Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream (Low Carb Option)

This simple and delicious chocolate paleo and vegan ice cream is made in a food processor without added ingredients. It's a perfect alternative to traditional ice cream.

Jump To

• About This Recipe
• Recommended Equipment
• Ingredients Needed
• Let's Make It
• FAQs And Top Tips
• What Are The Benefits Of Making Homemade Vegan Ice Cream?
• More Recipes You Might Like
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Over the years, I've tweaked some recipes just a little; finding new ways to make them slightly better, using different methods, and adding or taking away an ingredient here and there.

While I'm a big proponent of no-churn quick ice creams, I recently decided to explore how an ice cream maker would perform for those times when I don't have frozen berries or bananas to do the work for me. And while this recipe works perfectly fine without an ice cream maker, I thought, eh, let me give it a try. Well turns out this little gadget (no affiliation), is quite useful and I'm happy I bought it.

Additionally, whether you get an ice cream maker or not, I think the biggest difference is in the way you store the ice cream. I got one for $11 and it was worth every penny! So let's dive right in.

About This Recipe

• It's easy to make
• Vegan and paleo option
• Low carb option available
• A healthy alternative to store-bought vegan ice cream

Recommended Equipment

• Loaf pan or ice cream container (kept in the freezer for at least 2 hours)
• Food processor (parts kept in the freezer for at least 2 hours)
• Saran Wrap

Ingredients Needed

• 2 cans full-fat coconut milk, chilled
• ½ cup cacao
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6-8 tablespoon maple syrup, chilled
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
• 2 tablespoon runny peanut butter
• ½ teaspoon cardamom (optional)
• optional: dark chocolate shavings

Let's Make It

Step 1. Before you begin, ensure your coconut milk is refrigerated for at least 6 hours.

Step 2. Add all ingredients aside from 1 tablespoon peanut butter to a food processor or blender and puree until fully incorporated. Place the mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill. (You can use a bowl or container of your choice to chill it or directly in a food processor or blender bowl)

Step 3. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream container or loaf pan and drizzle with the remaining peanut butter. If you're not using an ice cream container, cover the mixture tightly with plastic wrap ensuring that no air is trapped. Cover that tightly with foil and place it in the freezer for at least 6 hours.

Step 4. Let the ice cream sit at room temperature until it reaches your desired consistency.

FAQs And Top Tips

What Are The Benefits Of Making Homemade Vegan Ice Cream?

When it comes to vegan ice cream and in general all homemade ice cream, what I care for most is flexibility and versatility. I like being able to control how sweet my ice cream is, and what kind of sweetener goes into it. I do love sweets, but I don't like overly sweet things and neither does my stomach. So being able to adjust how much maple syrup (regular or keto) or honey I use is extremely important.

Another factor of course is not needing to use stabilizers and additives of any kind and knowing with certainty what gets put into the ice cream.

And of course, there is cost. Making homemade vegan ice cream is far cheaper than any store-bought kind.

Do You Need An Ice Cream Container?

If you are a homemade ice cream lover, I do recommend one. The one I recently purchased works great. If you don't have an ice cream container, you can use a loaf pan that you can tightly seal with cling wrap. The idea is to let little to no air be trapped.

Why Use Tapioca In No-Churn Ice Cream?

Tapioca is this interesting flour that helps to provide a gelatinous and creamy texture to the ice cream. And don't worry, you won't taste the actual tapioca flour. It will just aid as a binding agent. This works whether you're using an ice cream maker or not.

Can You Use Cocoa Powder Instead of Cacao?

Absolutely! You can easily substitute cocoa powder for cacao. Both are good options.

Can You Skip The Peanut Butter For A Paleo Version?

You can use almond butter, cashew butter, or no peanut butter at all if you're looking to make this dairy-free ice cream vegan and paleo.

Can You Make This Ice Cream Keto?

If you're following a low-carb or vegan keto lifestyle, you can easily replace regular maple syrup with low-carb or keto maple syrup. Everything else in this recipe is already low in carbohydrates and high in healthy fats.

If You're Using An Ice Cream Maker

Should you have an ice cream maker, just combine all of the ingredients, blend them either in a food processor or blender and add everything to the ice cream maker and let it do the work for you. While I've seen some fancy ice cream makers, this one works perfectly and fits in a small place too, making it ideal for this recipe.

Last but not least, if you're looking for some variations for your ice cream, try any of these delicious and creative ice cream toppings.

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