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Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream on an Almond & Oatmeal Cookie

This vegan ice cream is heaven on it's own, simply served with fresh berries or ripe mango, but when served on top of this crunchy yet soft almond cookie it all goes up a notch.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Global
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 people
Author Dea Zoffmann

Equipment

  • An ice cream maker gives the best results but is not essential.

Ingredients

For the Almond Crust

  • 100 g raw almonds
  • 3/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 3 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla essence
  • A pinch of salt
  • 3 tablespoons brown rice flour

For the ice cream

  • 200 ml coconut milk
  • 300 ml almond milk (unsweetened)
  • 6 Medjool dates pits removed
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla essence
  • 1/4 teaspoon guar gum or xanthan gum
  • Fresh fruit of your choice
  • Fresh mint if you like

Instructions

To make the crust:

  • Turn the oven on and set it for 200ºC (400ºF).
  • In a food processor blend the almonds until finely ground. Transfer to bowl and add the oats, baking powder, milk, syrup, salt, vanilla and rice flour. Mix it all well until you get a slightly sticky dough.
  • Spread the dough evenly on the bottom of an 18cm (7”) diameter spring-form which has been covered with a piece of baking paper. Alternatively, divide the dough into 12 balls. Place the balls on a baking sheet and use the backside of a spoon to flatten them a bit.
  • Bake in the middle of the oven for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool down completely before using or storing in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a week.

To make the ice cream:

  • Mix the milks, dates, and vanilla together in a blender and blend well. Make sure the dates are thoroughly blended. Add the xanthan gum, blend for a few seconds more, and transfer immediately to an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. Use immediately or transfer to a sealed container and freeze until needed. If you do not own an ice cream maker see the process description below.
  • If you have to leave the ice cream in the freezer for a long time before serving (several hours) it will go completely solid due to the minimal amount of fat it contains. If this is the case you'll have to remove it from the freezer well ahead of serving; in some cases up to 45 minutes before. But you'll have to feel your way with this as it is not an exact science. Alternatively, you can place it in the microwave on the lowest setting and zap it for 30 seconds. Check and zap again as needed. I don't necessarily recommend this method as the risk of all of a sudden ending up with an all liquid mess is quite high.
  • To serve, simply place a piece of almond crust on a plate and top with ice cream and fresh fruit.
  • Enjoy!

Manual freezing method:

  • If you do not have an ice cream maker you can freeze the ice cream manually like this: Pour the mixture into a container, with lid, which fits into your freezer. A wide and shallow container makes for the quickest result. Leave the mixture to freeze for 30-45 minutes, then stir it up well. Back into the freezer for another 30-45 minutes before stirring again. Repeat this until the ice cream reaches the consistency you like. The freezing-stirring sequence helps to break up the ice crystals and gives you that smooth texture. If you just stick it in the freezer and forget about it the consistency will be more like a granito, full of ice crystals.

Notes

*Aquafaba is the viscous water in which chickpeas have been cooked. In fact, you can also use the water from various types of cooked beans (black, navy, great northern, cannellini...) but I prefer to use the water from chickpeas since it has virtually no flavor once mixed with other ingredients. Next time you use canned chickpeas don't discard the liquid, rather drain it off and freeze it until you need it. Thaw before using.