Almond Butter and Molasses Ice Cream (vegan)

September 24, 2022 0 Comments

When I was a kid, one of my favorite after-school snacks was a big spoonful of peanut butter mixed with a spoonful of honey in a bowl. This is the almond butter-molasses version of that snack, in ice-cream form.

Almond Butter and Molasses Ice Cream (vegan)

This ice cream brings a clear molasses flavor and ultra-scoopability straight out of the fridge. It also loves a variety of toppings, so check the notes below for suggestions.

Makes ~1 quart

Recipe Category: Dairy Free Egg Free

Ingredients

Servings

1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz/400 ml, full fat, unsweetened)
3/4 cups almond milk (6 oz/175 ml, plain, unsweetened)
2/3 cups almond butter (200 g, the kind with almonds as the only ingredient)
1/3 cup agave syrup (100 g)
1/3 cup molasses (100 g)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (~2 g, use less or none if your almond butter is salted)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (~5 ml)
1/8 teaspoon almond extract (~1/2-1 ml, optional, a little goes a long way)
1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional, but improves the texture and longevity in the freezer)

Instructions

BLEND

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
CHILL

Transfer to a container and chill in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.

For a quicker chilling time, place the bowl containing your mixture in an ice bath (a larger bowl containing ice water) for a few hours. Stir the mixture occasionally. As the water in the ice bath warms up, pour off some water and add ice to keep the mixture chilling as quickly as possible.

Ideally, the mixture will be about 40 degrees when you churn it.
CHURN

Before you start churning, set up everything you'll need to quickly transfer the ice cream from the machine into a container for freezing. I use a knife to scrape down the dasher (or paddle) and a wooden spoon to scoop out the ice cream. When you are ready to churn, ideally your base will be about 40 degrees.

Set up your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Pour your mixture into the ice cream maker and churn. Because this mixture is thicker than many ice cream bases, it churns more quickly than most. In my machine the perfect churning time is 15 minutes, but your experience may vary.

The ice cream is ready when it has the consistency of soft serve and has started pulling away from the edge of the canister. You'll notice it also gets lighter in color as air is mixed in.
STORE

When the ice cream has finished churning, scoop it as quickly as possible into your storage container. Cover it with plastic wrap or parchment paper, if using. (Placing a sheet of parchment paper between the container and lid will help prevent frost, or you can press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream.) Put the container in the freezer. The ice cream will be fully firm in a few hours.

Note

Suggested toppings/mix-ins:

toasted slivered almonds
dried cherries
candied ginger (I find this accentuates the saltiness of the ice cream)
pieces of ginger snap cookies
corn nuts (really!)

If you want to make any of these a mix-in, wait until the last 2 minutes of churning and add them to the ice cream maker. Adding them too early will mean they sink to the bottom. Alternatively, you can layer them into the ice cream as you transfer it to your storage container.

I like using about 3/4 cup (~3 oz). It's usually enough to get a little mix-in in every bite of ice cream.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply