You just can’t beat the tantalising satisfaction of a rich, creamy, chocolatey ice cream, studded with lots of decadent chocolate chunks, and melting smoothly on your tongue. The key to getting the perfect vegan ice cream is using a dairy alternative that’s rich and creamy – tinned coconut milk is perfect for this, although almond milk also works well. Avoid rice milk when it comes to making frozen treats though – its watery consistency will leave ice crystals.
Either dark or vegan-friendly milk chocolate can be used in this recipe, although a dark chocolate with a high cocoa solids content (at least 60% solids) will melt and combine more evenly with the other ingredients. If a higher cocoa solids tastes too bitter for you, the amount of agave nectar can be increased.
This recipe can be made in an ice cream maker for a rapid result – but if you’re without a maker, you can still make it by hand. Just pour the mixture into a large flat-bottomed container, and churn through by hand regularly at 30-60 minute intervals.
Ingredients
- 400ml full fat tinned coconut milk
- 220 ml almond milk
- 100g agave nectar
- 150g dark chocolate, broken into chunks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp guar gum
- pinch of sea salt
Method
- In a glass bowl, place 100g of chocolate over a pan of hot water, and stir gently until completely molten.
- In a separate bowl, combine coconut milk, almond milk, agave, vanilla, gum and salt until mixed.
- Add molten chocolate and blend in.
- Transfer mixture into the pre-chilled ice cream maker, or into a flat container if making without a machine.
- Once the ice cream is at a soft consistency, add in remaining dark chocolate chunks and stir in. continue the rest of the machine’s cycle.
- Cover and freeze until ready to serve.
Fancy giving it a twist?
This smooth, rich ice cream is pretty hard to beat – but if you want to add a little extra dimension to the flavours, it also acts as the perfect chocolate base for a dessert. Dark chocolate works wonderfully well with other flavours – add freeze dried berries to give a sharp, juicy hint of flavour, as well a burst of colour. For texture and crunch, try swirling in spoonfuls of nut butters into the ice cream mixture as it sets – salty peanut butter or creamy hazelnut are great partners to bitter, dark chocolate. Just stir in gently into the ice cream, just as it reaches a soft serve texture. You can even take it to an extra level of indulgence by adding in chunks of vegan chocolate chip cookie dough. To make the cookie dough, mix up agave nectar, coconut flour and coconut butter, with a pinch of salt and a generous handful of chocolate chips. Just before the ice cream is completely set, add pieces of dough to the mixture and stir through. For texture and crunch, try swirling in spoonfuls of nut butters into the ice cream mixture as it sets – salty peanut butter or creamy hazelnut are great partners to bitter, dark chocolate. Just stir in gently into the ice cream, just as it reaches a soft serve texture. You can even take it to an extra level of indulgence by adding in chunks of vegan chocolate chip cookie dough. To make the cookie dough, mix up agave nectar, coconut flour and coconut butter, with a pinch of salt and a generous handful of chocolate chips. Just before the ice cream is completely set, add pieces of dough to the mixture and stir through for an even distribution.
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