Vegan No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream

The moment Sylvia and Lexie tried ice cream on a cone (from Vegan's Choice in Newtown), they fell in love. They got it all over their faces and clothes, didn't accept any help when it was dripping down their cones and our car was never the same again, but it was worth it to see their delight!

Now, whenever Lexie sees a picture of an ice cream in a book, he demands "Lexie, eat!" and proceeds to make his way to the kitchen (where an ice cream is supposedly waiting for him, I guess).

We don't buy ice cream much because it's either got a load of additives or is really expensive. So I thought I'd make a healthy and easy ice cream for the kids to enjoy in the heat. 

I made a very slightly different version of this ice cream last year for Sylvia when she asked for her Fancy Nancy parfait. I thought it would go well on a cone, and I was right! The kids loved this ice cream and so did everyone else. 

It's really creamy and scoop-able, and very simple to make. 

do you know how hard it is to take a photo of ice cream when it is being held by a hungry 4 year old?

Vegan No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream

1 cup cashews (I didn't soak mine, however it would be a good idea as they will blend more easily)
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1/2 cup maple syrup
 
Blend all ingredients until completely smooth. This took quite a few minutes for me. 

Put it in the freezer in a container, stirring every hour or so until it reaches desired consistency. For me this was about 4 hours. After this period, just leave it in the freezer and take it out of the freezer about 20 minutes before scooping and eating it.