As the summer months approach, ice cream ascends the list of foods you crave. And while there is nothing wrong with enjoying the occasional dairy ice cream, a daily jaunt to your local ice cream parlor isn’t doing your bikini body any favors.
Make no mistake; the only other option is to not deprive yourself of summer’s iconic treat. Instead, enjoy it in a different way – a quick-fix, no-fuss vegan way. The following four recipes are basic ice cream recipes that give you the ice cream experience without the heaviness and hard-to-digest dairy. Free free to change them up, adding different textures, such as nuts and dried fruit, as well as additional frozen fruits, such as mangoes and berries.
1. Banana-Based “Ice Cream”
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
- 2 bananas
- 1 tablespoon sweetener (optional: agave, maple syrup, or sugar)
Directions
Peel the bananas, cut them into chunks, place into a zip-lock bag and freeze. Once frozen, add the bananas to a food processor and blend until smooth and fluffy. Pulse in the sweetener for extra sweetness, if desired.
2. Avocado-Based “Ice Cream”
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
- 1 banana
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/4 cup nut milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons sweetener (agave, maple syrup, or sugar)
- Handful of ice cubes (optional)
Directions
Peel the bananas, cut them into chunks, place into a zip-lock bag and freeze. Once frozen, add them to a blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.
3. Coconut Milk-Based Ice Cream
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 can (14 ounces) full-fat BPA-free coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons sweetener (agave, maple syrup, or sugar)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dash of salt
Directions
Blend the coconut milk with the other ingredients until smooth. Pour mixture into a freezer-safe container. Freeze. Remove from freezer and let sit at room temperature until softened just enough to be scooped with an ice cream scooper.
4. Cashew-Based Ice Cream
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 cup of cashews
- 1/3 cup water or nut milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons sweetener (agave, maple syrup, or sugar)
- Dash of salt
Directions
Cover cashews with filtered water and let them sit in a bowl for up to 8 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse. Place cashews in a blender or food processor with the water and blend until smooth. You can add more or less water, depending on how thick you want the result to be. Add the vanilla extract, sweetener and salt. For a chocolate version, add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Let chill in the refrigerator or freeze.
Photo Credit: stevendepolo