Vegan ice cream is currently in and easier to make than you think. It's no longer just about sorbet. The ice cream without animal additives is also the ideal dessert for anyone who just wants to try something new.
Which ice cream is vegan and is it healthier?
Ice cream is normally made from milk. Vegan versions, on the other hand, do not contain any animal products such as cream and eggs. Because of the vegetable fats, it is generally considered to be slightly healthier. That's the only difference. But vegan ice cream could contain other additives and also refined sugar. Whether it has fewer calories depends again on the ingredients. There are also great low-carb versions that consist of just two ingredients and contain around 100 - 150 calories.
In any case, homemade food is healthier than the versions in the supermarket, which rely on ingredients such as emulsifiers, stabilizers and packaging materials. Here you are the master of the ingredients and decide what goes into it.
How does vegan ice cream become creamy?
Most vegan varieties usually don't taste as good and are not as creamy as regular ice cream. Anyone can whisk milk and eggs together and make something reasonably good. But the vegan alternative requires more technology and food knowledge. If these are missing, the result could often be watery, thin and tasteless. This also applies to recipes that treat low-fat almond milk like whole milk cream, rely on starch as an egg replacement, or simply don't contain enough fat to give the ice cream a creamy consistency. Ingredients like soy, almond or rice milk simply have a very low fat content.
There are also recipes using frozen bananas that are simply pureed in a blender. The result should taste just like ice cream. But some say it tastes like frozen baby food. But you can try it and decide for yourself whether you like it or not.
Choose the right base for vegan ice cream
If you want to make vegan ice cream yourself instead that has a creamy consistency, you need a fatty liquid as a base, which can be varied as desired. Use the following ingredients to create creamy vegan creations.
Coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut oil
Coconut milk is the best alternative to most dairy products and is perfect as a base for ice cream. It has an intense coconut flavor, but is much better than a flavorless base full of ice crystals. In addition, the coconut aroma harmonizes perfectly with many other aromas such as vanilla, cocoa, coffee, mint, caramel, etc. In combination with fruits, the coconut aroma unfolds its full splendor.
Place the coconut milk can in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. The solid coconut fat can be skimmed off with a spoon. The water stays down. For an even better result, you can combine coconut milk with coconut cream. Coconut cream contains less liquid than coconut milk and is even creamier in consistency. To make 1 quart of ice cream, mix one can of coconut cream and one can of coconut milk.
But it often happens that the coconut milk cream becomes grainy. The reason is that coconut fat is not homogenized like butterfat in most dairy products. This creates pieces of non-emulsified coconut oil. The solution is simple: first warm the ice cream base until it simmers. Then stir for 30 seconds. The coconut oil has completely melted and the ice cream becomes noticeably creamier.
To achieve a 35% fat ice cream base that mimics whipped cream, you can use refined coconut oil (not virgin). It gives the ice cream a creamy consistency without having that super intense coconut flavor. However, if you don't want to do without the coconut aroma, organic coconut oil is also suitable.
Nut-based ice cream
Milk can be made from nuts. So they should also be suitable for making ice cream. The general method is to soak the nuts in water, then mix with a little sugar and flavorings and puree until creamy. But it is very important which type of nut is used. Pecans or pine nuts, for example, give the ice cream a very intense nutty flavor that doesn't go well with vanilla, chocolate and coffee. Other nuts, such as almonds, produce a thin mass that is not suitable as a base.
Creamy, tasteless and easy to process – cashews are the perfect choice for a heavenly, creamy variation! Botanically speaking, they are stone fruits and are not nuts. Their consistency is significantly softer than real nuts and therefore creamier. That's why they regularly have a place of honor in other vegan dishes such as cashew cheese and cashew sauce. With only 42 g fat/100 g, cashews are low-fat nuts.
Avocado
Vegans cancreamy Avocado ice creamEnjoy without hesitation. The avocado is creamy and healthy thanks to unsaturated fatty acids! Thanks to these properties, it is also often used as a base for vegan puddings and cream filling for cakes. You can simply puree the flesh of two avocados with around 80 milliliters of lime juice, 250 grams of brown sugar and 200 milliliters of coconut milk. To improve the consistency a little, you can add corn syrup or coconut oil.
Seidentofu
A variety of vegan dishes can be prepared based on silken tofu. Soups, sauces, dips – the possibilities are countless. It has a high water content and therefore has a delicate, creamy and fine consistency. The low-calorie food can therefore be used as a substitute for cream, quark and yoghurt. Vegan ice cream can also be prepared based on silken tofu. Tofu even melts.
A tip: you should already know and like the taste of tofu before trying this recipe. The soy taste in the final product cannot be avoided.
Make sure you get the right consistency when pureeing. After the tofu is pureed in the blender, the base should look exactly like créme anglaise or eggnogg. If you puree the tofu on high speed for two minutes, you will get cottage cheese.
Milk and cream have a neutral taste that goes well with other ingredients. Avocados, nuts, bananas and other foods that are suitable as a vegan ice cream base, on the other hand, have a typical taste. Most manufacturers see this as a disadvantage and try to do everything they can to neutralize the natural flavors of these ingredients.
Sweeteners
Once the base has been chosen, you should consider which sweetener you want to use. Some vegans and those who want to eat healthily avoid white sugar. Luckily, you can use cane sugar instead. Liquid sweeteners such as corn syrup and acacia honey give the ice cream a smoother consistency. Vegan ice cream can of course also be sweetened with dates.
Flavors and spices that add flavor to the ice cream
Now you can vary the taste of the basic recipe in many different ways. The most popular ice cream flavors are vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, but your imagination is the only limit. The range of different spices is also countless. In addition to vanilla and cocoa, coffee, cinnamon and mint are particularly popular. If you want fruit flavor in the ice cream, you can add fresh fruit.
More tips for the perfect vegan ice cream
To get that real vanilla flavor, definitely do not use vanilla extract. Instead, use vanilla beans. If you're making cashew-based ice cream, soak a split vanilla bean and nuts in water overnight. This leads to an even more intense aroma.
If you want to prepare vegan chocolate ice cream, you should avoid using vegan chocolate bars that contain soy lecithin. This additive will make the ice cream grainy. Read the information on the packaging carefully.
If you want to mix pieces like shoko chips into the ice cream, do not put them in the blender. This means that all the pieces can remain at the bottom of the container and are not distributed evenly. It would be better if you scatter the pieces in layers when putting the mixture into a loaf pan.
Spirits are good as flavor enhancers. Dark rum, for example, harmonizes beautifully with the rich vanilla and almond flavors. Kahlua pairs well with chocolate flavors, while citrus liqueurs like limoncello (lemon) and Grand Marnier (bitter orange) are the perfect accompaniments to fruit ice cream. But make sure you get the right amount. The more liqueur you use, the softer the ice cream will be.
