananas right? Nope, no bananas my friends and it’s also not whatever other dairy free ice creams are made of whatever that is.
It’s Cashews. Cashews? Yes, cashews. Combining smooth as silk cashews with rich full fat coconut milk results in an ice cream that is loaded with vanilla flavour and is absolutely dreamy.
My very favourite way to eat this ice cream? I make it into a Breakfast Affogato!! I love a good ‘breakfast for dessert’ dish and this one fits the bill. I mean, it’s pretty darn healthy in my books so I add a big scoop to a cup or bowl and pour freshly brewed hot espresso over it and tuck in. I highly, highly recommend giving this a try!!
Scroll past the recipe if you’re looking for tips, substitutions, questions, etc. and details on how to make this recipe, but if you want to get straight to it, here’s my recipe-ish…
Dairy Free Vanilla Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews soaked for 8 hours or overnight, drained and rinsed
- 1 14 oz can full fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Add the cashews, coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla and salt to a blender and blend well until very smooth.
- Process in an ice cream maker and then transfer to freezer.
- Or…
- Freeze in a container, giving it a stir every half hour for about 3 hours.
Breakfast affogato… hot espresso poured over this delicious dairy fee vanilla ice cream… you must try!
dairy free vanilla ice cream Recipe ingredients, tips, substitutions:
Cashews – raw, unsalted cashews, soaked overnight.
Coconut Milk – full fat canned coconut milk.
Vanilla – real vanilla. No substitutions. I like the little flecks of vanilla bean paste, but pure extract works just fine too.
Maple Syrup – use the real stuff here. Pure maple syrup.
Ice Cream Maker – I use an ice cream maker because I think it produced the best results, but you can still make it without one. To do so, you will place the mixture in the freezer and stir every 30 minutes or so for a few hours.
Dairy Free Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe Variations:
- Chocolate Chip Version – add in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips when the mixture is in the freezing process and starting to thicken.
- Sprinkle Version – add in 1/2 tsp almond extract with the vanilla. Add in 1/3 cup sprinkles when the mixture thickens during freezing.
- Coconut Version – add in 1/2 cup toasted sweetened coconut flakes when the mixture is in the freezing process and starting to thicken..
dairy free vanilla ice cream recipe, how to make it…
The first thing you’ll have to do is soak the cashew and I wouldn’t recommend skipping this step. Just cover them with cold water, refrigerate and leave them overnight. When you’re ready to make the ice cream, drain and rinse the cashews.
Dump the cashews into the blender along with the coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Blend this mixture until it’s super smooth. A high powered blender is your friend here.
Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and process until thick. At this point you can eat it just like soft serve and it is amazing. Otherwise, pour it into a freezer container and freeze until solid. If you don’t have an ice cream maker pour straight into a freezer container and freeze, stirring every 30 minutes or so for the first few hours.
To serve, allow to sit out at room temp to soften a bit before scooping. Don’t forget to try my Breakfast Affogato!
looking for more easier than they look dessert recipes? try these…
- Brown Butter & Bourbon Impossible Pie
- Air Fried Apples
- Upside Down Puff Pastry Tart
- Costco Raspberry Crumble Cookies
Let me know what you think below and if you like this Dairy Free Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe then I know you’ll love my Mochi Waffles Recipe. They’re also dairy free and super delish.
