Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream
Learn how to make Vegan Chocolate Ice cream with just 7 simple ingredients. It's fresh-tasting, chocolatey, and perfectly sweet. The texture is phenomenal, too — it's creamy, decadent, and silky-smooth!
Servings 8 people
Calories 167kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 14-oz can full-fat coconut milk (1.5 cups)
- 1 14-oz can Lite coconut milk (1.5 cups)
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- ⅓ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Make sure that your ice cream maker base is completely frozen before beginning. I usually put mine in the freezer the night before.
- If you don't have a high-powered blender (like a Vitamix), you will need to soften the cashews first. To soften, boil water in a small pot and remove from heat. Add cashews and cover for 20 minutes. Then drain, rinse and discard soaking water.
- Add the cashews, coconut milk, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt to your blender. Blend on high until completely smooth. Cover and place in the coldest part of your fridge. Chill for at least 4-6 hours, or overnight. It should be very cold!
- Once chilled, add the mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It should usually take between 20-30 minutes. The mixture will thicken and look like soft serve when it's done.
- Using a rubber spatula, transfer the ice cream to a large, freezer-safe container with a lid, smooth the top, and cover. Freeze it for at least 3 to 6 hours, or until it is firm. If you don't have a container with a lid, cover it tightly with plastic wrap.
- To serve, let the ice cream thaw at room temp for about 10-15 minutes to slightly soften. Before freezing again, cover the surface of the ice cream with wax paper or plastic wrap and then cover with the lid. This will prevent ice crystals from forming.
Notes
- Storing - This ice cream will last in the freezer for about two weeks in an airtight container. It can last longer, but ice crystals are more likely to form.
- Yields a little over 1.5 quarts
- Serving size is about ½ cup.
- If you don't have a powerful blender, the cashews might not completely break down and this could result in a gritty texture. You can try soaking the cashews in cool water, overnight in the fridge to get them really soft.
- I like to use whole cashews rather than pieces because they're usually the best quality. Lower quality cashews tend to have an aftertaste.
- I highly recommend using Dutch Process Cocoa Powder. It provides an intense dark chocolate flavor that is just heavenly. However, you can use a ½ cup of regular cocoa powder if you want and it'll still turn out chocolatey and delicious!
- If you want to add mix-ins, add them at the last few minutes of churning. Be careful not to add large pieces or this could break your machine.
- Don't overfill your ice cream maker bowl or it could overflow when it starts to thicken. Your instruction manual will provide a maximum fill line.
Nutrition
Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg