This ice cream. Oh, this ice cream. I wasn’t thrilled when Kevin suggested strawberry ice cream for our bizarre February heat wave (thanks, El Niño!). I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love ice cream. Just, strawberry? It’s kind of boring and usually overly sweet with barely any real berries involved. It also happens to be Kevin’s most beloved flavor, which he proudly states is boring just like him.
I knew we had a freezer full of strawberries, so I reluctantly agreed, knowing I’d be smothering mine in dark chocolate sauce, or just taking a few bites out of his bowl and dreaming about all the more exciting flavors out there.<– Hellooooo, real life.
The thing is, we forgot to stop at the local market to get heavy cream, and time was running out in the day to make a cooked ice cream. We wanted it after dinner, and knew we’d need a few hours to heat, cool, blend, and freeze. So, coconut cream to the rescue! I love using coconut cream as an ice cream base because it’s so rich and silky. It also means this ice cream comes together in a flash, since you just dump everything into the blender, then pour the creamy pink liquid into your ice cream machine and let it churn.
Kevin is always proclaiming that he doesn’t like coconut, despite all the coconut-y foods I make that he loves. This ice cream is no different. While the coconut flavor is noticeable if you are reeeeeeally searching for it, it honestly just tastes like a sweet, creamy, luscious strawberry ice cream.
As fate would have it, I blended up this sweet-creamy-strawberry-deliciousness yesterday afternoon, only to realize the ice cream bowl wasn’t in the freezer. It was sitting in the cabinet, right where I put it weeks ago to make room for all the frozen fruit in our freezer. Oh, the irony. In any case, the strawberry ice cream base sat in the fridge overnight and made perfect ice cream this morning. All I have to do is keep from eating it all before dessert time (yeah, right!). Don’t be like me. Go make sure your ice cream bowl is frozen and ready, so you can whip up this vegan strawberry ice cream today! [If you don’t have an ice cream maker, read my recipe notes for a no-churn option!!]
I think you’re going to love this 4-ingredient vegan ice cream. It’s packed full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids from the coconut, and vitamin C from the strawberries. It’s naturally sweetened with your choice of maple, agave, or honey. Plus it’ll put a smile on your face, and happiness is key to your overall health. Convinced? Try it out and leave me a comment below, or tag it #bakedgreens on Instagram so I can see all your creamy creations!
Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1-16 ounce can of coconut cream*
- 2 cups strawberries fresh, or slightly defrosted frozen
- 1/2 cup maple syrup agave nectar, or honey**
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract***
Instructions
- 1. Make sure the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker has been frozen for at least 4 hours.
- 2. Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth.
- 3. Pour the ice cream base into your ice cream machine, and churn according to its instructions. Mine usually takes 20-30 minutes.
- 4. Eat immediately as soft serve, or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze. Ice cream will keep in the freezer for a few weeks, but is best within a few days. After that, ice crystals may form. Simply let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to help it soften before serving.
Notes
** Use whatever sweetener you prefer or have available to you. I used half maple syrup and half agave, because I was low on both.
*** The alcohol in vanilla extract is essential to keeping the ice cream somewhat soft in the freezer. Don't leave it out!
No ice cream maker? Pour the ice cream base out of the blender into a shallow, freezer-safe dish. Freeze for 30 minutes, then mix well. Repeat this again every 30 minutes until ice cream is scoopable. The end results won't be as fluffy and creamy, but should still be delicious. No-churn ice cream is best eaten on the day it's made, or it turns rock-hard in the freezer.