Vegan Ice Cream

When I decided to make the switch from vegetarian to vegan I had some concerns. Will I get enough protein? What will I eat at restaurants? Pizza without cheese? But by far my most pressing concern was “What about ice cream?” I have been a huge fan of the creamy sweet treat ever since I was a little kid and could get a triple-scoop for 15 cents at the Thrifty drug store in Chatsworth, CA. Being vegan wasn’t going to dampen my love of ice cream, so I went on a mission to make the best vegan ice cream in the world.

There was a period of experimentation; I tried just soy milk, sugar and vanilla but that was too icy. I tried adding tapioca starch as a binder, but I just ended up with little balls of icy tapioca throughout. I think you’ll find the ice cream recipe below will turn out perfectly smooth and creamy, not icy at all, and satisfy the ice cream lover in all of us.

I’m not a kid anymore, but I still indulge nightly in a little dessert of luscious ice cream, only now it’s the best vegan ice cream in the world. Mission accomplished.

8 oz (1/2 1lb package) Nasoya Silken Tofu
3/4 cup vegan sugar
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
2 1/2 cups almond milk
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

Combine silken tofu and sugar in a large bowl and stir really well with a wire whisk. You are creaming together the tofu and sugar, so just keep stirring until you achieve a smooth, creamy consistency.

Add coconut milk (shake can well before opening), almond milk, and vanilla. Mix well.

Pour the mixture into your favorite 2-qt ice cream maker and let it run for about 30 minutes (times will vary according to brand).

For dreamy chocolate chip ice cream, add 1/2 cup semi-sweet (vegan) chocolate chips 3 minutes before the ice cream is finished.

Nutrition
Servings: 10
Per serving: 299 calories (215 from fat), 23.9g total fat, 20.8g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 15mg sodium, 20.9g total carbohydrate (2.2g dietary fiber, 18.4g sugar), 3.2g protein, 0% vitamin A, 5% vitamin C, 3% calcium, 10% Iron