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Vegan Ice Cream Bars (V+GF): an 8 ingredient recipe for the BEST decadent chocolate-dipped vegan ice cream bars made with whole ingredients. Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Paleo.
You guys! This is IT. This is the one you’ve been waiting for. Hang up the phone and cancel all of your appointments. In fact, turn off your TV, this is IT. Yeah, I said it. Turn off your TV. This is getting serious.
This is the dessert you’ve been waiting for. In fact, this is THE dessert my family’s been drooling over, enjoying like WOAH, and been asking me to make again and again. Like, even while they’re eating it.
I say this with the utmost respect for my other recipes, this is my favorite dessert EVER. Yup, I just said it. Even better than my best vegan brownies. And I just felt all good typing “best vegan brownies.”
Okay, so you know I’ve had a long and devoted love affair with sweets, desserts, cookies, cakes, cakes shaped like cookies, ice cream shaped like cakes, and cakes shaped like oh, you know. But basically, ALL of the sweets are my love. No offense, Erik.
But these vegan ice cream bars are everything I couldn’t have even dreamed of. Because, seriously, sometimes my imagination is limited by the real world and junk. Lame… 😉
In any case, it was a few weeks ago when Erik and I happily welcomed our new popsicle mold into the family. We had too much fun making this, this, and this. It was all the popsicles, all the time. I mean, if we could’ve stepped into a time machine and asked our childhood selves what we wanted, this would’ve been it.
But, as much fun as those popsicles were, we knew something was missing. And oh YES, it was THIS ice cream bar. Screaming required. They’re basically popsicle versions of ice cream. And need I mention my love of cake-shaped ice cream or cookie-shaped cakes? Well hello to you, popsicle-shaped ice cream. Nice to meet ya!
So why not try making our own? You see, I’ve been toying with an ice cream recipe for awhile now, still fiddling with the creamy/icy/thick-but-not-too-thick factor, when I just went ahead and poured one test batch mixture into our popsicle mold. Because. Summer. Yep, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (there goes that wonderful imagination of mine).
And guess what came out a mere few (okay, more like 4-6) hours later? The most perfect ice cream bars. But wait, there’s more! (Suddenly, I’ve become Joey selling that amazing milk-pouring spout thingy.) No, there wasn’t any flingin’ flangin’ liquid pouring disasters here, just a need for a nice, thick chocolate shell.
So I mixed up the wonderfully simple recipe for homemade vegan chocolate shell: cocoa powder, maple syrup and coconut oil. All at once, you could almost hear the dessert angels sing. And you could definitely hear Joey sayin’ “How you doin’?” to these ice cream bars.
Then, I did a bit of dipping, a bit of tasting, maybe some dripping (on my clothes and maybe even the floor), and a WHOLE lotta eating.
The second you bite into this vegan ice cream bar, you’ll see exactly what I mean. The crunch of that perfectly thick chocolate shell, the cool creaminess of the ice cream interior: instant, and all-consuming perfect dessert bliss.
How do we love these? Let us count the ways. These incredible Vegan Ice Cream Bars are:
- simply made with guilt-free, whole ingredients
- perfectly creamy, perfectly chocolatey
- vegan, gluten free, and dairy free
- wonderfully homemade
- made with just 8 ingredients
- the dessert you’ve been waiting for
- like, forever
- plant-based and allergy-friendly
- the BEST ice cream bar you’ll ever make
So whip up a batch and see what the fuss is all about. Nothing’s better than homemade vegan ice cream bars and perhaps a long, lovely afternoon of relaxation. Here’s to enjoying the quiet, blissful moments in life. I’ll see you by the pool. 🙂
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Here are a few items I used in today’s recipe. 🙂
Popsicle Mold | Coconut Milk | Popsicle Sticks | Food Processor | Blender | Maple Syrup
Vegan Ice Cream Bars (Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Paleo)
Equipment
Ingredients
Vanilla Ice Cream Bars
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk, 13.66 oz.
- 1 can lite coconut milk, 13.66 oz.
- 2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Chocolate Shell Coating
- ½ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- The night before, or for 3-4 hours, soak the cashews. Also, refrigerate the can of full-fat coconut milk.
- Make the ice cream bars: Drain and rinse the cashews. Add cashews and half the can of lite coconut milk into a blender. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. Add in the remaining half can of lite coconut milk.
- Remove the can of full-fat coconut milk from the fridge and flip it upside down. Open and pour out the translucent coconut juice, making sure to keep the thick, white coconut fat in the can. Save the coconut juice for another recipe or a smoothie.
- Scoop the coconut fat into the blender. Add maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Blend until smooth.
- Pour this ice cream mixture into your popsicle mold, leaving about ¼” of space at the top of the mold to allow the popsicles to expand in the freezer. Insert popsicle sticks into slots, or follow instructions for your mold.
- Freeze for 6-8 hours.
- Remove from freezer. Line a large baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Clear some space out in the freezer for this sheet.
- If needed, allow popsicles to thaw for a few minutes. Optionally, run popsicle mold under a bit of lukewarm water to loosen the bars. Place the popsicle mold on a flat surface and wiggle the ice cream bars out.
- Lay the ice cream bars evenly spaced apart on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour, or until completely frozen. This allows the bars to harden for smooth dipping.
- Make the chocolate coating: About 10 minutes before the bars are done freezing, prepare the chocolate coating. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, maple syrup and cocoa powder. Whisk until thickened and smooth, like melted chocolate.
- Dip the ice cream bars: Prepare your work area. Lay a large sheet of wax paper or parchment on a flat surface. Remove the bars from the freezer. Pour about 1/4 cup of chocolate coating directly onto the prepared work surface. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the chocolate into a rectangular shape that’s larger than one ice cream bar.
- Lay the bar right on top of the chocolate rectangle you’ve created. Press down, then pull back and up, coating from the bottom of the bar to the top. You will have coated one side and the top of the bar. Tilt the bar to the side, coating an edge in chocolate. Repeat for the other edge. Flip the bar over, pressing the uncoated side in chocolate. Pull back and up, finishing off the coating. Use a spoon to seal up any areas that aren’t coated. Return the chocolate-coated bar back onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Pour more chocolate mixture onto the work area, using the rubber spatula as needed to scrape it into a rectangular shape. Repeat coating.
- Enjoy!* Storing notes below.
Also try these tasty frozen desserts!
Notes
- Here is the popsicle mold I used.
- *If the ice cream bars have gotten melty, freeze for another 30 minutes to firm up before serving.
- Wrap bars in wax paper or parchment. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for 1-2 weeks.
- More recipes for your popsicle mold (all V+GF): Blueberry Coconut Popsicles, Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Popsicles, Strawberry Chia Seed Popsicles. Nice cream recipes (all V+GF): dark chocolate nice cream, toasted coconut chocolate chip nice cream.
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Feeling like a nice, big bowl of ice cream? Enjoy my Dark Chocolate Nice Cream (Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free).
Nice cream just got upgraded, fellow Coconut Lovers! Try my Toasted Coconut Nice Cream (Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free).
Blueberries + Coconut = Meant to Be. Try my Vegan Blueberry Coconut Popsicles (Dairy Free, Gluten Free).
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These bars reminds me my childhood memories. I never think about making it but you are just inspiring to try out at home … We called it “chocobar” icecream here
Wonderful! I’ve never heard of chocobars before. I hope you get a chance to try. Thanks Priya. 🙂
Okay, I have now seen ICE CREAM PERFECTION! In healthy, scrumptious form!! This takes me right back to my childhood – I think it is the chocolate shell that sent me over the edge – and is the very definition of we all scream for ice cream! Pinned, pinned, a thousand times pinned! Happy long holiday weekend, my delicious friend! 🙂
Like music to my ears. 😉 Thank you so much Kate! Childhood food memories are the best, aren’t they? Desserts were just sweeter, pizza tastier. *happy sigh* Thank you for pinning my friend. Have a wonderful holiday weekend–you deserve it. xoxo
The perfection of these bars is so immense, I think all the other desserts will understand. Heck they will probably even agree!! I mean it’s ice cream and chocolate ON A STICK! Ice cream and chocolate are pretty much the only desserts I want right now, and the stick factor just makes it easier to get to my face 🙂 Fudgesicles are good too, but these were always my favorite with their shatter-able shell. And when the chocolate cracks and ice cream starts to drip down my hand…yep, love that <3 I swear I have a popsicle mold somewhere but I cannot find it…I think it's time to just splurge on a new one already!!
Natalie, you are the sweetest! 🙂 Those desserts better agree, or else I’m not gonna make ’em again. Hmph! Haha. Why is it that food tastes better on a stick anyway?? “shatter-able shell” <--AWESOME. That is all. And the drip... girl, the way you're describing this is making me want the ice cream bars even more! Lol. It's time to get your splurge on! Thank you so much for the comment love, Natalie. 😉
Oh Demeter! How could you make all of your Vegan and gluten-free recipe so drool-worthy. Its the magic in your hands which make each and every recipe of yours so desirable. Making vegan ice-cream bars? Only you could have come up with such a brilliant idea my friend! Indeed this is the dessert I have been waiting for! This is such a fun recipe to make with kiddo. I will make it with Adoria. Have a lovely weekend my friend! 🙂 <3
Aw, thank you so much Anu! 🙂 Your words please me to no end. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what Adoria thinks of these vegan ice cream bars. I consider her one of my toughest critics! Kids, ya know? So picky and discerning! 🙂 Have a lovely weekend with your family. xo
Demeter, you took me back in time, when I was a kid and all I wanted in the summer was an ice cream bar, like every day, begging my mom and grandma for a what-we-call-it-in-italian: “cremino” 🙂 . Lovely, delicious recipe! Pinned, just saying… 🙂
Nicoletta, I love how you share these wonderful bits of Italian vocabulary. Especially when it’s from your childhood. Those were the simpler days, right? 🙂 I hope you get a chance to try these, and have a taste of your idyllic childhood days again. <3
You ain’t lying GF when you say this is what I’ve been waiting for! YUMMMMMMMMMYYY! Dude, I’m making these and not telling my Hubby. I will hoard them all for me. No sharing around here! heeheeheehee 🙂
Awwwww yeah. Don’t tell Hubby, he’ll totally fight you for these! 😉 Or… just make a double batch! Lol. Thanks Karrie! xo
I am SO drooling right now, Demeter! These look AMAZING! Why have I not thought to make my own ice cream bars before? These look so much better than the store-bought kind, too. And I have no doubt that these would last all of 2.5 seconds in my house, as my husband has a serious ice cream problem. These are seriously just gorgeous! Pinned, of course! Hope you have a great weekend!
Thank you SO MUCH Gayle! That means a lot to me. 🙂 Homemade ice cream bars are like nothing else. So wonderful–I can’t even begin to explain. 🙂 Lol on your hubs’ serious ice cream problem. What a tasty problem to have! Have an incredible weekend, my friend! xo
Dude, it’s getting real up in internet land. I swear you are spying on me, because I JUST played with making my own magic shell the other day with popsicles. So either spying or we were separated at birth. Possibly both? 😉
Looooooove these ice cream bars, Demeter! These remind me of growing up, before I developed that nasty cocoa allergy. I used to devour these types of bars like it was mah job! But yours look even BETTER! Love that you poured the ice cream INTO the popsicle mold. You are a genius! So glad we are besties, because I love being friends with super smart people. 😉 Totally making these for Boy. And for myself, duh. Who needs dinner? I’m skippin’ that nonsense and headed straight for ice cream bar desserts! Pinned! Cheers, lovely! Hope you guys have a wonderful 4th!! xoxo
Spying… or psychically linked??? Lol. Tell me that magic shell is white chocolate. It has to be, right?? 🙂 I’m gonna go with separated at birth, FOR SURE. There’s no longer a need for speculation. It’s a fact now. 🙂 Woot woot for besties! Wait a minute, did you order the BFF bracelets or did I?? Shoot… Skip straight to the good stuff! Let me know how Boy likes ’em! As always, an absolute pleasure to hear from you. Muah! P.S. Should I get “super smart twinsies” woven into our bracelets?? 😉
Well, another one out of the park, Demeter! You sure you don’t play baseball or somethin’? 🙂 You’re on a real roll with this ice-cream treats and I’m loving it! The cashews in there is just brilliant! It’s been so long since I’ve had a chocolate covered ice-cream like this, so I think it’s about time. Speaking of time, these came just in time for the long weekend so I need to get my ice-cream on, girlfriend! Pinning, of course. Have an awesome weekend! xoxo
Aw, thanks Dawn! 🙂 I might pick it up someday… Haha. Oh girl, if you’re looking for a fun recipe to try for the weekend, these would be it! Let me know how you like them! Thanks so much for the comment love. Have a great weekend! xoxo
Demeter, my fave childhood ice cream novelty were those chocolate drumsticks. But these ice cream bars look incredible, so they may become my favorite adult ice cream novelty!! I am salivating just looking at these pictures. I can’t believe how much I want these ice cream cones at 6am. Haha. This sounds like a fun Fourth of July project for us. Thank you!
Omigosh, chocolate drumsticks are the BEST!! I was totally planning to make those, and now I’m kicking myself for not doing so. However, I’m so pleased that you are enjoying the look of these. 🙂 I really hope you get a chance to try! They’re an absolute favorite in my family. Have a wonderful Fourth! xo
How many calories are in these bars.