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VEGAN VANILLA CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM
Guys, I just don’t even know what to say about this Vegan Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream right here. You only need 7 ingredients for all of it, including the ridiculously easy raw caramel. I shared this post on Facebook yesterday and everybody was excitedly ready for something other than chocolate. I am so excited when a recipe turns out even better than I think it will. I have been meaning to make a vegan vanilla ice cream for quite some time. It is my Dad’s favorite flavor and also several of you have asked for a vanilla ice cream or one that wasn’t chocolate.
Well, I couldn’t stop at just vanilla, so I made vanilla cheesecake flavored ice cream. Me, my toddler and my husband <<<<MR. Picky, all just died over it. My daughter literally was moaning, hahaha.
So incredibly luscious and creamy. I’m not kidding, it really does taste like Vanilla Cheesecake in Ice Cream form….dairy-free and oil-free is hard to believe, it’s that creamy!
With caramel sauce, it’s almost too good.
VEGAN CARAMEL
The caramel just takes it to another whole level. The ice cream isn’t overly sweet, which makes this caramel sauce balance it out nicely. Although, the ice cream is certainly totally dreamy on it’s own, let’s not kid ourselves.
Let me just say that I’m obsessed with creating vegan ice cream. The commercial vegan versions I’ve tried are okay, but what I create at home knocks them out of the park. Also, I’m not a fan of the ingredient list in the commercial ice creams. Besides, when a reader makes your Starbucks Mocha Ice Cream and says “this was an awesome recipe…for the 1st time in my whole entire life, I tasted a non dairy ice cream, and it was DELICIOUS”, how can I not keep busting out these amazing vegan ice creams that rival any dairy, truly. Especially, now that I’m discovering more and more ways to make them sooo creamy.
This one is sooooo creamy, luscious and really does taste like cheesecake in ice cream form. In fact, my husband’s first words out of his mouth were:
“Omg, this tastes just like Vanilla Bean Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory!”
Now, I didn’t add vanilla bean to it, but you get the idea. It is gourmet, silky, smooth and incredibly delicious.
And, of course, I couldn’t stop there and created a caramel sauce to go over it. Several months back while making a dessert, I was combining my liquids of melted coconut butter, maple syrup, vanilla and tasted it, I was blown away by how much it tasted like caramel. So, that is my favorite way of making a vegan caramel.
OTHER VEGAN ICE CREAM RECIPES TO TRY:
- 4 Ingredient Chocolate Ice Cream (#1 recipe on my blog!)
- Vegan Peanut Butter Sweet Potato Ice Cream
- Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream
- Vegan Vanilla Birthday Cake Ice Cream (with a shocking ingredient!)
- Vegan Dark Chocolate Almond Ice Cream
- Vegan Java Crunch Ice Cream
- Raspberry Sorbet
Vegan Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream With Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 cups (720g) quality high fat coconut milk (Use TWO full 13.6 oz cans of FULL FAT coconut milk, I find Thai Kitchen brand to be the best and creamiest, make sure yours has the 14g fat. Or for totally raw version, you will need about 6 young coconuts and can follow this tutorial
- 3/4 cup (120g) raw whole cashews
- 1/2 cup (160g) pure maple syrup or agave
- 1/4 cup (60g) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (15g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
CARAMEL SAUCE
- 1/4 cup (60g) melted coconut butter
- 4 tablespoons (80g) pure maple syrup or agave (room temperature! (I used Grade B syrup for a darker color)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Make sure your ice cream bowl has been in the freezer for several hours or overnight before making the ice cream. The liquid in the bowl must be completely frozen or it won't make the ice cream properly. If you do not have a high powered blender, you will need to soak your cashews in a bowl covered with lukewarm water and leave at room temperature for 2-4 hours (4 is best for the best creamy results) before making the ice cream. Pour out the water from the bowl and pat them dry with a paper towel and proceed with the recipe. Keep in mind a high powered blender gives the best, creamiest results just like dairy.
- Add all of the ingredients (except the caramel sauce) to a high powered blender and blend on high until very smooth and creamy, about a minute or two. Taste and add any more sweetener or vanilla, if desired. Pour into your ice cream maker and let it do it's magic. Mine took about 30 minutes churning. It will be a soft serve consistency once done. Add to a container and smooth the ice cream out and put a tight fitting lid on. Place in the freezer to firm up for a couple of hours or so. If it completely freezes overnight, just take it out a few minutes before to soften some before serving.
- To make the caramel sauce, melt some coconut butter and make sure to measure out 1/4 cup. Add the syrup and vanilla mix with a fork. Add any water if desired, to reach consistency. Pour over the ice cream once you are ready to serve. Keep the ice cream stored covered in an airtight container and store the caramel sauce at room temperature. You may need to slightly reheat the caramel sauce when using again.
- Note: Homemade ice cream is best eaten within the first couple of days. Each time you take the ice cream out and it slightly thaws and then refreeze it, it becomes more icy and hard each time, which is why it's best to eat it the first couple of days. Otherwise, you can store the ice cream right after it's made into individual serving portions, so it doesn't keep getting taken in and out of the freezer.
Notes
Yummy! I just made this ice cream and it’s so good! I didn’t make the caramel sauce but will next time – I had some strawberries to use up so made a roasted strawberry sauce instead.
I didn’t personally feel the ice cream tastes a lot like cheesecake, to me it reminds me a lot is the “original tart” frozen yoghurt that pinkberry and similar places have. I’m going to increase the lemon juice next time. 🙂
Thanks so much for a fantastic recipe!
Thank you so much Carol Ann! I’m so happy you loved this ice cream so much! It is one of my favorites! We and my taste testers all were reminded of a cheesecake from the cheesecake factory, but if you want more zing, then definitely add more lemon juice, i just am always careful not to add TOO much or it will just taste too overpowering in lemon flavor. It just takes the right amount to give it that tang of cheesecake flavor.
So glad you loved this and thank you for the feedback!
Oh wow I am so glad I chose this one for my first foray into plant based ice creams. I am floored at how much this does taste like regular cheesecake. Amazing. For the next time, I think I’ll try some frozen strawberries or loganberries mixed in at the very end.
Also I chilled my coconut milk in the refrigerator and then flipped them over opened them and all the water was right on top and made for easy drainage.
So so happy to hear that Kim!! So sorry I just saw this comment!
Bummer! This looks delicious but with a severe nut allergy and a dairy allergy into the home I can’t make it 🙁 Food allergies are the pits! at least we can can try the Carmel sauce!
I can’t have maple or agave, would honey work?
Hi Rachel! Sure, it may change the consistency a bit since honey is so much thicker, but I think it would still work. Also, honey is sweeter, so keep that in mind. However, the same amount may still work since this ice cream is not very sweet to begin with. Please let me know if you try it, I’d love to hear!
I made this last weekend. The flavour is great thanks!
This is fabulous! I added a teaspoon of vanilla powder on top of the extract (because I’m addicted to it) and the ice cream is creamy and smooth and delicious with just the right amount of tang from the lemon juice. And the caramel sauce is just perfection – I think it’s going to become a staple in our kitchen just on its own. Thank you so much!
Krista-I truly appreciate you taking the time to leave such wonderful feedback on my blog! I’m THRILLED you loved it so much and loved it as much as we did!! I hope you will enjoy my other ice cream recipes or recipes in general that you try. Thanks again! Adding the vanilla powder on top sounds incredible!
Brandi, shut the front door. This looks waaaaaay too rich, creamy, luscious ‘n indulgent to be vegan. You are a miracle worker, girl! And the photo where you’re pouring the caramel over top is killing me!
Aww thank you so much Nancy!!
Brandi, you are killing all of us here. You actually continue to create these sumptuous dishes that are so great they are shockingly wonderful. Just put this ice cream in a bowl(or your lap if all the bowls are dirty!) and place one
of your blueberry muffins in the middle………………ain’t nothing left to say – START EATING!!!!
I think that is so amazing that you added the blueberry muffins crumbled on top of the ice cream! Sounds amazingly delicious!
Made this today for our 9th wedding anniversary. We LOVE it!! And the caramel is addictive 😀 Thanks so much for adding something extra special to our day.
That means so much to me that you made my recipe on your anniversary! Thank you so much for letting me know and leaving feedback, I really appreciate it! SO glad you both loved it!
Thanks! I agree…I’m a much bigger fan of coconut butter as “caramel” than date caramel. It was a nice discovery in my kitchen awhile back while premixing my liquids before adding them to my batter to my Coconut Butter Brownies several months ago and going “whoa, this tastes like caramel!” haha! Been hooked ever since 🙂
Aww thanks Brittany!!! You are too sweet!
I know girl, such a bummer because this ice cream is absolutely, undeniably delicious! I just made another batch this morning and I had to stop myself from eating it all straight from my ice cream maker!! Oh, and I am a huge fan of coconut butter!!! It is my favorite way, hands down.
Well you did it again, another amazing recipe, the ice cream is fantastic but that caramel sauce, totally delicious and decadent!!
Thank you so much Suzanne!! So glad you like it 🙂
Thanks so much Annie 🙂
Yea, somehow I don’t see the caramel sauce as “optional”…….not in my kitchen 😉
I know right?! The ice cream isn’t overly sweet, so the caramel is just “needed” and sets it off amazingly 🙂
oh my gosh. that does look luscious!
Perfect for summer! Thanks Richa!
Thank you so much Vicky! It is both pretty and scrumptious 😉
Thank you so much Cindy!! I just couldn’t stop at vanilla and I’m so glad I didn’t, it really is amazing, especially with the caramel sauce on top!! 🙂
Is there a way to make this without a ice cream churner? Thanks!
Hi Jill, without the maker, it will make the ice cream much more icy and less creamy. You can try it using the method on this post here, but keep in mind, the ice cream WILL be more icy and you will need to let it thaw quite a bit before eating and there will probably be ice crystals.
Aww thanks Meredith, you are so sweet!! More vanilla coming, haha! Let me know please when you make it, yay!
Yes, I added the ice cream making part on step 2, forgot to add it earlier!
I don’t have an ice cream maker. 🙁 Womp womp. If I ever invest in one, I will definitely be making this to break it in!
Oh no! I’m so sorry girl! Well, hang tight because I will have a vanilla ice cream soon that doesn’t require a machine :).
Try the old fashion method of taking two coffee cans one bigger then the other. Put smaller can in the bigger can, put ice around the small can, add rock salt and shake. Look it up on youtube. You don’t need a ice cream maker.
Yes, I am so sorry, I forgot it earlier when I posted it. Was too excited I guess, it’s on there now! Sorry about that 🙂
Haha, delirious, I love it Veronica! 🙂 You need an ice cream maker for this recipe. It won’t work by just blending and then freezing, it will be way too icy that way. The ice cream maker incorporates air while churning, which helps to make it so creamy. They are well worth the investment and more than pay for themselves, especially with how ridiculous commercial ice cream is. Here is one that works great and isn’t too pricey. You can get them at Bed Bath & Beyond, Lowes etc. http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-ICE-21-Frozen-Yogurt-Ice-Sorbet/dp/B003KYSLMW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402766101&sr=8-1&keywords=cuisinart+ice+cream+maker