So I’m just going to be totally honest here, this doesn’t taste exactly the same as real ice cream, but it’s definitely really good. It settles that intense, ice cream-craving demon inside you and goes nicely on warm pies, brownies, even cookies.
Plus, it’s a lot healthier for you than real ice cream for a few reasons:
- There’s no refined sugar. It uses maple syrup rather than processed white sugar or corn syrup like most store-bought brands use.
- Less sugar overall. Milk and cream also contain their own natural form of sugar known as lactose. Since it doesn’t contain either of these, it decreases the sugar intake.
- Contains more healthy fats. Coconut and cashews both contain a lot of healthy monounsaturated fats and medium-chain fatty acids.
Throw these 6 ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. I chose to use cashews in the recipe to more closely resemble real ice cream. The cashews add creaminess and take away some of the coconut-y taste.
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Enjoy, friends!
Vanilla Coconut Cashew Ice Cream
NUTRITION FACTS: (per 1/2 cup serving) Calories: 348 Total Fat: 26.3g Saturated Fat: 10.5g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.0g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.0g Cholesterol: 0.0g Sodium: 74mg Potassium: 1.5mg Total Carbohydrate: 21.9g Dietary Fiber: 3g Sugars: 16.6g Protein: 5.5g
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked*
- 1 (15 oz) can full fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- * to soak cashews, add water to a bowl and allow to sit for 4-6 hours or overnight.
Directions
- Step 1 Drain water from cashews and add to a high-powered blender with remainder of ingredients.
- Step 2 Blend until really smooth and creamy. There shouldn’t be any chunks.
- Step 3 Optional: Let cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before transferring to the ice cream maker. I find this step makes it a bit creamier and it doesn’t get so hard in the freezer.
- Step 4 Put in an ice cream maker. Allow to churn for about 20 minutes or until thickened.
- Step 5 Store in the freezer in an airtight container.
- Step 6 When ready to eat, allow to sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes to thaw a bit before serving.
My ice cream maker is the KitchenAid KICA0WH Ice Cream Maker Attachment – Excludes 7, 8, and most 6 Quart Models
A 28-year-old Canadian, retired professional track and field athlete who has no idea what she’s doing with her life. (Yes, I’m being 100% serious) Let me explain...For the past 10 years, I’ve dedicated my life to winning an Olympic medal. After graduating from the University of Oregon, I got an agent, went pro, signed a contract with Nike and set off to make my dreams come true. In 2016, I won an Olympic bronze medal in the heptathlon.
