BEST VEGAN ICE CREAM RECIPES

Steps:

• Place the cashews in a large bowl. Add enough room-temperature water to cover the cashews. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and soak overnight.
• Place the bowl of an ice cream machine in the freezer overnight.
• Add the cashews and soaking water to a blender. Blend, starting on low speed and increasing to high until smooth and frothy, about 40 seconds. Strain into a large bowl through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth.
• Reserve 1 cup (240 ml) of cashew milk for the ice cream and store the rest in the refrigerator for up to a week for another use.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is clear, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cocoa butter, coconut oil, and salt. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
• In a blender, combine the cashew milk and coconut milk. Blend on low speed. With the blender running, pour in the sugar mixture to emulsify. Continue until well-blended, about 2 minutes.
• Pour the mixture into a large metal bowl and mix in the vanilla extract. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean and whisk to combine.
• Chill the base in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Add the chilled base to the ice cream maker and churn for 1 hour, or as long as the machine requires, until thick and creamy.
• Transfer the ice cream to a loaf pan and freeze overnight.
• Scoop and serve immediately.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Add the coconut milk, maple syrup and vanilla bean pod and seeds to a medium pot, and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. 
• Dissolve the arrowroot in 1 tablespoon water. Slowly drizzle it into the coconut milk mixture, whisking constantly. As soon as the mixture returns to a simmer, remove it from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl, remove the vanilla bean pod and set aside until the mixture stops steaming, then refrigerate until completely cool. 
• Churn the ice cream according to your ice cream maker's instructions (this will take 20 to 30 minutes). Serve immediately, or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months. 
• For vegan mint chocolate chip ice cream: As the ice cream churns, add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (or more to taste). Once the mixture is ready, add 1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate, and continue churning until combined. 
• For vegan strawberry ice cream: Chop 2 cups fresh strawberries, place them in a bowl and add 2 teaspoons each coconut sugar and maple syrup. Stir to combine. Set aside to macerate while the ice cream churns. You can also crush the strawberries slightly with a fork to create a chunky sauce. Once the ice cream is churned, pour in the strawberry mixture and churn until combined. 
• For vegan almond butter swirl ice cream: As soon as the ice cream is churned, drizzle in 1/3 cup almond butter and continue churning for a few seconds to distribute.