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Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream

4.73 from 11 votes

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This healthy Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream is made with soy milk and cashews, and includes vanilla bean as well as vanilla extract for an extra boost of vanilla flavor.

Bowl of Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream with vanilla beans

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Ice cream isn’t just for summer. I can eat it year round. I mean, what’s a birthday without cake and ice cream? And all those fruit pies just call for a scoop of vanilla ice cream. So here it is – my recipe for Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream.

The vegan ice cream options in the supermarkets continue to grow. But homemade ice cream is fun to make, and you can’t beat that homemade flavor! This one is creamy and perfectly flavored. It’s lighter than many ice creams, and I prefer it that way.

What are the Ingredients in This Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream?

This ice cream has a base of soy milk. I added cashews to give it some creaminess, but only a few to keep the fat content low and avoid adding a cashew flavor to the ice cream. Corn starch is also added to improve the texture. And I used vanilla beans in addition to vanilla extract to give it a pleasant vanilla flavor.

Many of the vegan ice creams I’ve made have frozen into a pretty solid chunk. But I recently learned a new trick with my homemade ice cream. Adding a tablespoon of vodka prevents the ice cream from freezing as solidly, but that tablespoon is a small enough amount that you don’t taste the alcohol.

Closeup view of bowl of Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream with vanilla beans

I use a Cuisinart ice cream maker to churn my ice cream. Any ice cream maker should work with this recipe.

I can’t wait to enjoy a scoop of this ice cream on some Fat Free Apple Crisp, or a bowl of this ice cream topped with my scrumptious berry sauce and a dollop of vegan whipped cream. This vanilla ice cream will also become a base for many other flavors of ice cream I look forward to creating (see my Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream). Let me know in the comments what flavors you like, and they just might appear on this blog!

For more tasty vegan dessert recipes, see:

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Bowl of Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream with Pinterest title

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Closeup view of Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream

Vanilla Ice Cream

Teresa Sklenicka
This healthy Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream is made with soy milk and cashews, and includes vanilla bean as well as vanilla extract for an extra boost of vanilla flavor.
4.73 from 11 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chilling Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 206.3 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups soy milk
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup cashews
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 Vanilla Bean
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon vodka optional

Instructions
 

  • Blend the soy milk, sugar, cashews, corn starch, and salt in a high speed blender.
  • Pour the contents into a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, and scrape the seeds into the pan. Add the pod to the pan and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the mixture is thickened.
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat, remove the vanilla bean pod, and stir in the vanilla extract and vodka.
  • Transfer the mixture into a glass jar or covered bowl and refrigerate until cool.
  • Churn the ice cream mixture in an ice cream maker until it is the consistency of soft serve. Then transfer to a covered freezer safe container and freeze until firm.

Notes

If you don’t own a high speed blender, soak the cashews in water overnight before making this recipe. Drain and rinse the cashews before using.
The tiny amount of vodka in this recipe lowers the freezing temperature of the ice cream, keeping it from freezing as solidly. It is a totally optional ingredient.

Nutrition

Calories: 206.3kcalCarbohydrates: 33.1gProtein: 5.4gFat: 5.5gSodium: 83mgFiber: 1.6gSugar: 26.1gVitamin A: 250IUVitamin C: 0.41mgCalcium: 153.51mgIron: 1.11mg
Keyword Dessert, Ice Cream
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Nutrition calculations are approximate.

By on September 4th, 2019

About Teresa Sklenicka

I love creating tasty, oil-free, vegan recipes that everyone will love (even non-vegans)! Here you'll find vegan versions of your favorite comfort foods, as well as some new tastes! Join me on a path to improving your health, helping the planet, and saving animals.

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