Going dairy-free doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to ice cream. Creamy coconut milk makes a dreamy base for a vegan, raw chocolate ice cream, and the subtle sweetness of medjool dates takes the place of refined sugar in a homemade caramel sauce.
Raw Chocolate Ice Cream with Caramel Sauce
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours
Ingredients
For the chocolate ice cream:
10 to 12 Medjool dates, pitted
2/3 cup cacao powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 14-ounce cans coconut milk
For the caramel sauce:
12 medjool dates, pitted
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the ice cream
Place the bowl of a stand mixer in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes.
Place dates in bowl of food processor and process until smooth. Add in cocoa powder, vanilla, almond milk, and salt. Process until smooth.
Open coconut milk cans and scoop out the hardened coconut cream, discarding the clear liquid. Place cream in chilled bowl of mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip 1 minute until light and fluffy. Add in cacao-date mixture and whip until thoroughly combined. Transfer mixture to a parchment-lined, freezer-safe container, and cover with plastic film. Freeze for at least 3 hours.
Make the caramel sauce
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until creamy and smooth.
Take ice cream out of fridge 10 minutes before serving, scoop into cups, and drizzle with caramel sauce.
Photo credit: Paul Delmont