The Secret to the Ultimate Creamy Dairy-Free Ice Cream
We all love dairy, but let’s be honest—dairy doesn’t always love us back
For a long time, giving up dairy meant saying goodbye to that rich, velvety texture of a true scoop of ice cream. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t need to give up your favorite dessert; you just need to shift gears and swap out a few key ingredients.
Over the past several years, I have worked on perfecting a dairy-free ice cream base, and I am finally sharing the one I absolutely love. The secret? A precise combination of coconut and cashews.
If you are someone who dislikes the distinct taste of coconut or finds cashews off-putting on their own, don't look away just yet.
When these two ingredients combine, they morph into an entirely new flavor profile. You won't taste an overwhelming coconut flavor—in fact, you won't taste the coconut at all. Instead, they balance each other out perfectly to create an absolute "I can't believe it's not cream" texture.
The best part about this base is how beautifully it adopts whatever flavor you add to it. For this recipe, we are using fresh strawberries. Because the base is so neutral and rich, it lets the bright, vibrant taste of the strawberries shine through completely. It ends up tasting like amazing, traditional strawberry ice cream without any distracting undertones from the base.
As an extra bonus, this recipe is highly versatile. If you find yourself with any leftover cashew cream from the process, don't let it go to waste. Simply mix in a splash of vanilla, a pinch of salt, and a little extra sweetener. Just like that, you have a fantastic homemade coffee creamer—or a refreshing, cold cream drink to enjoy on its own.
WATCH ME MAKE THE DAIRY FREE & SUGAR FREE RECIPE HERE
Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe
Strawberry Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups sliced fresh Strawberries
- 1/2 cup Sugar (more if you like it sweeter)
- 1/2 cups Whole Milk (or milk of choice- be sure it is high fat)
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Sugar Free Strawberry Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups sliced fresh Strawberries
- ½ Cup plus 2 Tab. Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (Lakanto is my favorite brand)
- 1/2 cups Whole milk (or milk of choice- be sure it is high fat)
- 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 Tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Dairy Free Strawberry Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups sliced fresh Strawberries
- ½ Cup plus 2 Tab. Golden Monkfruit sweetener or Sugar
- 1/2 cups Soy milk (or milk of choice- be sure it is high fat)
- 1/2 cup Cashew cream (see directions below)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Directions
- Place all ingredients in a high-speed mixer like a vitamixer and blend until smooth
- Adjust sweetener to taste (note -ice cream tastes less sweet when it freezes)
- Pour into a Ninji freezer container and freeze for 24 hours (see below for non-ninji makers)
- For Ninji Creami Ice cream maker, blend on “Scoop” under “Ice Cream” setting - add a little splash of milk if needed and re-blend if not smooth (see directions below for non-ninji makers)
- Serve with extra strawberries on top
For the Cashew Cream
- 1 Can Coconut Milk
- 1 Cup Raw, Unsalted Cashews (Costco sells these)
Directions:
- Place 1 Cup of raw, unsalted cashews in a large bowl and cover the cashews with boiling water, cover the bowl with a lid or plate and let it rest for 1 hour or longer to totally soften the cashews.
- Strain off the water and then rinse with clean water and strain again, get most of the water out
- Place in a Vita mixer and add 1 can (approx.14 oz) of Coconut Milk, I like organic Thai Kitchen brand
- Blend until completely smooth and no nut pieces are left remaining. You will need something high-speed to totally cream the nuts- or purchase a commercially made nut cream.
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Cut this recipe in half for less cream or add some vanilla, sweetener & dash of salt for coffee creamer
For Non-Ninja Machine Ice-cream
If using a regular ice-cream maker, like a Cuisinart and such, do not freeze your ice- cream base, just place it in the fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight to totally chill. Then use your ice-cream maker as directed.
If you do not have an ice-cream maker, pour your ice-cream into an air-tight container and place in the freezer until desired stiffness, then serve.
For this method, I prefer to use a double insulted ice cream storage freezer container. It helps reduce ice from forming in the ice-cream. (this is like the one I got off of amazon check out this LINK HERE)
If you are eating it later or the next day, let it sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes and thaw to desired softness before trying to serve it.
Download Strawberry Ice-cream Recipe HERE
