Ohhhhh… vegan ice cream. It’s a challenge.

You see, in order for ice cream to work, it needs fat. Lots of fat. Fat gives it a creamy mouthfeel, but it also helps the ice cream to stay creamy, and not get too hard and unscoopable.

When it comes to making vegan ice cream, many people default to coconut milk or coconut cream, and there’s a good reason for that–it’s full of fat (especially if you’re using coconut cream). Coconut really is the closest substitute for whipping cream in the vegan world.

The problem with coconut milk is that has a very distinct flavor, that kind of overtakes everything it touches. If you like coconut, that’s cool, but if you’re not so crazy about it… maybe not.

I recently started experimenting with Oat Milk. Now, I usually make my own, but there are now commercially-available versions on the market. Part of the reason I love oat milk is because it’s allergen-free. No gluten, no soy, and no nuts, and unlike a lot of commercial non-dairy milks out there, it has a thickness and creaminess that I really enjoy. I’m not crazy about putting regular non-dairy milk in my coffee, because it’s watery, and not creamy enough. Oat milk, however, is thicker, creamier and richer–so I thought it might also be great in ice cream.

When I was writing Aquafabuous! last summer, I spent a large chunk of time experimenting with ice (or “nice”) creams. I acquired an ice cream maker many years ago, and even though I don’t use it year-round, it’s proven to be invaluable. I love making “pure” ice creams, just the basic ingredients, no fillers or preservatives.

When you’re making a traditional (non-vegan) ice cream, the custard part is usually thickened with egg yolks. A trick I learned a long time ago is to separate the yolks from the whites, incorporate the yolks into the cream to make the custard for the base, but then to whip the whites into a meringue and fold into the custard right before you churn it.

What does that sound like?? Aquafaba!! And, as it turns out, it works like a charm when making vegan ice cream.

Some of the recipes in my Aquafabulous! use coconut milk, but this one does not. There is still coconut in here, but in the form of coconut oil. It lends the fattiness needed to make the ice cream smooth and creamy, but without the strong coconut flavor.

I also learned, while writing the book, that you Xanthium Gum makes a huge difference to the texture of the ice cream. It helps immensely to keep it scoopable.

This ice cream tastes like fudgesicles. Except vegan. It’s amazeballs.

Fudgey Chocolate Ice Cream {Vegan}

Ingredients

2 cups Oat Milk (I used So Fresh unsweetened vanilla)

3/4 cup sugar

6 green cardamom pods, smooshed

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

6 tbsp aquafaba

1/2 tsp xanthium gum

Method

In a smallish saucepan over medium heat, add the oat milk, cardamom and sugar. Heat gently just up to the boil and simmer a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes, to allow the cardamom to further steep into the oat milk. Whisk in the coconut oil and the cocoa powder, until the mixture is smooth. Strain into a bowl and place in the fridge to cool. Meanwhile, whip the aquafaba together with the xanthium gum until it achieves stiff peaks. I like to whip it for 2 minutes on low, 2 minutes on medium, then turn it up to high for the duration–usually about another 2-4 minutes. You should achieve stiff peaks within 10 minutes. Carefully pour the cooled chocolate/oat milk mixture into the whipped aquafaba, and fold them gently together until mostly incorporated. Pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to your ice cream makers’ directions. I use a Cuisinart, it usually takes about 20-30 minutes to achieve the right consistency. Remove from ice cream maker and place in the freezer for a few hours to set.

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