Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream
This is my favorite ice cream. It's vegan. It's vanilla. And it's yummy.
I've been making this ice cream for the last couple of years. Way back when in my New York days, my raw food friends turned me on to the fact that cashews make an amazing substitute for dairy. While I love this ice cream and have been known to chow on it late night, be forewarned that my husband (who is my ultimate taste tester) does not like it.
1 cup (raw) cashews
2 cups water
¼ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 pinch celtic sea salt
- In a vita-mix, combine all ingredients and blend on high speed
- Pour mixture into an ice cream maker
and process according to instructions
- Serve
Serves 4
What I like best about this Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream is how simple the ingredients list is and how easy it is to make. We're going to have it with some of the other Memorial Day desserts that I made.
For yesterday's Friday Freebie, I will be giving away a copy of Elizabeth Hasselbeck's book, The G-Free Diet
UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed and the winner was Gabrielle.
While I know many warnings have been posted about her and the book, and while I am not a regular watcher of her show "The View," I do want to say that she has performed an incredible service to the celiac community by using her celebrity to promote awareness of a vicious disease that is for the most part left undetected in individuals who suffer for decades without diagnosis.
Perhaps the book is not perfect, however, in my skimming through it, I saw a lot of good. Leave a comment and you'll be entered into the drawing.
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If you enjoyed the recipe above please take a moment to look at the rest of my gluten free recipes.You can also read more about me, peruse my forums or subscribe to Elana's Pantry below and receive an email anytime I post a recipe. Thanks!
Posted on May 23, 2009 in desserts by Elana
you might also like: Strawberry Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
or Peach Almond Ice Cream
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91 comments
[...] Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream [...]
I'll try my luck on the book! I always find it interesting to read different points of view. That ice cream looks awesome!
Thanks for the giveaway.
At first I wanted to rush out and buy the book, but have heard some mixed reviews since it has come out(mainly that she is targetting the book as a 'diet' solution and not recognizing celiacs as a disease. I would be interested in reading it for myself.
Elana, I love that you're open-minded enough to give out a copy of Elizabeth's book, instead of cutting her down. Just bringing attention to the GF issue is huge!
Do you need a powerful blender for your ice cream? It does LOOK fabulous (like all of your creations!).
Hi There Lauren, I use my vita-mix in order to prep this ice cream, not sure how it would work in a less powerful blender...if you experiment please let us know how it turns out!
This ice cream sounds right up my alley! And I'd love to check out the book.
thanks for the recipes and the great offer of Elizabeth's book
Ice cream!!! I love ice cream. I will cetainly try this recipe.
Thanks again for this wonderful web site.
Thank you for all your recipes. They are yummy and healthy.
I think this will taste really good. I love the taste of cashews but I don't have an ice cream maker! Can anyone recommend a good ice cream maker?
Elana thanks for all you do!
Rebecca
Cashews are a great substitute for dairy? I didn't know! Thanks for mentioning.
The ice cream sounds great. I think I'll try it for Memorial Day - my teenaged son will be so excited!! It's been a few years since he's had ice cream!
Thanks for the great recipes you share :-)
Lori
My 20 yr. old grand-daughter has celiac disease & I subscribe to your Pantry updates & am always looking for new recipes so was excited with your news of the new book. I do not watch the "View" but like you will look for the book, unless, of course, you pick us to receive the free one. Thank you so much for he wonderful information & recipes, you impart.
The ice cream looks wonderful! I love your website!
I would have never thought of cashews for ice cream, but they've been a favorite nut since I was a kids. And thanks for bringing Elizabeth's book to the forefront. Any attention to celiac disease will be good. I was ignorant until diagnosed two years ago.
Hi, I would love to see a recipe for coconut milk ice cream with or without eggs. Do you have one? For some reason I am having trouble searching your website tonight. Usually when I do a search it searches just your website, but tonight it keeps doing a google search and it is not as thorough . Thanks for all the yummies!
Hi Tessa, I do have a coconut ice cream recipe that I will soon post. What you are getting when you search the site is a google driven search from within my site, it is only my recipes and information that appear. I hope this helps and thanks for your lovely comment.
Hello Tessa,
I don't know if you're aware of it, but SO DELICIOUS makes coconut milk ice cream in a number of different flavours. Something to try until you make your own. We love it.
Micki
Yum! Years ago I used to eat an ice cream called "Freezies" or something like that -- it was a cashew based ice cream and was fabulous. I'll have to try this! Do you soak your cashews first?
Diane, you can soak your cashews first, it will make the ice cream a bit more creamy, you don't have to though :-)
I have sent this recipe and your site to a friend in England.She is a vegan. I did find it offensive when I read that there had been derogatory comments about Elizabeth Hasselbeck.. I have no associates than can tolerate anyone but her on that program, "The View"..Therefore, none of us will even look at it and wonder why it is still on the air.. I heard about her book elsewhere.. It is one very much needed by many sufferers..Thank God for people of her intelligence willing to share with others.
It wasn't enough that people in our own church had celiac's to make people around us aware, and aware of the complications that it can cause ie: not getting pregnant, but it had to take a celebrity for these people to go "This is real." Kind of sad.
I love, love, love ice-cream! Just made some with coconut milk, agave, and vanilla last night. Can't wait to try this one too-Thanks Elana! Rebecca, we have a Cuisinart ice-cream maker and love it! Amazon has them for about $50.00 with free shipping.
I would love to have a copy of that book...and taste the yummy ice cream too :)
Please come over and bring me some of your ice cream :-) I really do need an ice cream maker. I'm afraid if I got one, my diet would consist solely of ice cream though!
I haven't heard the negative talk about this book; I'll click over on your link and check it out. I did skim through it while at the bookstore and thought it seemed ok. I agree that at least she is giving celiac disease some publicity, hopefully creating more awareness. If anything-- it would be good to have on hand to show people who have absolutely no idea what GF means.
Just let me know when you'll be over with the ice cream Elana, I'll be home!
Hi Coconut Gal, I'll be right over!
I LOVE cashew ice cream too!! My husband prefers a coconut based vegan ice cream, does your hubby??
I would give Elizabeth's book a try...everyone has a different story to share, ya know.
Jaynel, yup, like yours, my hubby likes the coconut much better than the cashew. Actually, he likes the real thing (with heavy cream) best!
Does your husband not like it because of the cashews? I'm not vegan, but it does sound like an ideal nighttime snack! I am often looking for something not too "dangerous" to have at night.
Thank you for the possibility of Elizabeth's book. I already know about Celiac, but am interested in what she has to say, and have some friends who are newly diagnosed.
Cool (literally) ice cream.
I love Elizabeth and her book sounds very interesting as I've heard them talk about it on The View.
I always have problems getting the cashews to not be gritty. No matter how long I soak them or how I process them I get grit. Is that normal? Hummm.... Thanks!
Karen, I don't have that issue when I use the vita-mix. What type of blender are you using?
The book sounds very interesting! I am always looking out for new books on celiac disease and eating gluten free.
O Elana, this looks great!! I love vanilla ice cream but (even though I'm not completely dairy free) I try not to overdo it. I even gave away my icecream maker years ago 'to protect myself'...:-) Well, high time for a new adventure!
Thank you for inspiring me once again!
xox christianne
PS in case you're wondering.. I tried uploading pictures on flickr a couple of times, but my camera seems to be broken in a way. Or maybe it is just suffering from antiquity. It is a digital camera of about 7 years old. I guess today this means no one will repair it and suggest I buy a new one (the quick turnover of technical stuff these days grieves me seriously, what a waste!). But I won't give up this quickly!
Christianne, I love how you put that, "suffering from antiquity." You and I are so alike. I am stubborn in that way too and will NOT give up on those items that suffer from antiquity. In fact, some of those are my favorites. Can't wait to see your photos on my flickr group when you can get them up there! xoxoxoxox
Mostly I have heard the criticism that she advises a gf diet without having the lab tests and biopsy. I personally cannot eat gluten without getting physically ill so why do I need a lab test or a biopsy (which I would have to pay for myself). The only benefit would be that I could use it for my taxes (costs of gf food vs regular). I don't have to prove to anyone that I need a gf diet. My own body screams it.
Hallelujah!
Thanks for this recipe. My lactose-intolerant sister will be thrilled with it. I will save it for when I get an ice cream maker, which I know I'll do eventually!
I'd love to be entered into the drawing. I think putting gluten-free in the headlines is worth a lot. I love that people sometimes actually know what I am talking about when I ask about gluten in restaurant food. Makes me feel less like a Martian.
Me too! It's not fun feeling like a martian.
Hi Elana,
Thank you so much for giving us ideas to make guilt free desserts with a nutritional value- almond flour ROCKS!! The cashew ice cream looks great- do you soak the cashews overnight first? I love cashew butter (soaking cashews overnight, then blending with a little water until smooth). A spoonful or two makes for a great mid-morning or afternoon pick-me-up, and it's good on fish, too. Do you have any recipes that use it?
This ice cream looks great.. While I'm not vegan anymore, I still like to make vegan goodies.. they just taste so much better in my opinion
It's my experience that no cookbook is perfect for everyone. As a Celiac with other food allergies, I go through every newly obtained cookbook and use a pencil to X-out and write "NO" on recipes that I would react to and cannot be altered, and mark possible substitutions the recipes that can be fixed. After making a recipe, I pencil in the substitution that works the best and add comments. That way, if someone else is doing the cooking for me it is obvious what I can eat and what I can't.
If I give the cookbook to another person, he or she can easily erase my notes and do their own thing. We Celiacs do tend to hold on to our cookbooks forever. Have you ever seen a GF cookbook in a yard sale?
Hi Elana, thank you for allowing me the chance to win the book. I haven't heard about it at all and I am interested to read it. I was not even aware that she did this book. Thank you for the ice cream recipe. I haven't been able to eat dairy for the past 10 years. I can't wait to try it :)
I wonder if your husband would prefer it if a coconut milk base was used instead of the cashews, which tend not to be smooth enough for folks like my husband who wouldn't touch it either. I'd eat it!
Must try this ice cream. My daughters have a friend who's allergic to dairy and eggs, but not nuts, and it feels like she can never have any treats. This will be a wonderful little gift for her!
Yummy looking ice cream. Can't wait to try it.
Thanks for the ice cream recipe; I'm so glad to see one that does not call for dairy, soy, or rice milk. It will be a pleasant change of pace and taste. I think there is a recipe floating around somewhere for cashew mayonnaise too, but I'd rather eat this!
Sooooo fun! I can't wait to try this out! I too am wondering do you soak the nuts and for how long and then also they need to be raw, correct? We are newly vegan and my youngest son Joaquin has Down syndrome so we are raising him wheat free as well as dairy and meat free.
You blog is so helpful! And we are in the process of creating a good recipe book collection to help us with our new dietary changes.
Hello Elana,
Dusty and I were just reminiscing about our trip to Boulder last Summer. I remember making this Vanilla Ice Cream in your cooking class. It was scrumptious! My thoughts are for anyone who is not absolutely crazy about it... serve it over your warm, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. Or better yet, scoop it in between the cookies for a homemade ice-cream sandwich. Now who could resist that combo? Take Care!
Hi Courtney, that was such a fun class and it was wonderful to meet you and Dusty! I still tell my family stories about how cute the two of you were in that class. And thanks for the great idea about serving this over chocolate chip cookies! YUM. Miss you. xoxoxoxo
Thank you for the great recipe. I will have to get an ice cream maker, for this is not the only ice cream I would like to try:) I love this blog.
To the person who said that cashews don't make a smooth ice cream. You can fix this by either using a very high speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, or by soaking the cashews overnight in filtered water. Or use raw cashew nut butter instead of the whole cashews.
I use cashews as a base for all our ice cream. My daughter's favorite is pumpkin pie ice cream. I start off with the basic vanilla ice cream and add in pureed pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices. My son likes me to add in some cocoa and sweet cherries.
I like to add some espresso to mine.
I've made and posted a coconut milk based vanilla ice cream without eggs. In my opinion, it tastes just like the store bought version Sid Wiggy's. It's wonderful but, it's a tad beyond the budget right now at $5 a pint.
The key to really good homemade vanilla ice cream is scraping the seeds out of a pre-soaked vanilla bean. It makes all the difference over using any old vanilla extract. It also gives you the little black flecks in your ice cream. Delicious and beautiful.
I also own the Cuisinart (fully automatic) ice cream maker. I bought it at Bed, Bath and Beyond using my 20% off coupon - so I got it for $39 instead of $50. I use it weekly and I have had it for almost 2 years. The thing doesn't quit.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend!
Elana,
As always, you come through with yummy treats for those of us who can't eat "mainstream." I have made this recipe as well, but I was initially told to use 1/2 Cup of Maple Syrup instead. I thought I should let you know so that your readers have a substitution option in case they need it for whatever reason. I mean, when you have a "scream" for ice cream, a little sweetner should NOT stand in your way, right?
Thanks again!
Marie, I totally agree!
the ice cream looks and sounds delish! i also loved your blondie recipe, although i substituted sunflower seed butter for the almond butter because that's what i had in the house at the time. it turned the inside green (my kids ate them up anyway), so maybe on st. patty's day i can make them for fun! i am new to your site, and i love it so far, you look incredibly healthy and beautiful!
Wow, this ice cream looks delicious! Have you ever thought of experimenting with coconut milk? I buy some Turtle Mountain ice cream at the store that is gluten free, dairy free, soy free and vegan. It is made without cane sugar (sweetened with agave) and coconut milk. It is the most CREAMY thing I have ever tasted. Even people that aren't dairy free or vegan look at me and the spoon after they try it and say "Wow." As for this recipe, do you think almonds would work the same way? I have a sensitivity to cashews, so I avoid them, but all other nuts are fine.
Thanks, Dear Meagan for all of your great comments and questions. I will be rolling out a recipe for almond milk ice cream soon!
Doing frozen bananas in ice cream is also very good. I love this one Elana, I have to give it a try.
Thanks again!
Joey :)
Oh, that ice cream looks so good! That is one thing that I have missed not being able to eat dairy any more.... I am going to try this recipe! Thanks!
I made this dessert some time ago and it was stunning! I didn´t imagine cashews could taste so good... Imaginative recipe.
Thanks for the ice cream recipe. I can't wait to give it a try!
My blender is impossible so I have to blend and then strain the nuts. I wish I had a better blender. What kind do you suggest?
vita-mix.
I might be too late for the drawing but thought I would post anyways! I just made your coconut flour vanilla cupcakes with coconut oil instead of grapeseed and made the cream cheese frosting with some chai spices thrown in to top them with, they smell delectable! These with a glass of raw goat milk and my kids will be in lauric acid heaven! Thanks for all the great recipes Elana!
Becky
I'll have to think about this ice cream.... I'm really enjoying coconut milk varieties right now. Decisions, decisions... I guess I'll have to make some and then setup a taste test. Thanks for sharing.
I would love to try this recipe. I know that Kelly at The Spunky Coconut makes a lot of her dairy-free recipe using cashews. I've always loved cashews, so I'm sure I'll really like this ice cream, Elana!
Also wanted to mention that twice in the last week, I've made CoconutGal's banilla nut ice cream. It's just coconut milk and bananas (plus, two more ingredients if you want chocolate flavor). I found some coconut milk without guar gum and I'm happy. This ice cream is fantastic. First, I made it for myself and then I made it for everyone in our gf support group (we have several who are df as well) to try ... they all loved it, too. :-) I made it right in front of them so they'd see how easy it was.
I love having gf/df ice cream options I can make myself. First, I live in a rural area without grocery stores that carry such products. Second, they can be fairly costly.
I think Hasselbeck is doing a terrific thing with her book. (And, no, I am not a particular fan of The View, or hers when I've watched the show.) I haven't read it yet, but I've seen her interviewed about it and read discussions at other blogs on the controversy. The fact is there are so many people who will suffer the rest of their lives if they have to wait for a celiac diagnosis. It's sad, but it's true. Why can't we as individuals decide which steps we need to take with our diets without having a medical diagnosis if we feel dramatically better by following a specific diet? For example, this is a vegan ice cream and people decide to go vegetarian or vegan all the time for health (and/or other reasons) and nobody has a problem with that (in fact, vegan/vegetarian options are fairly common these days) ... why can't folks go gluten free as well?
Thanks, Elana,
Shirley
Bravo! I couldnt of said it better my self. Lets cut her some slack and be thankful that more awareness is out there. Elana thanks for your positive attitude ALWAYS! P.S cant wait to make this ice cream.
Rhonda
Well Said!!
Dear Shirley, what a great quote you have above:
Why can't we as individuals decide which steps we need to take with our diets without having a medical diagnosis if we feel dramatically better by following a specific diet?
Couldn't have said it better myself. xoxoxo
Where did you find / what brand of coconut milk comes without gums? Thanks!
My Mom heard about this book, thought about me and my problems, and suggested Celiac Disease as a possible reason. It's because of that suggestion that I'm on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, which is helping me! I've been on a Raw Diet before and it helped a little, but not in a healing way. Anyway... as far as I'm concerned the book has done wonders in/for my world and I would like to actually READ it now. :)
Always looking for new foods to try for Griffen.
Thanks for the ice cream idea - can you create a recipee like this with coconut milk? Thank you - have a great holiday weekend!
That ice cream looks delicious. I make a similar one with soaked almonds. As for the book- I totally agree with your sentiments. Any support we can get in any form to highlight the effects diet has on our health is great. No one (and nothing) is perfect but every bit helps.
Thanks for the great, easy, yummy recipes Elana.
What a gift for me personally, my family and my practice. It is always a help to have practical solutions to daily concerns. Eating a healthy diet that does not attack your health is definatly a priority for myself and my clients,
Blessings,
Dr. Sharon Williams Prahl
Can't get my darn ice cream maker to work, but I'll give it another shot for this yummy recipe. :)
Ooh, I've made something similar and I loved it!!!
I love cookbooks.
I want to try your cream made out of cashews, but Azure was out and the store just carries the salted variety.
I am interested in winning the book. I am trying to eat gluten free but it is hard to find right foods.
thanks for all you do.
Thank you for the ice cream recipe. I found one off of another site and adjusted the ingredients and was going to try it tonight, but we might just make yours instead. I love your recipes because I always have all of the ingredients and never have to make a special trip to the store.
Thanks for the ice cream info. I think Elizabeth is doing a great service of awareness out there. There is nothing wrong with going gluten free as a dietary change whether you have celiac disease or not. Many people with allergies find they feel better when removing all sorts of gunk from their diet including highly glutenous products. I know I feel more energetic and not so weighed down since changing my diet. I even skipped my usual yearly cedar allergy attack this past fall and winter.
Thanks for giving the book a try and a plug... I'm a massive Robert Heinlein fan, but I doubt we would've agreed on much in the real world. And bc I saw it here, I peeked at a few pages on Amazon -- looks like she's included some helpful tips for the normies living with us. Yay!
Hello again, Elana!
Curious if you ever made ice cream with coconut milk?? There is a company that makes it commercially with agave - Turtle Mountain brand, Purely Decadent. The vanilla and chocolate are great, and the mint chocolate is great also but has added beet sugar in the chocolate flakes.
I would love a recipe to make ice cream with coconut milk - - this brand sells for over $5 a pint! Yikes!
I will try the cashew milk kind also, though!!
I just tried the cashew ice cream recipe and it is fabulous! thank you!
This looks awesome! I have a dairy allergy and a weakness for ice cream. Unfortunately I don't have an ice cream maker (nor the counter space for it!), so I may find a friend so I can borrow one!
I make my own "ice cream" using a frozen banana, almond milk (but I think I'll try coconut milk next time), some cinnamon, cocoa...whatever you want to add and mix it with a hand blender. It's awesome!
Your website is wonderful! I was just advised to remove gluten my 5-year-old son's diet. Your website has been sooo helpful. Can't wait to try the ice cream!
i would love to learn more about the book!
Hi!
Can't wait to try this ice cream! PLease enter me in the book contest.
Thank God for you, Elana, I wouldn't know where to begin with GF cooking!
Thanks everyone! I love your comments and questions! They are all so thoughtful, generous, interesting and helpful.
Here are my answers to several of the common questions that appeared above.
1) Coconut Milk Ice Cream -Yes, I will post my recipe for this in the near future. My boys love it.
2) Soaking the Cashews -You can soak them if you want, however, I do not do it for this recipe. Cashews break down very easily when using a vita-mix and I don't often have time to soak them before using in my ice cream, cashew milk or smoothies.
3) Is a Vita Mix Necessary? -Well, it is what I use so I am not sure how the recipe would turn out using something else... Shez has a great comment with some helpful hints regarding this question.
4) I Need an Ice Cream Maker! -Check out Stephanie's comment. She found one for $39!
Again, thanks for all of your wonderful comments and inquiries.
xoxoxoxox Elana
What role does granulatied sugar play in an ice cream recipe besides sweeten? Great site!
My old blender wouldn't make anything but gritty almond or cashew milk so I bought a new Osterizer. It works fine. I got the traditional model with the toggle switch.
I've been making this cashew ice cream about once a week and like it just fine in its original version, but last night grated up some bitter chocolate on my microplane and blended that in. It was very tasty.
I use an ice cream maker by Rival from our local discount store at about $30.00. It takes about 20 minutes start to finish for the whole process.