Maple Mocha Vegan Ice Cream
Alisa Fleming ~ Some of you might be a bit surprised to see a mocha-inspired vegan ice cream recipe here, since I can’t stand coffee. Yes, I know, sin of all sins, I’m just not a lover of the bitter bean.
But, I’m also not one to turn down a deal. When my husband said he wanted to walk to Starbucks for a free coffee day, mocha ice cream instantly popped into my head. I picked up a free coffee, headed home, and started churning.
This is a really simple recipe – it contains just six little everyday ingredients, and almost all of the time involved in making it is hands-off chilling time. Though this ice cream is completely free of dairy and eggs, it has a wonderfully rich and creamy texture thanks to the combination of coconut milk, melted chocolate (yes, the amazing powers of cocoa butter), maple syrup (ice cream loves liquid sweeteners), and a pinch of salt.
As mentioned, I’m not a big coffee fan. I first made it with 1/4 cup of Starbuck’s (read: strong) coffee. It was a little too much for me and cut into the sweetness. I prefer it with just 2 tablespoons of coffee, but if you like a more intense coffee-flavor, see my notes at the beginning of the recipe.
I’m VERY timid with coffee, so I tend to go lighter with the bean. If you like a more intense coffee roast then you can increase the brewed coffee to 3 to 4 tablespoons, or add in 1 to 2 tablespoons of instant coffee.
Keep in mind that the total time listed includes chilling time. Preparing the ice cream takes just 10 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 13.5-ounce can regular, full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons strong coffee, or more if desired
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 4 ounces chopped dairy-free dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Scharffen Berger 70% Dark Bars)
Instructions
- Place the coconut milk, maple syrup, and coffee in a small saucepan, and heat while stirring until hot, but not quite boiling.
- Remove it from the heat, stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Place the chocolate in a bowl, and pour on enough of the hot coconut milk mixture to just cover the chocolate. Allow the chocolate to sit for a couple of minutes, then whisk virorously, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Add the chocolate to the rest of the coconut milk mixture and stir until well-combined.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight.
- Churn in your pre-chilled ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Pack the ice cream into a chilled dish with tight fitting lid and place it in the freezer to firm up.
Notes
This recipe is Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy free, Egg free, Gluten free, Peanut free, Soy free, Wheat free, and Refined Sugar free.
http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/maple-mocha-vegan-ice-cream
Tagged egg--free, food allergy-friendly, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, summer, vegan, vegetarian
4 Comments
Leave a reply
RickiAugust 6, 2012 at 4:42 pm
Sounds perfect. And I think it’s so funny that you went all the way to Starbuck’s to get a coffee–then only used 2 Tbsp of it!!
But probably more than enough coffee flavor for me, since I haven’t tasted the bitter bean for over 10 years!
Alisa FlemingAugust 6, 2012 at 5:03 pmAuthor
Well, it got us out on a walk, so no waste there. It got some use in experiments too
gratefulfoodieSeptember 23, 2012 at 8:46 pm
Okay, I’m a bit intimidated by ice cream. I don’t have an ice cream maker but I have a Cuisanart soft serve maker. Could I try this recipe with that machine?
Alisa FlemingSeptember 26, 2012 at 7:53 pmAuthor
You know, I’m not familiar with a soft serve maker. If it works with “regular” ice cream recipes, then it should work with this one!