Why is vegan ice cream sometimes called nice cream?

Nice cream is a play on words. Since it's dairy-free, it's not made from animals. Many people consider it to be kinder to animals not to take their milk for consumption. Not to mention, many people are intolerant or allergic to dairy foods, resulting in unpleasant symptoms. Read more about the reasons to go dairy-free .

Can I leave out the soy milk to make this recipe soy-free and paleo-friendly?

Most definitely! Just make sure you use about two cups in total of dairy-free milk. For this recipe, you can make it paleo by using two full cups of coconut milk (1 13.5-ounce can) with no soy milk. Or, you can use one cup of coconut milk and one cup of unsweetened almond milk. As I mentioned above, I like the combination of coconut milk and soy milk for dairy-free ice creams, but please feel free to make whatever adaptions you need. I don't eat a lot of soy foods, but I make a special exception for cases like this.

How do I keep the ice cream from sticking to the inside of the freeze bowl?

Sometimes the ice cream mixture can stick to the inside of the frozen bowl of the ice cream maker. To prevent this, you can always spray the inside of the bowl with nonstick cooking spray before you pour in the mixture. This is an optional step.

Can I keep this recipe in the freezer for a long time?

My experience with dairy-free ice creams is that they are best consumed on the same day you make them. Otherwise, they freeze very hard. That said, if you freeze this recipe more than a few hours, you'll just need to let it warm up a bit before you try to scoop it. 15 minutes on the countertop before serving should do it.

Can I make this mixture into popsicles?

Absolutely! If you prefer a popsicle to ice cream, just follow the recipe. Instead of churning the mixture or using the freezer method, pour the mixture into popsicle molds. Freeze for 4-6 hours before serving.

Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream

Name: Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup unsweetened plant milk (I recommend soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk)*; 1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk; 1 cup pitted Medjool dates or 1/2 cup maple syrup; 3 cups frozen strawberries (about 24 strawberries or the amount in a 10-ounce package); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or seeds of 1 vanilla bean; 1/2 teaspoon beet juice powder (for a natural food coloring, optional)

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 cup unsweetened plant milk (I recommend soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk)*
1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
1 cup pitted Medjool dates or 1/2 cup maple syrup
3 cups frozen strawberries (about 24 strawberries or the amount in a 10-ounce package)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or seeds of 1 vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon beet juice powder (for a natural food coloring, optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

*Combine the dairy-free milk, coconut milk, dates or maple syrup, strawberries, vanilla extract or vanilla seeds, and beet juice powder in the base of a high-speed blender.
Process the ingredients for about 30 seconds, or until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the base of an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Ideally, you would freeze the ice cream an additional 1-2 hours after it’s done in the ice cream maker so it gets really firm. Then, about 15 minutes before serving, take it out of the freezer so it is then scoopable.

Notes

If you want to make make this recipe even richer, just leave out the soy or almond milk and increase the coconut milk to 2 cups.
You can always use white sugar or coconut sugar if you don’t want to use maple syrup or dates.
To make this recipe into popsicles, simply blend the ingredients and pour the mixture into popsicle molds. Freeze for 4-6 hours before serving.
Want strawberry chunks in your ice cream? Reserve 1/4 cup of chopped strawberries. After you have blended the mixture, stir in the chopped strawberries before churning the mixture.

Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Ice cream maker
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Calories: 139
Sugar: 15.2 g
Sodium: 26.7 mg
Fat: 6.7 g
Saturated Fat: 5.4 g
Carbohydrates: 19.6 g
Fiber: 1.2 g
Protein: 1.8 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg