Karen’s Vegan Strawberry “Ice Cream” with Cashew Brittle
Jun 24, 2015, Updated Apr 15, 2025
Kick off Summer with this creamy, delicious Guilt-Free Strawberry Ice Cream dessert! Its base is made with soaked Cashews, Almond Milk, Pure Maple Syrup and – of course – Summer Strawberries.
Finding the finest Strawberries
June strawberries are here ( in CT), and some local farms will have a good supply until early July. Then, it’s time to make way for picking raspberries, then blueberries. In gourmet shops and supermarkets, they are available year-round, please look for ripe organic varieties if not buying from a grower – strawberries on the “dirty dozen” list (with highest pesticide residues).
These strawberries are red through and through! No white centers like most supermarket varieties.
Studies have shown that antioxidant levels in organically grown strawberries were about 19 percent higher than they were in conventionally grown strawberries.
Ice cream making is fun! In Summer, simply finding a just-picked, ripe fruit can send me running to the kitchen to whip up a base to be frozen. Pick-your-own is fun for the whole family – gets you on the farm and connects you to nature. Here is a link to find the best in your town: https://www.pickyourown.org.
Ice Cream in summer brings out the kid in all of us
On a hot Summer’s day it’s a comforting cool-down, a challenge to lick up every melting drop.
My taste has certainly changed in my adult years – my fondest ice cream memory is running with two dollars to the Good Humor man’s truck, clanking his bell down my street. My brother and I delighted in how many bars fit into the brown paper bag. Chasing after the truck was all the fun, and Steve (I still remember his name) was friendly… and well, good-humored.
My favorites were chocolate eclair and toasted almond. It’s been a few decades since I have enjoyed them though – my taste has changed, as I no longer consume caramel color, artificial flavorings, food dyes, corn syrup and preservatives.
Vegan or not, how nice it is to enjoy something sweet in summer that is plant based and dairy-free! I am fond of frozen yogurts, I make them myself. Commercial frozen strawberry yogurts mostly are artificially flavored (“natural flavors” are chemicals too!) My Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream is creamy, silky, all -natural and surprisingly easy to prepare.
I hope you enjoy this timeless recipe – and don’t skip the Cashew Brittle! It is crunchy with a nice deep caramelized color – not overly sweet… just a touch of maple syrup will do.
Happy and Healthy summer eating to all ~
Enjoy this marvelous Vegan Ice Cream!
Karen
Karen’s Vegan Strawberry “Ice Cream” with Cashew Brittle
Equipment
- 1 ice cream maker
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3 cups fresh strawberries, preferably organic
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups almond milk, organic, unsweetened preferable
- 2 tablespoons organic coconut oil
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in plenty of filtered water to cover. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, or at least 6 hours.
- Wash, hull and coarsely chop the strawberries. Place them in a large bowl, add the maple syrup and salt, stir and let macerate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Strain the cashews and rinse. Add the cashews to the carafe of a blender. Add 1 cup of almond milk and process from low to high speed until very creamy about 2 minutes. Add the remaining cup of almond milk. Blend well on high speed for 1 minute. Add the strawberries and all their juices – and the coconut oil to the carafe of a blender. Blend until the strawberries are smooth, about one minute.
- Place the ice cream base in a clean glass container, seal well and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours. Process the vegan ice cream in an ice cream maker until firm. TO SERVE: Scoop into individual dishes, top with a fresh strawberry and some Cashew Brittle.
- Place in pint containers and freeze. Let soften a bit before scooping. Enjoy!
CASHEW BRITTLE:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, 1 large egg white (use egg substitute for vegan), 2 T. pure maple syrup, 1 pinch sea salt 1/4 t. black sesame seeds (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a small baking tray with parchment paper. Whip the egg white until light and very frothy with a balloon whisk in a small bowl. Add the cashews to the bowl and mix well. Drain the cashews and place them into another small bowl (with only the egg that clings to them.) Add the maple syrup and salt, mix well. Pour the mixture onto the parchment paper (sprinkle with black sesame seeds now, if using) and cook until lightly browned – almost amber in color, but not darker (about 15 minutes.) Break up when cool, store any extra in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
