Imagine opening your freezer right now and finding the most delectable, rich, creamy, summer-fresh vegan strawberry ice cream. It's time to turn this delightful daydream into a decadent frozen treat, because there's no shadow of a doubt that your future self will thank you (and thank you, and thank you again).
Put the cashews into a jar and cover them with water. Let them soak for 2-3 hours.
2 cups raw cashews
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the strawberries with 4 tablespoons of coconut sugar and spread them out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast the strawberries for 25 minutes then remove them from the oven and allow them to cool. Once they are cool transfer the strawberries plus all the juice to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cold.
Drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Add the cashews, HALF of the roasted strawberries and all of their juices, the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar, coconut oil, water, agave, white balsamic, vanilla, and sea salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until the cream is very smooth.OPTIONAL STEP: If you don't have a high-powered blender, you may want to strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve so that it's super smooth.
⅓ cup coconut oil, 1 ½ cups water, ¼ cup agave syrup, 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate it until it is cold.
Once the mixture is cold, process it according to your ice cream maker's directions. Add the remaining roasted strawberries near the end and let your ice cream maker stir them in. (See notes on how to make this without an ice cream maker.)
Once the ice cream looks like soft serve, transfer it to a freezer-proof container and it freeze until it's firm. Let the ice cream soften for a few minutes before you serve it.
Notes
To make this without an ice cream maker pour the cream and the remaining roasted strawberries into a shallow pan and put the pan in your freezer. Every half hour remove the pan and use a fork to scrape the cream and mix it up, making sure there are no hard icy spots. You will need to do this at least 4-5 times. The texture won't be as smooth and creamy, but it will still taste delicious.White balsamic vinegar has a delicate flavor that really complements the roasted strawberries. If you don't have any, you can omit it.