Quick + easy no churn chocolate ice cream made extra rich and creamy thanks to the addition of avocado, and naturally sweetened with dates! This vegan, dairy-free, paleo friendly ice cream is going to be your go-to dessert this summer!
Today we’re putting avocados into ice cream.
Don’t fight it.
For real though, this might be the creamiest, most silky-smooth, luscious homemade ice cream I’ve ever made. And yes, it’s all thanks to avocados.
Oh, and it’s made without an ice cream maker.
Yes!
What you’ll need to make it:
Avocados. Extra soft and ripe avocados make this ice cream. Even slightly overripe is fine here. Pro tip: I like to buy my avocados from the store when they’re still green and rock hard, then let them ripen at room temperature for 3-4 days before transferring to the fridge to store for up to a week. More often than not, a soft avocado at the grocery store is only soft because it’s been squeezed by dozens of other shoppers before you, meaning it’s bruised and not actually ripe.
Medjool Dates. These are the only sweetener in the recipe, and also help to keep this ice cream soft and scoop-able in the freezer, since dates are still slightly soft even when frozen.
Coconut Milk. Canned, full-fat coconut milk makes this ice cream extra rich and silky-smooth. And, for those of you who are coconut skeptic, we found this ice cream to have zero detectable coconut flavor.
Cocoa Powder. We’re using lots of cocoa powder in this ice cream- a full half cup- to really make sure this ice cream tastes like chocolate. Cocoa powder’s strong flavor easily masks the green color and mild flavor of avocado, so truly, no one would even suspect this ice cream had two avocados in it if you didn’t tell them.
Vanilla + Sea Salt. To round out and elevate the 4 simple ingredients that make up this ice cream’s base.
That’s it!
Yes, really.
All 6 ingredients get dumped into a blender and pureed to a thick, pudding-like consistency. The ice cream base is then poured into a loaf pan and popped into the freezer, where it needs to chill for a few hours. You’ll stir it a few times over the course of 2-3 hours, just to be sure everything is freezing evenly, and then you’re ready to dive in.
The best part about this ice cream, in my humble opinion? Unlike most no-churn ice creams, which freeze rock-solid and then melt into a bowl of ice cream soup after scooping, this one maintains a slightly softer texture in the freezer and never gets drippy at room temperature; since its base is essentially a thick pudding, when defrosted it simply goes back to that pudding-like state.
If you’re a fan of chocolate avocado pudding, I think you are going to be OBSESSED with this chocolate avocado ice cream. If you try it out, let me know what you think by leaving a comment below, or taking a picture of your suuuuper creamy ice cream and sharing it with me on Instagram so I can see.
No Churn Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 2-3 hours
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 8 Medjool dates (see note below)
- 1-13.5oz can full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions:
- Cut avocados in half, remove their seeds, and scoop their flesh into the bowl of a food processor or high-powered blender. Remove the pits from the dates and add them to the blender along with all remaining ingredients. Blend on high until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides, as needed, to ensure everything gets fully incorporated.
- Pour ice cream base into a loaf pan (or other similar sized freezer-safe container) and spread it into an even layer, then transfer to the freezer.
- After 1 hour in the freezer, remove the pan and stir well, scraping down into the corners of the pan to ensure all the frozen bits of ice cream get mixed in with the still-soft center. Place back in the freezer and stir again every 30 minutes until the ice cream reaches your preferred scooping consistency. I find that within 2 hours the ice cream is at soft serve consistency, and by 3 hours is firm and will hold it’s shape when scooped.
- Eat immediately, or cover and keep in the freezer for up to a week. Once frozen overnight this ice cream will need to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to let it soften up a bit before scooping.
NOTES: If your dates aren’t soft and sticky, I recommend soaking them in hot water for 15 minutes before using, to ensure they’ll fully puree in the blender. This ice cream is the perfect level of sweetness for my tastebuds, but if you tend to like sweeter desserts, feel free to add a few more dates to make it sweeter!