Who's ready to party?! This vegan ice cream cake feels totally decadent and special! A nutty crust, a layer of vanilla ice cream, and a vegan chocolate magic shell, all topped with scoops of chocolate ice cream! This is a dessert-lover's heaven. It's gluten-free, vegan, and even made without refined sugar...but it tastes out of this world. This is a dessert that wows!
I put a lot of care, time, and love into every recipe on this site, but I have to admit...this dairy-free ice cream cake feels extra, extra special! I made it for my son David's fourth birthday and it was the perfect treat to celebrate our little guy. His eyes totally lit up when he saw it, and everyone was clamoring for their own slice! I'm so excited to share it with you today, and I hope this recipe makes it into some of the special days in your home, too.
Ingredients
This dairy-free and gluten-free ice cream cake uses the following ingredients:
- Pitted Medjool dates
- Raw unsalted slivered blanched almonds
- Raw unsalted cashews
- Zucchini
- Maple syrup
- Coconut cream
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Vegan butter
- Coconut oil
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cake Crust
I made a super-simple crust for this vegan ice cream cake. It consists of unsalted slivered blanched almonds (no soaking necessary!) pulsed in the food processor with Medjool dates, a pinch of salt, and coconut oil or vegan butter. This is a naturally sweet, nutty crust that adds the perfect contrast to the ice cream.
It is gluten-free but also paleo, vegan and refined sugar-free. You simply pulse the ingredients in a food processor, transfer to a springform baking pan, press down into an even layer and freeze while you make the ice cream layer to go on top. It is so quick and easy!
Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream Cake
I used a variation of my Blender Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream as the main section of this cake. There is something special about this ice cream!
Everyone who tries it is shocked that it's not only vegan, but that it contains vegetables. It's true! You're making an absolutely delicious vegan ice cream cake...with zucchini in the ice cream. It's also got cashews and coconut milk for a creamy treat that's as nutritious as it is tasty!
Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream
The scoops on top of this cake are made with a chocolate version of my blender ice cream recipe. This one is also made from cashews, zucchini and coconut milk, with cocoa powder added in! The chocolate ice cream is also dairy-free, vegan, paleo, soy-free, gluten-free and refined-sugar-free.
Everyone who sees this cake gets stars in their eyes over the scoops of chocolate ice cream with the cones on top. Make sure there's a scoop for everyone! I found gluten-free ice cream cones at my local grocery store.
Vegan Chocolate Magic Shell Recipe
One of the things that makes this cake so special is the way it looks like the chocolate ice cream is melting onto the top of the cake! This is achieved by making a "magic shell" out of melted coconut oil and vegan chocolate chips. When the mixture is poured over the cold cake, it hardens and creates a fun crunch! You can add sprinkles before it hardens for even more fun.
This show-stopping vegan ice cream cake is gluten-free, vegan (no dairy or eggs!), and it's even free of refined sugar! It's a special occasion treat that everyone can enjoy.
I hope you'll tag me on Instagram if you make this cake, because I want to celebrate with you! Finally, don't forget to leave a review below. It means the world to me!
More Decadent Desserts (all vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free too!)
- Easy No-Churn Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream
- Strawberry Shortcake Cake
- Best Vegan & Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes
- Chocolate Heart Rice Crispy Treats
- Vegan Dessert Shooters
- Midnight Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- No-Bake Vegan & Paleo Pecan Pie Bars
- Vegan Almond Butter Cups
- Easy Two-Tier Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake
The Best Vegan Ice Cream Cake (paleo + gluten-free)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 slices 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Who's ready to party?! This Vegan Ice Cream Cake with both chocolate and vanilla ice cream feels totally decadent and special! It's gluten-free, refined sugar-free and paleo-friendly as well.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 8 large soft pitted Medjool dates (1 cup)
- 1 cup raw unsalted slivered blanched almonds (not sliced almonds and not roasted slivered almonds) - no soaking needed [raw unsalted cashews can be substituted here]
- 2 tablespoons softened vegan butter or coconut oil
- pinch of salt
For the vanilla ice cream cake
- 2.5 cups raw unsalted cashews*
- 1 large zucchini, ends removed, peeled and chopped
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut cream (just the white solid portion from a chilled can of full-fat coconut milk)**
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
For the chocolate ice cream scoops overtop cake:
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked in advance, drained and rinsed*
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk - refrigerated in advance - white solid coconut cream portion only**
- 1 large zucchini, ends removed, chopped (2 cups when chopped)
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 1.5 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Decorations/Garnishes:
- chocolate magic shell: ⅓ cup vegan chocolate chips + ½ tablespoon coconut oil
- dye-free sprinkles or crushed up freeze dried raspberries
- gluten-free ice cream cones
Instructions
- For the crust: Add all crust ingredients to a food processor fitted with an S-blade and pulse until a course mixture forms. You should be able to press the mixture between your fingers and it should stick together. Transfer to a 7.5-inch springform pan. There is no need to line or grease the pan. Place a sheet of parchment paper overtop the crust and use the bottom of a glass to pack the crust down into an even layer that covers the entire bottom of the pan. Remove the parchment paper.
- For the vanilla ice cream cake: Add all vanilla ice cream ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until perfectly smooth and creamy. Pour directly overtop the crust layer. Place springform pan in the freezer for 8-10 hours.
- For the chocolate ice cream scoops: Place all chocolate ice cream ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until perfectly smooth and creamy. I usually do one minute on the highest speed. Pour the mixture into any freezer safe container with a lid. You can also use a loaf pan and cover with aluminum foil.
- To decorate: Remove the chocolate ice cream from freezer and place at room temperature to soften so it will be scoop-able. While the ice creams soften, make the magic shell. The magic shell is optional but adds a fun effect to the cake that makes it look like the chocolate ice cream scoops are melting overtop the vanilla ice cream cake. To do this, in a microwave safe glass measuring cup with pour spout, microwave chocolate chips and coconut oil on high for 1.5-2 minutes. Stir well with a spoon. Set aside to cool slightly before pouring over the ice cream cake. Remove ice cream cake from freezer and release from the springform pan. Place ice cream cake onto a flat surface like a cutting board or large flat serving dish. Pour the chocolate shell over the the cake and allow it to overflow and drizzle down the edges. You can also use a spoon for this and carefully spoon the magic chocolate shell on the edges of the cake. The chocolate will set quickly since the ice cream is cold. Pour sprinkles overtop the portion of the cake where you plan to add your ice cream scoops. Cover more surface than the scoop will to give the effect of the ice cream scoops melting overtop the cake. Scoop chocolate ice cream overtop the chocolate shell. Cover the scoops with more sprinkles. Place ice cream cones overtop the chocolate ice cream scoops. Serve immediately or store in the freezer until ready to serve.
Notes
* 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.
** For this recipe, we are only using the solid white coconut cream from the cans 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.
Tip: If you have time, remove the ice cream cake and chocolate ice cream from the freezer one hour before serving and place in the refrigerator to soften. This allows the cake and ice cream to soften throughout evenly rather than if you put it at room temperature where just the edges tend to soften. This makes the cake nice and easy to slice and yields the perfect texture for serving. However, if you are in a rush room temperature works for thawing the cake and chocolate ice cream and is just fine! It all depends on how much time you have.
- Prep Time: 30
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Freezer
Keywords: vegan gluten-free ice cream cake
Kate says
This is fantastic! My husband said people would believe me if I said I got it at Dairy Queen 😂
Elaine Gordon says
Wow! What a great review, Kate! Thank you SO much! I'm so happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed it so much! Thank you for taking the time to comment and for the five star review! Best, Elaine
Bobby says