Description
If summertime has you craving frozen treats and fresh cherries, this is the ice cream for you! It's a No-Churn Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream that's loaded with nutrition and decadent chocolate-cherry flavor...plus a secret veggie ingredient that no one suspects!
Ingredients
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk - refrigerated in advance - white solid coconut cream portion only*
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked in advance, drained and rinsed**
- 1 large zucchini, ends removed, peeled and chopped (2 cups when chopped)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1.5 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and roughly chopped or halved
- 3/4 cup vegan, refined sugar-free chocolate chips (I love Hu chocolate gems)
Instructions
- Add coconut cream, pre-soaked cashews, zucchini, cocoa powder, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and salt to a high-speed blender. Be sure to only use the solid white coconut cream from the canned coconut milk. This should be about half the can once refrigerated. See notes below.
- Blend starting on the lowest speed and slowly increase to the highest speed. Stay on the highest speed for 60 seconds until completely smooth and creamy. If your blender is having trouble blending use the tamper/plunger to safely push the contents into the blades while it is blending. If you do not have a tamper or plunger, stop and scrape down the sides throughout the blending process to ensure all ingredients get incorporated properly.
- Pour the ice cream into a 9 x 5 loaf pan or similarly sizes freezer-friendly container. Stir in cherries and chocolate chips until well distributed. If desired, for presentation, reserve a handful of fresh cherries and chocolate chips to sprinkle overtop the ice cream before covering and freezing. Cover and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Before enjoying, remove the loaf pan from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before scooping. You can also place the bottom of the loaf pan in warm water to speed up the process. Scoop and serve like you would regular ice cream. Top/garnish with more chocolate chips and fresh cherries if desired.
Notes
*For this recipe, we are only using the solid white coconut cream from the can of full-fat coconut milk. In order to easily separate the coconut cream from the coconut water, place the can in your refrigerator the day before you plan to make this recipe. The solid white coconut cream will naturally float to the top of the can. When you open the can you can easily use a spoon to scoop out just the coconut cream leaving the coconut water behind. You can save the coconut water for smoothies or popsicles. I usually get about 1 cup of coconut cream out of one can of coconut milk.
**Soaking your cashews in advance will make them extra creamy, less gritty and more easily digestible. Soaking cashews also helps to make the nutrients more available. You can soak in water overnight or do a quick soak using boiling water for an hour or two. Drain and rinse before using in this recipe. Measure out the cashews before soaking since they will swell and measure differently post-soak. Learn all about How (and Why!) to Soak Cashews in this post.
- Prep Time: 10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Blender + Freezer
