Summer is ice cream season! How does our family enjoy this typically dairy-based treat? By harnessing the power of nature, of course!

You don’t need dairy or soy to have a delicious treat. Here’s our favorite plant-based ice cream recipes to cool down a hot day – plus, you get the nutritional benefits of these amazing foods!

Divine Mango Sorbet

Did you know that mango is one of the most nutritionally rich fruits in the world? Mangoes help alkalize the body and are beneficial for all sorts of conditions, including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, cognitive disorders, respiratory diseases, and kidney disease. We love buying the big bag of frozen mango chunks at Costco to make this recipe easy! You never knew what you were missing - this treat is so simple but so divine!

Course Dessert

Keyword blender ice cream, Dairy-free, Dairy-free ice cream, Dessert, Mango, Plant-based, Summer treat, vegan

Servings 6

Ingredients

6-7 cups organic frozen mango chunks
½ a lemon juiced
1 tbsp water

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender or a food processor.
Begin blending, stopping to scrape down the sides. You will need to work it like crazy because it will be super thick!
Scoop into bowls and top with any fixings you wish, such as shredded coconut, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, coconut cream, etc. Enjoy immediately!

Recipe Notes

To save leftovers, pour into ice cube trays and store in the freezer. When you are ready to enjoy it again, put the frozen cubes back into a blender/food processor with a little water and re-blend! (It helps if you let the cubes defrost a little bit first.)

Basic “Nice Cream” Recipe

How in the world can you have a creamy ice cream treat without the milk and cream? The trick to many plant-based ice cream recipes are frozen bananas! When frozen & blended, this thick fat-free fruit provides a fabulous base for all sorts of variation according to your heart’s desires. Use this as your base and add any variety of things, including nut butters, maple syrup, vanilla, berries, fruit, teas - the possibilities are endless!

Ingredients

Ripe bananas
Water to thin as needed

Instructions

Peel and chop bananas and spread out on a baking sheet. Place in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
Place frozen banana chunks into a high-speed blender or food processor and blend. Add a little water at a time to help the mixture move. Work under it is a creamy texture.
Mix in or sprinkle with any fruit or toppings of your choice, and enjoy!

Looking for some more ideas? Here are some tried-and-true recipes my family delights in!

Lorena’s Dragonfruit Blender Ice Cream

by Amber Bodily

Lorena's Blender Ice Cream

My whole family loves this dairy-free clean “ice cream” that packs a nutritional powerhouse! The simple but powerful ingredients in this blissful creation cleanse the liver and flood it with glorious nutrients.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword blender ice cream, dragon fruit, dragon fruit ice cream, gluten free, healthy ice cream, vegan

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 1 minute

Total Time 3 minutes

Ingredients

2-3 dates
1 package organic frozen pineapple (See note)
1 package organic frozen peaches (See note)
1/2 package organic frozen strawberries (See note)
1 package organic frozen dragon fruit (See note)

Instructions

Remove the pit from the dates.
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor and blend.
Top with bananas, blueberries, and slivered almonds.
Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

For pineapple, peaches, and strawberries: 1 package = 10oz or approx. 1 1/4 cup

For dragon fruit, I use 1 of the 4 smoothie packs in the package (I like this brand). If you cannot find frozen dragon fruit, you can use 1 tsp of powdered dragon fruit.

Vegan Wild Blueberry Lavender Ice Cream

by Amber Bodily

Vegan Wild Blueberry Lavender Ice Cream Recipe

Raising a healthy family does NOT mean depriving anyone of summer’s best treat- Ice Cream! It IS possible to enjoy a creamy sweet treat without harmful chemicals or sugars.

Prep Time 10 hours

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 hours 5 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 241 kcal

Ingredients

2 15 oz cans full fat coconut milk coconut cream also works
1/2 cup almond milk
1/3 cup coconut palm syrup or raw honey
1 tsp vanilla extract or 10-12 drops of vanilla essential oil
2 tsp dried culinary lavender
1 1/2 cups wild blueberries
2 tbsp coconut sugar

Instructions

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add coconut milk, almond milk and coconut palm syrup (or honey); whisk until smooth and well combined and mixture comes to a slight simmer (this should only take a few minutes). DO NOT BRING MIXTURE TO A FULL BOIL. After mixture comes to a slight simmer, whisk once more, then transfer to a blender, add in lavender and vanilla and blend for 30 seconds. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours until very cold. This is an essential step, so please do not skip it!
While the mixture is chilling, you’ll make a blueberry syrup. Add blueberries and coconut sugar to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Mash blueberries up with a fork and continue to stir mixture until it thickens; this should take roughly 15-20 minutes. Once mixture is thick like a syrup, transfer to a bowl, cover and stick in the fridge.
Once ready to make the ice cream, add the cold coconut milk mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions until it resembles soft serve.
Transfer half of ice cream to a freezer safe container, then add half of the blueberry mixture, repeat with ice cream and blueberries once more. Swirl mixture a few times with a knife to create layers. Cover ice cream and freeze for 4-6 hours or until ice cream hardens. Before ready to serve let the ice cream sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Makes 8 servings; 1/2 cup each.

Cran-Nana Ice Cream

by Amber Bodily

Cran-nana Ice Cream

This is my family’s Cran-nana ice cream and it is simple, delicious, and playful. I hope this recipe brings you cheer as the new year rounds the corner!

Servings 2