Vegan Ice Cream: Creamless, But Creamy
Jeff Rogers is an advocate of the benefits of a plant-based diet. He is a photographer and a poet.
When I was growing up in Vermont, a dairy state, consuming rich flavorful ice creams, little did I know that one day I would be making decadent gourmet vegan ice creams! Yes, you read that right: plant-based ice creams. Similarly, when I was studying hotel and restaurant management in college and learning the finer points of food preparation, I had no idea that I would one day be using my kitchen skills to make vegan foods or to write vegan recipe books.
While still in college I began a fascinating journey. It was a journey of focusing on the cause-and-effect relationship between my diet and my health. It was that journey that eventually brought me to a plant-based diet. The last dairy food I gave up was from my friends, Ben and Jerry! While I felt better and my health had improved with my dietary changes, I did miss the rich textures and flavors of the super-premium ice creams I had grown accustomed to. The vegan ice creams that were on the market at that time (early 1998) were tasty, but they were not quite rich enough for my taste and many had unique aftertastes I didn’t care for. The thought occurred to me that there must be a better way to make vegan ice cream. It didn’t take me long to discover the key. After making some amazing vegan corn chowder using cashew milk, I realized that cashew milk was the answer for making decadent and delicious vegan ice cream.
I eventually invested in an ice cream maker and began experimenting with cashew ice creams. I was amazed at the quality and flavor of these ice creams as well as the ease of making them, and was shocked that nothing like this was on the market. I experimented with other vegan “milks,” such as almond, hazelnut, and coconut milks, and included those in my repertoire. I recreated classics like Mint Chocolate Chip and Maple Walnut. I also created new exotic flavors like Durian Coconut and Piña Colada. From my first batch of vegan ice cream, I no longer missed the dairy ice creams I had been brought up on.
All these years later I can tell you I not only don’t miss the dairy versions of ice cream, I also do not miss the health issues I’d had: the migraines that I had grown up with; the regular colds and flus; or the high blood pressure that I had developed in my early 20s. By focusing on that cause-and-effect relationship between food and well-being, I was able to take responsibility for, and much more control over, my health. And I can still enjoy rich, luscious foods that are also dairy-free. 
Pineapple Mango Vegan Ice Cream
Recipe reprinted with permission from Vegan Ice Cream by Jeff Rogers, copyright © 2004, 2014. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.
- Servings Makes about 1 quart
Ingredients
- 2 large organic mangoes, peeled and pitted
- 1 organic pineapple, skinned and cut into 2.5 cm* (1-inch) chunks
- 237 ml (1 cup) fresh coconut milk (see recipe)
- 118 ml (½ cup) raw organic agave nectar
Coconut Milk
Unlike coconut water, which comes directly from the coconut, coconut milk requires some preparation. To make 946 ml* (4 cups) coconut milk, you’ll need about 1.6 liter (7 cups) shredded fresh coconut (2 large coconuts) and 709 ml (3 cups) coconut water. The easiest way to shred the coconut meat is in a food processor. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally as you process the coconut for about 3 minutes.
Once you have shredded the coconut meat, combine it with the coconut water in a blender and blend until very smooth. If your blender heats up with sustained blending, this is okay, as warming the mixture slightly (up to 38°C/100° F) helps the fiber release the fats into the mixture. You may need to turn it off and on periodically and tap your blender to remove air pockets near the blade. Add more coconut water if your blender has difficulty blending the mixture. Keeping the mixture thick will result in a richer coconut milk.
To juice the pulp manually, place the mixture in a nut milk bag and squeeze the milk out. To juice the pulp mechanically, run it through a juicer two or three times, to make sure you extract all of the milk.
Preparation
Run the mangoes through a juicer to make 296 ml (1¼ cups) juice. Run the pineapple through a juicer to make 1¼ cups juice.
Combine the mango juice, pineapple juice, coconut milk, and agave nectar in a blender. Blend on high until silky smooth, at least 1 minute.
Place the blender in the freezer for 40 minutes to 1 hour or in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight, until well chilled. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately or transfer to airtight containers and store in the freezer until ready to serve.
*Metric conversions by The Cook’s Cook
Pistachio Coconut Vegan Ice Cream
Recipe reprinted with permission from Vegan Ice Cream by Jeff Rogers, copyright © 2004, 2014. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.
- Servings Makes about 1 quart
Ingredients
- 414 ml* (1¾ cups) pistachio milk (see recipe)
- 414 ml (1¾ cups) fresh coconut milk (see recipe)
- 118 ml (½ cup) raw organic agave nectar
- 2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
- 3 organic apricot kernels
- 1.2 ml to 2.5 ml (¼ to ½ teaspoon) spirulina powder for color (optional)
Pistachio Milk
Raw vegan ice creams call for nut milks, such as pistachio milk. I use a juicer to produce the nut milk. If you wish to achieve a smoother texture, you can pour the milk through a fine-mesh bag after juicing. This method takes some extra effort, but it works well. Using a nut milk bag also gives you the option of adding a whole vanilla bean when blending the milk. That way, you get the full flavor of the bean while removing any remaining fiber from the pod.
To make 414 ml* (1¾ cups) pistachio milk, juice 237 ml (1 cup) raw pistachios and blend the nuts with 355 ml (1½ cups) coconut water.
Preparation
Combine the pistachio milk, coconut milk, agave nectar, scraped vanilla bean seeds, apricot kernels, and spirulina in a blender. Blend on high until silky smooth, at least 1 minute.
Place the blender in the freezer for 40 minutes to 1 hour or in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight, until well chilled. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately or transfer to airtight containers and store in the freezer until ready to serve.
*Metric conversions by The Cook’s Cook
Jeff Rogers
Jeff actively promotes the awareness of the benefits of a plant-based diet so that people may make informed choices regarding their diet and health. Jeff has started a variety of projects, such as the SoyStache and Drumming Instead projects, as well as Jeff’s Buttons, and has created and maintains many websites. Jeff has been an avid photographer since high school and writes poetry. See his photography and learn more about his other projects at JeffRogers.us.
Photo credit: Clare Barboza
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