Gingerbread Vegan Ice cream
With all the Christmas flavours of ginger and cinnamon, this icecream is super creamy thanks to tahini.
Ah gingerbread. It’s an instant Christmas-memory flavour. Although I must admit I’m partial to it at any time of the year. But I got to thinking that a gingerbread flavour would be pretty good mixed with my latest discovery of tahini vegan ice cream, and would be rather scrumptious at this festive time of year.
Turns out, the flavour combination of tahini and gingerbread spices is excellent, and it creates a super smooth yet slightly spicy-sweet ice cream.
Adding tahini makes the ice cream very, very creamy. It also creates a subtle halva flavour which is especially delicious served icy cold.
NOTES ON THE INGREDIENTS
I used Ayam brand coconut cream, which does not have an thickeners or additives, and is 100% coconut extract. This makes the ice cream very luscious and creamy.
The arrowroot is used to make the ice cream smooth. If you don’t have any, you could leave this out.
You can use hulled or unhulled tahini. I use either, depending on what I have on hand — and I honestly cannot taste the difference once it has been blended up. Tahini helps to emulsify the other ingredients together. If you don’t like the flavour of tahini, you can leave it out, but it won’t be quite as creamy or smooth.
3 teaspoons of vanilla essence sounds like a lot, but apart from adding a delicious flavour, the alcohol in it also helps to the ice cream from ‘freezing’ or forming ice crystals.
Treacle gives the icecream a classic gingerbread flavour. If you don’t have any, substitute golden syrup (in Australia) or molasses (in the US). Or you could use more maple syrup.
Too good just for Christmas time, this vegan gingerbread ice cream is delicious all year round.
I have a much-loved ice cream machine, which was used to make this gingerbread ice cream. Mine is an attachment to my Kitchen Aid mixer, and the ice cream bowl lives in the freezer all summer long — ready to make delicious vegan ice cream whenever inspiration strikes. However, if you don’t have an ice cream machine, you could make this ice cream recipe without churning it. It won’t be quite as creamy, but it will still have that delicious gingerbread flavour.
Gingerbread Tahini Vegan Ice Cream
(vegan : egg-free : dairy-free)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup dates
1 cup raw cashews
1 400ml can coconut cream
3 teaspoons vanilla essence
¼ cup treacle
3/4 cup maple syrup
½ cup tahini
1 teaspoon arrowroot
1 teaspoon ground dried ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon ground
½ teaspoon ground cloves
METHOD
Place an icecream machine bowl in the freezer to chill overnight.
In a large bowl, soak 1 cup dates and and 1 cup raw cashews in enough boiling water to cover. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Into a blender, add 1 x 400ml can coconut cream, 3 teaspoons vanilla essence, ¼ cup treacle, 3/4 cup maple syrup, ½ cup tahini, 1 teaspoon arrowroot, 1 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and ginger and ½ teaspoon of ground cloves. Blend until mixed.
Drain cashew and date mixture, and add to blender. Blend until very smooth.
Transfer mixture to a bowl with a lid, and leave in the fridge overnight to chill.
The next day, add to the chilled bowl of the ice cream machine, mixing until until creamy and frozen.
Serve straight away, or transfer to a container with an airtight lid and store in the freezer until ready to serve.
If you don’t have an ice cream machine, the mixture can be frozen as is, although it won’t be as creamy.
SERVES 12
If you try the recipe,
please let us know in the comments how it turned out for you.
Happy cooking!
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