This quick, dairy free ice cream is creamy, smooth, just sweet enough, and perfect for a celebration or a Monday.
Never Give Up Ice Cream
I was talking to a friend years ago and she was telling me about some health issues she was having. In a very subtle way, I mentioned that those problems could be caused by a dairy allergy or intolerance. She looked at me with such pain and said, “I could never give up ice cream!”
There is something so lovely about that cool, sweet creamy concoction that just screams joy. Never fear! Even if you have to avoid dairy there are still options out there. (If you are looking for some unsolicited advice about going dairy free, I have a post here that may be helpful.)
Cashews Boost the Creaminess
I have eaten and made my fair share of mediocre dairy free ice creams. Some are super icey, some don’t taste anything like they should because the base flavor is too overpowering (I’m looking at you coconut!), and some have bizarre textures. Whatever the reasons, ice cream without the cream of dairy can be difficult to replicate.
When purchasing dairy free ice cream from the store, you may notice the ingredient lists are often long. I love simple and basic. This recipe comes together with five simple, identifiable ingredients and it is delicious to boot!
The cashews in this recipe help boost the creamy factor. Raw cashews are the best to use. Raw typically means the nut hasn’t been heated or roasted. In its raw state, all the nutrients and vitamins stay in tact. Soaking increases the availability of the those nutrients.
This recipe can be made without soaking the cashews but soaking does help the cashews blend easier and it may also help with digestion. Do what works best for you.
Do You Have an Icecream Maker?
I invested in an electric ice cream maker years ago (mine is similar to this one) because buying dairy free ice cream for a family can also be expensive. Making it at home allows me to control all of the ingredients and I can make a larger quantity for a more reasonable price.
If you don’t own an ice cream maker, that’s ok. This recipe can be mixed up and frozen in ice cube trays. Once the cubes are completely frozen you can blend them in a blender. It will still be just as yummy though the texture will be a little different.
You can also modify this recipe with add-ins or toppings. For my birthday one year, I made a batch of paleo brownies and this ice cream recipe. I chopped up the brownies and sprinkled it on top. SO delicious! Bananas and peanut butter would be awesome too.
Dairy-Free Chocolate Cashew Ice Cream
1 cup raw cashews
2 cups almond milk (see notes)
2 ½ tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 pinches salt
Place the cashews in a glass bowl. Cover them with purified water. Let them sit at least four hours or overnight. Drain the water. Place the cashews in a high-powered blender. Add milk, cacao or cocoa, maple syrup and salt. Blend on high until the cashews are smooth.
I often blend everything together in the morning and then keep the ice cream mixture in the fridge in a Tupperwear until we are ready to put it in the ice cream maker to freeze it. It can last a couple days in the fridge.
Ice Cube Tray: Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. When completely firm, remove cubes from tray and put them in the blender. Blend until smooth. You may need to use the blenders tamper if you have one.
Ice Cream Maker: Use the ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.
Eat immediately. Place leftovers in a Tupperware container and keep in the freezer. The ice cream will freeze more firmly but it is still delicious and stays well in the freezer for weeks.
Tweak It Notes
- NUTS – if you can’t have nuts, this is not the right recipe for you since the nuts are an integral part.
- ALMOND MILK – you can substitute other dairy free milks for the almond milk.
- MAPLE SYRUP – You can substitute honey but it has a stronger flavor and it comes through in the final product. You can probably substitute half of the maple syrup with honey without any flavor change. You can also use coconut sugar or regular sugar.
- COCOA – We don’t love a super chocolatey chocolate ice cream at our house. If you want a richer chocolate flavor, add a little more cocoa powder.
