I scream, you scream; we all scream for ice cream that is dairy free, refined sugar free, and naturally sweetened with dates! Omg, thank goodness summer is here, and you guys are in for the best guilt free healthy treat when you make this date sweetened ice cream.
No joke, this is the best vegan sugar free ice cream that is made in a food processor and yields a texture similar to vegan soft serve ice cream. You don’t even need an ice cream maker to make this vegan ice cream sweetened with dates.
But there are some crucial steps to making the ice cream base so that you have the perfect ice cream texture right out of the food processor that can be enjoyed right away without having a runny consistency that needs to be frozen.
You can also make any homemade ice cream flavor by substituting the type of fruit used or adding additional spices flavorings such as nutmeg, cinnamon, or cocoa powder.
Why I wanted to make this vegan sugar free ice cream
I was inspired to make this naturally sweetened ice cream with only dates as the first time my toddler tried ice cream, she fell in love with it (like most toddlers do) and would always ask me for a cone.
Even though avoid giving my toddler refined sugar I want my little girl to enjoy the summer fun of ice cream, as it’s so amusing seeing how excited she gets over sweet treats. I still remember the days when my mom would get me an ice cream cone from the local ice cream shop as a memorable childhood moment.
But unfortunately, traditional ice cream is full of processed sugar and is high in fat which are the worst foods for people with diabetes. With childhood obesity and diabetes on the rise, it is up to us as parents to teach our kids what is healthy and what isn’t and set boundaries around how often they can get a sweet treat.
While I sometimes treat my toddler to regular ice cream, I never fully feel that good about it, knowing all the adverse health effects of consuming inflammatory processed sugar and high fat foods on liver health. Plus, dairy and sugar are among the top food sensitivities for so many people, myself included.
So I set out to try and learn how to make ice cream. After a couple of failed attempts to make a thick enough ice cream in my Vitamix blender, I decided to buy the Hamilton food processor from Amazon to try making ice cream in.
When using the Vitamix blender, I always felt like I was going to break the blender, and it always turned out runny as I had to add liquid. It went rock hard if I put it in the freezer, as other online recipes suggested. Not fun or enjoyable.
But when I froze the ice cream base in ice cube trays and then blended it with frozen fruit and no liquid in a food processor, the result was a lovely creamy texture that could be enjoyed right away in an ice cream cone!
Are you ready to make the best dairy and sugar-free ice cream of your life? I promise this is the best date sweetened ice cream you will ever taste.
Ingredients for the date sweetened ice cream cubes used as the base
- 1 cup Brazil nuts
- 1 can lite coconut cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ripe bananas
- 2 cups dates, pitted
How to make the sugar free dairy free ice cream base:
Preparing the Base:
- Add Brazil nuts, lite coconut cream, vanilla extract, bananas, and pitted dates in a high-speed blender like a Vitamix blender.
- Blend the ingredients on high until you achieve a smooth and creamy consistency. Make sure no lumps are remaining.
Freezing the Vegan Ice Cream Base:
- Pour the blended mixture into ice cube trays, distributing it evenly. (You will need 3- 4 ice cube tray holders)
- Place the ice cube trays in the freezer and let them freeze completely. Freezing the cubes typically takes around 4-6 hours or overnight.
Making the Vegan Sugar Free Ice Cream:
- Once the vegan ice cream base cubes are frozen, remove them from the ice cube trays.
- Take an equal amount of frozen ice cream cubes and frozen fruit of your choice (e.g., berries, mango, pineapple) and place them in a food processor.
- Blend the mixture in the food processor until a thick and creamy ice cream texture forms. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the processor occasionally.
Serving and Enjoying:
- Transfer the soft serve ice cream to a serving dish or individual bowls and enjoy it immediately.
- Garnish with your favorite toppings, such as chopped nuts, crunchy air fryer granola, or fresh fruit.
- Alternatively, and my favorite, is to scoop the vegan ice cream into a cone and enjoy! You can even purchase gluten-free ice cream cones or waffle cones if you are gluten-free.
Tips and substitution for the date sweetened ice cream:
- For flavor variations, feel free to add different frozen fruits like strawberries, blueberries, or cherries. So far, my favorite flavor is mango and cherry! But I like all the frozen fruit ice cream flavors.
- If you prefer a sweeter ice cream, add a few drops of stevia or other natural sweeteners, such as honey or maple syrup.
- To store any leftover ice cream, transfer it into a popsicle holder and freeze it.
- If you want to make a plain date ice cream with no fruit, just process the frozen date sweetened ice cubes in a food processor. When not adding any fruit, I prefer to use fewer dates in the base.
- You can also pour the vegan ice cream base into an airtight container and scoop it out once frozen, as the ice cubes still have a soft gooey texture similar to ice cream when frozen, thanks to the banana and dates. Once the base has been processed with frozen fruit, it becomes hard once frozen, so I only make the amount of vegan ice cream that I am going to eat immediately from the food processor. (Luckily, this only takes a minute)
- I used low fat coconut milk as it is lower in saturated fat than full fat coconut milk, as saturated fats increase insulin resistance. If you are not concerned about your saturated fat intake, use full fat coconut milk or cream.
- Please do not add any extra liquid, such as almond milk or cashew milk, when making the ice cream mixture in the food processor, as it will make it runny! For best results, only blend frozen fruit with the frozen date sweetened ice cream cubes.
- You can also use the frozen cubes to make a date shake by blending them with almond milk. The vegan ice cream cubes are a great addition to any smoothie as well.
- I used brazil nuts in this ice cream base, but cashews work just as well to make a delicious creamy base.
This dairy free and sugar free ice cream is my new favorite treat. I have been enjoying it almost daily with my toddler since discovering this delicious ice cream with no added sugar and no dairy, which are common food sensitivities. Dairy and sugar are the top 7 food sensitivities that most people don’t even know they have.
The natural sweetness of dates and bananas creates the ice cream’s perfect texture as they make the ice cream cubes malleable even at freezing temperatures. If you have a sweet tooth yet want healthy ice cream with a lower glycemic index than regular ice cream, you have to make this dairy free and sugar free ice cream!
If you struggle to lose weight, I suggest you remove the top 7 inflammatory foods that cause inflammation and weight gain. The good news is you can still enjoy this date sweetened ice cream free of processed sugar and dairy. This low fodmap banana ice cream is another easy and delicious homemade ice cream.
Thanks to the addition of brazil nuts used to make the creamy ice cream cubes this vegan ice cream sweetened with dates is exceptionally high in selenium. According to Cronometer 1/10th of the entire ice cream cube recipes contains 365 percent of the recommended daily intake of selenium which is a crucial mineral for the immune system. It is also supports the recycling of glutathione which can help to prevent gray hair!
Date Sweetened Ice Cream – Dairy Free and Sugar Free
Equipment
- 1 Vitamix blender
- 1 Hamilton beach food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup brazil nuts
- 1 can light coconut cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 bananas
- 2 cups dates
Instructions
- Add Brazil nuts, lite coconut cream, vanilla extract, bananas, and pitted dates in a high-speed blender like a Vitamix.Blend the ingredients on high until you achieve a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Pour the blended mixture into ice cube trays, distributing it evenly. (You will need 3- 4 ice cube tray holders)Place the ice cube trays in the freezer and let them freeze completely.
- Once the ice cream base cubes are frozen, remove them from the ice cube trays. and blend them with an equal amount of frozen fruit in a food processor. Blend the mixture in the food processor until a thick and creamy ice cream texture forms.
- Scoop the soft serve ice cream into cones or individual bowls and enjoy it immediately.
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