The BEST Healthy Chocolate Ice Cream [WFPB, Vegan, EASY, No Bananas!]
We have been experimenting with various homemade healthy ice creams for years. This one is at the very top of the list! It has delicious chocolate flavor and a smooth, creamy texture. Way too many people in the world feel that healthy eating is boring, bland or otherwise not worth it! But this ice cream will change your mind!
We had this on the 4th of July and it was SO good. This plant-based chocolate ice cream is seriously rich and creamy just like the traditional chocolate ice cream, only it’s made from whole foods and full of phytonutrients to help your body be it’s best. And it’s so easy, my kids can make it!
Some may be concerned that cashews and dates are still high in the fat, sugar and calories. Studies have shown that when your fat and sugar come in whole plant foods, they have little to no ill effects on weight gain and blood sugar. 1, 2. When taken in consideration with the ever-growing list of health concerns with cream and sugar, it’s more than worth taking a bit of time to make your own. 3
Cashews are also an excellent source of healthy unsaturated fat, calcium AND iron. Numerous studies have shown that eating nuts significantly reduces your risk for death from cancer, heart disease and respiratory disease. Allergic to cashews? No problem, see the notes for substitution ideas.
I have 2 methods to make this ice cream. One is the super fast and simple method. The ice cream is delicious and doesn’t require much advance planning.
The other is for the super picky ice cream eaters. A little extra planning and one extra ingredient will give you the smoothest, most delicious ice cream that no one will know is healthy.
Fast and Easy Plant-Based Chocolate Ice Cream
The base of this ice cream is cashews and dates. We are going to blend the cashews and dates with half of the water (1 1/2 cups) for about 2 minutes or until very smooth. The balance here is getting the mixture smooth but not any warmer than it needs to be, so you’ll want to check it every 30-60 seconds to see if it’s smooth enough for your liking.
Once the mixture is smooth, we will cool it off as much as possible by filling a liquid measuring cup with 1 1/2 cups ice, then cold water (from your fridge if possible). Add the ice water along with the cocoa powder, salt and vanilla and blend for about 30 seconds or until ice is incorporated, being careful to stop as soon as no ice chunks remain.
Ultimate Chocolate Plant-Based Ice Cream
For the pickiest ice cream eaters, a few extra steps will ensure you have ultra creamy and delicious ice cream.
1. Advance Soak Soak your dates and cashews in advance. I usually soak for 1-8 hours in the fridge. You will use the soak water in the final product so you want to measure out the soak water you use–you can use 2 cups and add an additional cup later if your container won’t hold it all.
2. Additional Sweetener – I find that in some date-sweetened recipes, it really elevates the flavor to add a small amount of other sweetener to round out the flavor. Further, certain types of sweetener lend themselves to creating better textures as ice creams freeze. The two I recommend here are either Corn Syrup (NOT the evil High Fructose Corn Syrup, which I have never even seen by itself at the store, just as a sneaky ingredient in all kinds of processed junk) or Honey.
3. Cocoa Powder and Other Good Quality Ingredients The Cocoa Powder you choose will affect your final flavor. I’ve been able to get the Rodelle Organic Baking Cocoa at my local Costco for a good price and really enjoy it’s rich, chocolaty flavor. I also use the Rodelle Imitation Vanilla (because I just can’t spend $30 on a bottle of vanilla! Ouch!)
4. Second Chill A cold ice cream mixture is going to freeze better and more quickly. A lot of this depends on your method for freezing your ice cream. I would definitely make sure my mixture is as cold as possible if I were going to freeze this with the Ziploc bag method. I find that because I keep my second freezer especially cold, it is able to freeze ice cream well even if it’s closer to room temperature.
What Kind of Dates Should I Use?
I used Deglet Noor dates because they are the best deal at my local Costco and come already pitted. Medjool are delicious and have a slightly sweeter, more caramel flavor, but they often come with pits (who has time to pit their dates?) and a higher price tag. Experiment with what’s available and find your favorite.
Make it Moose Tracks
See my Plant-Based Mint Moosetracks Ice Cream recipe to see how to add a naturally sweetened ripple of chocolate. For an easy and inexpensive make-ahead option, try these Easy Mini Reese’s Ice Cream Cakes
And for another delicious recipe that harnesses the healthy, yet decadent magic that nuts, dates and cocoa can create, be sure to check out my Most Amazing Chocolate Cream Pie
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Passive Time | 25 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 1/2 cups cashews raw, unsalted if available
- 1 cup dates, pitted and packed 22 deglet noor dates
- 3 cups water including ice
- 1/4-1/3 cup cocoa powder more for a richer, dark chocolate flavor
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1-2 pinch salt omit if using salted cashews
- 1-2 TBSP honey or corn syrup optional, or a few more dates
Ingredients
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- Puree cashews and dates 3 cups water for about 2 minutes or until desired smoothness is reached, being careful not to blend any longer than necessary and warm the mixture. Add vanilla, salt and additional honey/corn syrup if using and blend until very smooth.
- If possible, chill in fridge again for an hour or more.
- Freeze ice cream in ice cream churn, or using the plastic bag + ice method (below)
Corn Syrup or Honey will create a creamier texture but can be omitted. Add a few additional dates instead.
Use high quality cocoa powder for best results.
Ziploc bag method: Put 1 cup ice cream in sandwich bag, and then bag again. Place inside gallon size Ziploc bag full of ice and 1/3 cup salt (rock salt or regular will work in a pinch). Shake and toss bag for 7-10 minutes or until frozen.
Allergy friendy: replace cashews and 1 1/2 cups water with 1 can coconut milk. Or replace cashews with toasted, unsalted sunflower seeds.
- Are Dates good for you?
- https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/cashews/
- https://nutritionfacts.org/video/does-paratuberculosis-in-milk-trigger-type-1-diabetes/