Vegan Cherry Ice Cream is dotted with fresh cherries and chunks of dark chocolate and can be made with or without an ice cream maker. And you'd NEVER guess it's made with healthy ingredients!
Ingredients
5cupsfresh pitted cherries, divided
19ouncecan coconut cream, see notes
¼cupmaple syrup, optional
¼cupchopped dark chocolate
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Chop 2 ½ cups of the cherries, place them on the tray, and put the tray in the oven. Roast the cherries for 20 minutes. When they come out of the oven, transfer them to a plate and put them into your fridge to cool.
While the cherries are roasting, combine the coconut cream and the remaining 3 cups of cherries in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Add the maple syrup, if you're using it.
19 ounce can coconut cream, ¼ cup maple syrup
Use an ice cream maker:
Pour the ice cream into your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions. When it is nearly done, slowly add the roasted (and cooled) cherries and the chocolate chunks and let them mix into the ice cream.
¼ cup chopped dark chocolate
Either eat as soft serve or transfer the ice cream to a freezer-proof container and freeze for 1 hour.
No churn method:
Pour the ice cream into a low sided freezer-proof bowl and freeze for 45 minutes. Take the ice cream out of the freezer and mix it around. Add the roasted (and cooled) cherries and dark chocolate and mix them through. Place the ice cream back into your freezer.
¼ cup chopped dark chocolate
Let it freeze for another hour then take it out and scrape it with a spoon to mix the ice cream. If it is not solid, place it back in your freezer for one more hour.
Notes
Note: prep time does not include the time to freeze the ice cream.Use the highest-fat coconut milk you can find. Try to use coconut cream or milk with no added ingredients for the best results.Blending half of the fresh cherries into the coconut milk does give the ice cream a slightly icy texture, but it also creates the best cherry flavor. If you'd rather have a super creamy texture, roast all of the cherries. Just know the cherry flavor will be slightly muted if you roast all of the cherries.