The Only Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipe You Will Ever Need: Cashew Milk Ice Cream (2024)

What would summer bewithout a gigantic bowl, heaping with delicious ice cream and topped with a cup of rainbowjimmies?

Terrible, that’s what.

But the alternate scenario that involves a whole-lotta dairy treats is an equally terrible and sometimes horrifying summer. You know the story. You indulge and have a gigantic bowl of delicious frozen delight and everything is butterflies and rainbows. A short time later, the clouds roll in and you’re in the throws of the most debilitating lactose intolerant episode of your life. All while wearing a bikini.

The bloating…

Ever since I was a child this has been my life. Resist the ice cream, feel sad and envious. Eat the ice cream, be full of sickness and regret. I really had to have some serious grown-up thoughts at a very young age. Tough decisions.

-The Search For Dessert-

For the longest time I had just accepted that I had one of two choices. Either eat “Nice Cream” which is just blended frozen bananas, or go to the grocery store and buy dairy-free ice cream that is full of sugar and stabilizers, and not full of a yummy ice cream taste.

Guys, those choices suck.

As I grew into full-sized adulthood, I decided “I have a degree in Dietetics. I get food science. How hard could it possibly be???” I became determined tohave my ice cream and eat it too.

Silly, silly me.

I can’t begin to tell you howmany pints of homemade ice cream I’ve made, tasted, been disgusted with, and then still ate. The reason why it never tasted right was because of the science of ice cream. I kick myself for not thinking of it sooner. For instance, cow milk and heavy cream are two important parts of traditional ice cream because they give the finished product a smooth and creamy texture. The higher the fat content of the ice cream, the softer the product. Sugar is also important because it not only makes it sweet, it keeps the ice cream from getting rock solid.

These key ingredients just so happen to be the ones I’ve been avoiding all of my life.

SO after far too many misfit pints and growing disdain for my lactose-tolerant friends, I finally found the perfectingredient. Cashew Milk.

Here’s why this recipe is the shiz:

1. Cashew Milk is much creamer and milder in flavor than its popular cousins Almond and Coconut. I am in love with the Silk brand.
2. The recipe you’ll be drooling over is prepared as a traditional “frozen custard” lending to a softer, more full-bodied product while still maintaining a solid nutrition profile.
3. It’s not that hard. Seriously.

***I HIGHLY recommend investing in an electric ice cream maker. I bought mine at the end of summer last year on clearance for a whopping $20. You can find the one I use HERE and even full price is pretty reasonable. ***

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Silk Original Cashew Milk (reserve 1/2 cup for the end process)

1 can full-fat Coconut Milk, unopened, refrigerated

3/4 cup Truvia Baking Blend Sweetener

2 Eggs, beaten

1/2 tbsp Vegan Butter, or real butter if not dairy free*

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Salt

-In a large pot, combine sugar, butter, vanilla, and 1 cup of Cashew Milk. Heat on medium until well combined.

-Open the chilled can of coconut milk and scoop out the “cream” which is the portion that has hardened, and add to the pot. Save the liquid portion for other recipes. (Maybe THIS from accidentally wonderful blog)

-In a separate bowl, beat the eggs well.

-Once the milk mixture begins to “steam” but not boil, remove a cup of the hot milk mixture and slowly stream it into the beaten eggs while mixing continuously until you have added about half of the ice cream base to the eggs. This is called tempering the eggs and ensures you won’t have scrambled eggs in your ice cream.

-Add the tempered egg mixture to the pot and cook on medium-low heat for about five minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a large container.

-Add remaining Cashew Milk and stir. Refrigerate overnight (or at least until cool) and then pour into your ice cream maker. *Make sure to follow the operation instructions on the ice cream maker. Most of them have a base that needs to freeze overnight before use.**

Trust me, it is not as complicated as it seems. I always keep the tumbler portion of my ice cream maker in the freezer when it is not in use. Then, if I want to whip up a batch the machine is ready.

Toppings I love:

Cookie Dough Quest Bar

Rainbow Jimmies (sprinkles)

Organic Dark Chocolate Sauce