No-Churn Vegan Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
This no-churn vegan cherry chocolate chunk ice cream is a sweet summer dream. Heaps of sweet cherries and chopped dark chocolate are folded into a naturally sweetened and super creamy cherry ice cream base. Best part? Thanks to Medjool dates and cashew butter, there's no need for a fancy ice cream maker or lengthy churn to make this epic vegan treat ultra rich and exceptionally dreamy!
Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk or cashew milk
- 1 1/2 cups 100% pure tart cherry juice
- 1 1/4 cups pitted and packed Natural Delights Medjool Dates (about 16 dates)
- 1 cup raw cashew butter*
- 1/4 cup natural almond butter**
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract (optional, for a richer cherry flavor)
- 3/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- 2–3 teaspoons grated fresh beet (optional, for color)
- 10 ounces pitted frozen sweet cherries, roughly chopped (keep frozen)
- 1 (3.5-ounce) bar non-dairy dark chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions
- Line a 5"x10" loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a high-speed blender, combine the almond milk, cherry juice, dates, cashew butter, almond butter, vanilla, almond extract, sea salt, and grated beet (if using). Blend on high for 3 minutes, or until completely smooth.
- Pour about half of the ice cream base into the lined pan and sprinkle with half of the sweet cherries and dark chocolate. Use the pointy end of a chopstick or a toothpick to gently mix into the ice cream base. Top with the remaining ice cream base and sprinkle the surface with the remaining cherries and chocolate. Again, use a toothpick or chopstick to gently mix into the ice cream base.
- Loosely cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours, or until the ice cream has set.
- Let the ice cream stand at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before scooping or serving. Dip an ice cream scoop in hot water and use it to scoop the ice cream. Serve as is or, for a custard-like treat, scoop as much ice cream as desired into a food processor and process for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it takes on a thick soft-serve texture, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Store in the freezer, loosely covered, for up to one week.
Notes
*Make your own cashew butter by blending 3 cups raw cashews in a food processor for 6 minutes or until smooth (it should be very thick), stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. If the cashew butter is chunky and clumping as it moves around the food processor, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of filtered water to encourage blending and to yield a smooth, creamy cashew butter. Measure off the amount needed for the recipe and store the extra cashew butter the refrigerator in an airtight jar or container.
**To simplify, you can omit the almond butter and use a full 1 1/4 cups cashew butter (that said, I very much prefer a hint of almond butter in this ice cream); however, do not omit or substitute the cashew butter—it's very important to the texture of the ice cream.
***This recipe was inspired by the Unconventional Baker's nutty, no-churn ice cream magic!