Homemade Dairy Free Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

I seem to be on a roll with frozen treats these days. Well, when it’s stinking hot outside, I try to avoid the oven. I feel like most of you would be in agreeance. I mean, who doesn’t love frozen sweet things? Summer is just around the corner and you need to have a backlog of good recipes that veto the oven. This Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream should be one of those recipes. It uses fresh summer fruit, it’s naturally sweetened and will keep you feeling cool in the heat!

I live in the Okanagan in British Columbia and let me tell you, it’s been getting quite toasty lately. Adam and I went for our first paddleboard of the season just last weekend and we may have started the weekend off munching on some of this strawberry rhubarb ice cream. But can you blame us?! When the weather is hot you just naturally crave cold foods. It was so nice to have some of this homemade coconut milk ice cream in the freezer just waiting for us!

how to make homemade coconut milk ice cream with a blender

I’m going to explain right here how to make ice cream with a blender. There is zero need for an ice cream machine for this recipe. Hallelujah. I have come across so many vegan ice cream recipes in the past that required a machine. And when you don’t own one, it’s a huge bummer.

So friends, for this recipe you just need a high-speed blender! Once you have your cashews soaked, add them to the blender along with the coconut milk, coconut cream, dates, strawberries and vanilla. Blend baby blend. Once smooth and creamy add the base to a loaf pan. Drizzle and swirl the fruit compote into it. Freeze the ice cream for 4-6 hours, or overnight. Then let it thaw before scooping the deliciousness into a cone, bowl or straight into your mouth. Using a blender has never been so fun when the end result is a bowl of this coconut strawberry ice cream.

naturally sweetened ice cream

I have my favourite go-to brands of ice cream when I don’t want to wait for my own recipe to set. Coconut Bliss and So Delicious are amazing, delicious and you would have no idea they are vegan. So if you are tight on time those should be your backup. But one of the great things about this vegan coconut strawberry ice cream is that the base is sweetened with dates! No processed sugars, and you would have zero idea! I did use a little maple syrup in the strawberry-rhubarb compote but compared to a regular pint of ice cream, we’re still doing pretty good at lowering that sugar amount in this ice cream!

here are some reasons why I love this Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream, so listen up!

1. Like I mentioned before, this strawberry rhubarb ice cream is mainly sweetened with dates. It isn’t overloaded with sugar making you feel a little blah after a few bites. The ingredients list is pretty minimal, making this ice cream quite clean for you to enjoy this summer!
2. The Picky Husband was a big fan, eating this frozen treat right out of the pan (I was doing the same!). This homemade coconut milk ice cream is great in a bowl topped with strawberries or in a cone! You just need to plan a little ahead to let it thaw (at least 30 minutes) and get soft before biting in.
3. I’m obsessed with frozen treats. So I’m pretty happy this is another one to add to the blog to enjoy in that summer heat. No need to turn on the oven to satisfy my sweet tooth!
4. The flavours of this coconut strawberry ice cream remind me a little of cotton candy ice cream. I think the sweetness and freshness of the fruit are just a beautiful combination that they compare to other simple and sweet flavours. I mean, I haven’t actually had cotton candy ice cream in years but that was one of the first things my tastebuds were screaming when I took my first bite.

For more ice cream treats, try these

• Raspberry Coconut Sorbet
• Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Vegan Oreo Blizzard

not a fan of rhubarb? don’t fret.

This will be such a fun dessert or afternoon snack to have in the summer. It’s filled with fresh fruit and will keep you nice and cool! If you don’t like rhubarb or you decide to make this when it’s not in season, don’t fret. You could also just veto the rhubarb and add an extra cup of strawberries instead. Making it a loaded coconut strawberry ice cream, which I don’t think anyone would scoff at.

If you have a sweet tooth that needs to be satisfied but you don’t want to use your oven in the summer, then this homemade coconut milk ice cream is just right for you. This strawberry rhubarb ice cream is loaded with seasonal fruit, it’s naturally sweetened and it’s hard to pace yourself with a big bowl of it sitting in front of you. Dive into this vegan ice cream one lick at a time.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

This Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream is creamy, perfectly sweetened and the most refreshing summer treat to enjoy on those hot days.

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings 5 people

Ingredients

base ingredients

• 3/4 cup raw cashews (soaked over night or in boiling water 30 minutes before)
• 1 can Coconut Milk (full fat- I used Thai Kitchen Brand)
• 1 cup coconut cream (coconut cream from another can of full fat coconut milk, but the liquid discarded))
• 7 medjool dates (de-pitted)
• 6 fresh strawberries (green leaves removed)
• 1 tbsp vanilla

fruit compote

• 2 cups fresh strawberries (green leaves removed and finely chopped)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh rhubarb (finely chopped)
• 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp arrowroot powder (or corn starch)

Instructions

base directions

• Soak your cashews overnight or bring a pot of water to a boil, remove the pot from the stove and pour the cashew into the pot. Let them soak in the pot for a least 30 minutes and then drain the water and rinse the cashews. Then add the cashews to a high-speed blender.
• Add one full can of full-fat coconut milk to the blender. As well as JUST the coconut cream from another can (about 1 cup of coconut cream). Keep the liquid from that can for a smoothie so as not to waste it.
• Add the dates, strawberries and vanilla to the blender, and blend everything together on high, until smooth.

fruit compote

• Finely chop the strawberries and rhubarb. Place the fruit in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the maple syrup to the fruit. As the fruit begins to soften and break down into more of a liquid state, add the corn starch and thoroughly combine. Once everything is nicely combined and simmering, remove from the stovetop and add to a blender. I pulsed my mixture leaving a few strawberries chunks remaining to add some nice texture to the ice cream (totally optional).
• Once your base ingredients have been blended and are smooth. Add it to a loaf pan. Taking the blended fruit compote and using a spoon, add a spoonful of the strawberry mixture to the base of the ice cream and twirl it around with your spoon. Continue doing this with all the fruit compote unless you want some to remain behind to top the ice cream with once it is frozen (like a sundae). Spoon and swirl until the compote is used up, and then pop the ice cream in the freezer for 4-6 hours (or overnight).
• After the 4-6 hour mark, the ice cream should be quite solid. Let it sit out and thaw for 10-15 minutes before scooping out and enjoying it.

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