My favorite ice cream flavor is Butter Pecan. I love the rich taste of toasted pecans and vanilla. The past few weekends I’ve been working on a Vegan Butter Pecan Ice Cream. This recipe is very simple but delivers a tasty and delicious treat. I hope you enjoy!
Vegan Butter Pecan Ice Cream
by Laura Friendly
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chill Time: may vary depending on technique
Ice Cream Maker Time: about 25 minutes
Makes: 1 quart (4 cups)
- 2 cans full fat coconut milk
- ½ cup coconut palm sugar (more or less to taste)
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp gluten-free vodka, optional
- Melt 1 tbsp of vegan butter into a nonstick saucepan. Cook the pecans over low heat for about 3 minutes, until they are fragrant and lightly browned. Transfer pecans to a paper towel and allow to cool completely.
- Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and place into a medium saucepan with coconut milk, sugar, 2 tbsp vegan butter and salt, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and chill the mixture completely.
- Once coconut mixture has chilled, transfer to a blender and add ⅓ cup of toasted pecans and vodka. Blend until pecans become very fine. If you want the ice cream to be even smoother, drain mixture through a sieve to remove any large pieces of pecan.
- Pour liquid into your ice cream machine bowl, and churn for about 25 minutes, or according to manufacturer's instructions. The last 5 minutes drop in the remaining pecans. Serve immediately.
- If you’d like a firmer consistency, transfer into a freezer safe container with lid, and freeze for about two hours to thicken.
Do you remember the taste of Almond Joy or Mounds candy bars? I use to love them. This cookie is in honor of those delicious treats. Almond Joy No-Bake Cookies. Over the past few weeks, by request of my Aunts, I have been playing around with desserts that use more natural sugars — honey, maple syrup and agave nectar, for example.
To be honest, I’ve been working to eliminate most refined sugars from my diet, so this request did not seem too extreme. It’s amazing to realize how sweet fruit can taste, after limiting sugar for only a week! But even on a low sugar diet, I still require delicious treats. And with the heat of summer fresh in my mind, a cookie that requires little, to no baking, seemed like the way to go.
These cookies have a rich dark chocolate flavor, that works perfectly with the shredded coconut. It’s this combination, dark chocolate and coconut, that takes my mind into Almond Joy Bliss.
You can customize the sweetness of these delights, by adding more or less honey. Or, if honey isn’t your style, agave nectar is a great option. To make these a healthier treat, I’ve added a few tablespoons of Chia seeds [my new favorite superfood, that’s rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids]. You can also try adding a bit of fresh ginger, vanilla or nutmeg. Enjoy!
Almond Joy No-Bake Cookies
by Laura Friendly
prep time: 10 minutes
refrigeration time: 30 minutes
makes: 24 cookies
- 5 oz dairy-free, dark baking chocolate (about 1 cup), roughly chopped
- ½ cup honey (more or less to taste)
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger, optional
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups shredded coconut
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews, ground into a fine meal or flour
- 2 tbsp chia seeds, optional
- whole almonds or cashews, optional
In a small saucepan, combine chocolate, honey, coconut oil, ginger and salt. Over low heat, mix continually, until the chocolate is completely melted and all ingredients are well combined.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine melted chocolate, shredded coconut, cashew meal and chia seeds. Mix together well.
On a parchment lined, baking sheet, spoon mixture into little mounds (note: the cookies can be placed close together, because they will not spread out). Top with almonds or cashews, if desired. Transfer the baking sheet into the refrigerator, and allow the cookies to set for 30 minutes. Once the cookies have hardened, transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Serve cold.
