Ice cream is of the most favorite dessert known to mankind. It comes in an all flavors and goes well with so many other delicacies like milkshakes, brownies, waffles, etc. Just because you are vegan doesn’t mean you should miss out on one of the greatest joys of life – eating ice cream.
We are going to help you prepare a vegan almond milk-based vanilla ice cream, from the convenience of your home. Vegan vanilla homemade ice cream is made of almond milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup and roasted almonds.
Vegan ice cream is nothing but regular ice cream prepared without using any sort of animal products like cream, eggs or milk. Hence, the method of preparation is the same as that of regular vanilla ice cream, but we are using almond milk as the base, as opposed to using regular milk.
Vegan ice cream is a great option for anyone who wants to avoid dairy products in their diet, or even for someone who wants to discover a new exciting way to prepare a healthy alternative.
For the preparation of vegan vanilla ice cream, you have a plethora of options to use, like coconut milk, oats milk, soya milk, hazelnut milk, macadamia nut milk or rice milk.
Almond milk is the most eligible alternative of all these vegan milk options to recreate the taste, consistency in texture and nutritional value for the preparation of ice cream. The vegan ice creams have a much-refined taste resulting in major ice cream chains in the country steadily introducing more and more dairy-free products into the market.
Almond milk is extremely good at maintaining the thickness of the ice cream. It is a good source of protein and has very less carbohydrate content. It helps boost strength and immunity due to the presence of anti-oxidants and calcium in it. It is also a healthier option when compared to milk since milk has a rich content of fat, which increases the risk to your cardiovascular system over the years.
How to prepare vegan vanilla ice cream at home using Almond Milk?
Ingredients to be used:
Here are the essential ingredients required to prepare vegan vanilla almond milk ice cream from scratch. Some of these ingredients are readily available at the store, while for some of them, we have added a couple of suggestions and techniques to prepare even these base ingredients at home.
Almond Milk (700 ml)
Almond milk is the heart of the recipe. It is going to be used as the base for the ice cream. It provides the texture and consistency needed for the ice cream.
Although it is available in supermarkets as packed products, commercially prepared almost milk has very less concentration of almonds per gallon. This not only greatly reduces the taste of the almond milk, but also deprives you of the nutritional value of the almond milk.
Almond milk is extremely easy to prepare on your own and takes very less time. Soak about a cup full of raw almonds which haven’t been cooked or roasted in any way. Leave the cup overnight, and wait for them to soften and absorb the moisture.
Using a blender, blend the soaked almonds with about four cups of water (ratio of the quantity of almond and water are to be maintained at 1:3 to 1:4, for best results). You can also add a pinch of low carbohydrate content natural sweetener to the mixture. The last process is to pour the mixture through a fine strainer, to filter out the almond bits from the liquid.
Vanilla Extract: (2 tablespoons)
Vanilla extract is prepared by soaking and filtering whole vanilla beans in a mixture of ethanol and water. It is available in almost every grocery store in and around your neighborhood.
Vanilla is the key to defining the flavor of your ice cream, without which your ice cream is going to taste bland. It enhances the taste of the other ingredients.
Alternatively, you can use vanilla pods for your preparation, if a pure vanilla extract is not readily available.
Roasted Almonds: (½ cup)
Half a cup of finely cut roasted almonds should be also kept in handy. The almonds are added to re-establish the flavor of the ice cream. It also adds the crunchiness of nuts to the texture of the ice cream.
The pure almonds should be dry roasted evenly over a pan for about 7-8 minutes till they have a golden brownish color. After roasting them use a blender to chop them into uneven bits.
Maple Syrup or Agave syrup: (1 cup)
Maple syrup is used as the sweetener for your almond milk vanilla ice cream. Maple syrup is naturally sweet and gives the ice cream a rich, delectable taste.
Instead of maple syrup, you can also use agave syrup as a viable substitute. If you love to experiment, you can add a little bit of both.
Instructions
- Heat the almond milk on low flame in a pan. Keep stirring to avoid burning. Continue to heat it for about 20 minutes. The almond milk will then begin to thicken.
- Next, add two tablespoons of the pure vanilla extract into it. If you are using vanilla pods, cut open two pods and scrape out the seed interiors of the pod. Crush it lightly and add it into the pan. Allow the almond milk and vanilla to simmer for a few minutes. This helps infuse the vanilla flavor.
- Add one full cup of either maple syrup or agave syrup, to the pan. Mix all the ingredients well. If you don’t want your ice cream very sweet, add about 3/4th cup of the syrup and mix. You can taste a little to see if it’s as per your taste.
- Keep whisking the ingredients together, continuously, till it’s it uniformly mixed. Continue to simmer for about 5 minutes so that all the ingredients and flavors are mixed well.
- Turn off the heat and add in the roasted and crushed almonds. Mix well. Keep aside some roasted almond for garnishing.
- Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and allow it to solidify in the freezer. If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can pour it into a shallow container and place it in the freezer. Freeze for about four hours in total.
- Scoop out the vanilla ice cream and top with crushed almonds, nuts, cherries, maple or agave syrup, or just a sprig of mint. There are no hard and fast rules for garnishing.
Note: When you place the mixture into the freezer, keep removing the container every half an hour, and churn the ice cream for about 15-20 seconds and then place it back into the freezer.
This is done to avoid the formation of ice crystals in your ice cream and gives it a uniform consistent texture. It also prevents the ice cream from melting quickly when you serve it.
Homemade vegan ice cream can be stored in the freezer for up to a month. You can make the ice cream base with the almond milk and divide it into equal parts. Each part can be prepared with a different flavor or fruit.
Preparing vegan vanilla ice cream is as easy as eating it! As veganism is gaining popularity world over, many people are curious to experience a vegan diet, including vegan ice cream.
Numerous popular ice cream brands have been introducing vegan variants off late. If you are not too keen to consume processed food, you can make customized vegan ice cream at home.
Vegan ice creams are devoid of dairy products. It is environment friendly. You can try out all your favorite flavor’s when it comes to vegan ice cream. There is not much difference between vegan ice cream and the other types of ice creams in terms of texture, flavor or taste.
Vegan foods, on the whole, avoid the use of dairy products, eggs and meat. Have you tried your hand at homemade vegan vanilla ice cream, which is bursting with your favorite vanilla flavor, yet?