My friend Hannah is one of the original vegan dessert recipe experts. We first worked together nearly fifteen years ago, and she has since completed eight cookbooks, leaning heavily toward sweets. But if I were to hone in on her true specialty, it would be vegan ice cream. She’s become a master with creating and photographing frozen desserts, as evidenced in her latest cookbook Super Vegan Scoops. Don’t worry, I have a sample recipe for vegan PayDay freezer bars to prove it.
Enjoy a Vegan PayDay with these Easy Freezer Bars
These cool vegan PayDay freezer bars are a great example of Hannah’s recipe style. She draws inspiration from classic flavors, foods, and products around the world, but reinvents them in new and enticing ways. And she doesn’t limit herself to just one medium in Super Vegan Scoops. The recipe chapters in her latest chilling tome include various scoop flavors; sandwiches, sticks, and miscellaneous novelties; sundaes; celebration cakes; baked goods made with melted ice cream; and toppers, sauces, sides, and staples.
Here’s a sampling of recipes from each chapter of Super Vegan Scoops to give you the gist:
- Melted Truffle Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
- POG Sherbet
- Dutch Licorice Ice Cream
- Cannoli Cones
- Magnanimous Marzipan Bars
- Wild Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Baklava Sundae
- Spaghetti Eis
- Ferocious Rocher Bombe
- Pitaya Princess Ice Cream Cake
- Cookie Monster Magic Bars
- Rum Raisin Bread Pudding
- Smoked Butterscotch Sauce
- Va’Nilla Wafers
And of course, these Vegan PayDay Ice Cream Bars …
Special Diet Notes: Vegan PayDay Freezer Bars
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, tree nut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian. Just make sure to pick the milk beverage and buttery spread that meet your dietary needs.
- 2 cups dry roasted, lightly salted peanuts, divided
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups plain dairy-free milk beverage, divided
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons tapioca starch (can sub cornstarch)
- 1 tablespoon dairy-free buttery spread or coconut oil
- Line an 8x8-inch square baking dish with aluminum foil and lightly grease. Spread out half of the peanuts evenly on the bottom and set aside.
- Place the sugar and ¼ cup of the milk beverage in a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir once to combine, and then keep your spatula out of it to prevent the mixture from crystalizing during this part of the process. Rather, gently swirl the pan to mix the contents.
- Cook gently to caramelize the sugar, swirling frequently, until sugar turns mahogany brown in color. Pour in an additional ¾ cup of the milk beverage, swirling to incorporate, followed by the salt and peanut butter. Whisk vigorously until smooth.
- Separately, whisk together the remaining cup of milk with the tapioca starch, beating out any and all clumps. Pour this loose slurry into the pot and whisk constantly until the entire mixture has significantly thickened. Immediately remove from the heat, add the buttery spread or oil, and whisk until it has fully melted in.
- Cool to room temperature and gently dollop spoonfuls of the filling over the layer of peanuts in your prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining peanuts on top and gently pat in to adhere. Place on a flat surface in your freezer until fully set; at least 4 hours, and ideally overnight.
- Pull out the full sheet of bars, using the foil as a sling, and cut into single-serving sized rectangles. Serve right away, or wrap individually in fresh squares of foil and stash back in the freezer for future snack attacks.
More Vegan Frozen Dessert Recipes by Hannah Kaminsky
Creamy Vegan Cheddar Ice Cream
Vegan Mint Chip Ice Cream Pie
Chocolate Sorbetto
