I remember a conversation I had with one of my best friends, Emily, about our impressions of each other when we were first becoming friends at the beginning of college—basically she had heard that I was a little weird (maybe true) and that I loved ice cream (definitely true). Ice cream is a food I love dearly.
It’s unfortunate, then, that most vegan ice cream isn’t very good. It’s the consistency—sort of thin, a little bit icy, the whole thing is just sort of ehhhh. Buying a pint of the stuff at the store also brings on those same heebie-jeebies I get when reading the ingredient list for a tub of Earth Balance or soymilk. Too many thickeners, stabilizers, and I don’t even know what else.
Last night, Sam and I made our own ice cream. I’m not sure we had the highest of hopes, because recipes that we had tried years ago relied on soymilk and a ton of cornstarch, and needless to say, weren’t very satisfying. This time around, though, we used a combination of coconut cream, homemade cashew milk, and silken tofu, which, when mixed with some brown sugar and vanilla, yielded a seriously rich, creamy, delicious treat—that actually tasted like ice cream. Please, don’t let my poorly-lit photo stop you from making this recipe!
Date Chip Ice Cream
Adapted wildly from Veganomican
1/2 cup cashews
1 cup water
1/2 cup coconut cream
6 oz. firm, silken tofu
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup pitted, chopped dates
1/2 cup chocolate chips
First make the cashew milk by blending cashews and water in a blender on high until smooth. Then, add your coconut cream, silken tofu, brown sugar, and vanilla, and blend again to combine.
Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker, then stir in the chopped dates and chocolate chips. Continue with your ice cream maker’s directions. Afterwards, transfer the ice cream (which will have the consistency of soft serve) to the freezer for about an hour to harden.
