HEALTHY CHOCOLATE & RASPBERRY VEGAN ICE CREAM BARS
These vegan ice cream bars are super healthy and insanely delicious at the same time. The easy 2 for 1 recipe includes two ice cream flavours – chocolate and raspberry, both made even prettier with a fetching marbled effect. The chocolate shell is smooth and thick, and gives a satisfying snap when you bite into it. With little to no effort, you can make your own ice cream popsicles, which are way better than any shop-bought ones, in every single way. NOTE: The preparation time does not include freezing time.
For ice cream base:
-
1/2
cup
cashew nuts
soaked in 1 cup water for at least 2 hours, drained
-
1 1/2
frozen bananas
-
1/2
fresh banana
-
1/2
cup
almond milk
-
1
tbsp
maple syrup
-
1
tbsp
lemon juice
For chocolate ripple ice cream:
-
1/2
of the ice cream base
(see above)
-
1/4
cup
cocoa powder
-
3/4
tbsp
maple syrup
-
3 1/2
tbsp
hot water
For raspberry ripple ice cream:
-
1/2
of the ice cream base
(see above)
-
1
cup
fresh raspberries
(or frozen, thawed)
For chocolate shells (Note 1):
-
2/3
cup
melted coconut oil
-
pinch
of salt
-
1/3
cup
maple syrup
-
1
cup
cocoa powder
Other necessities:
-
6
ice cream bar/popsicle moulds
-
glass
(tall and wide enough to comfortably fit 1 ice cream bar)
-
baking tray
For ice cream base:
-
Blend all ice cream base ingredients until you get a smooth, thick mixture.
For chocolate ripple ice cream:
-
Mix together cocoa powder, maple syrup and hot water, until you get a smooth paste (texture should be similar to melted chocolate).
-
Mix 1/4 of the ice cream base with the cocoa powder paste.
-
Add this chocolate ice cream mixture to the other 1/4 of the ice cream base and mix until you get a marbled/ripple effect. A few stroked with a spoon or spatula is enough – do not over-mix, or you will lose the marbled effect.
-
Pour the chocolate ripple ice cream into the ice cream bar/popsicle moulds (should be enough to make 3 ice cream bars) and freeze for at least 3 – 4 hours.
For raspberry ripple ice cream:
-
Blend the raspberries and strain them to remove the seeds.
-
Mix the raspberry puree/juice into 1/4 of the ice cream base.
-
Add this raspberry ice cream mixture to the other 1/4 of the ice cream base and mix until you get a marbled/ripple effect. A few stroked with a spoon or spatula is enough – do not over-mix, or you will lose the marbled effect.
-
Pour the raspberry ripple ice cream into the ice cream bar/popsicle moulds (should be enough to make 3 ice cream bars) and freeze for at least 3 – 4 hours.
For the chocolate shells:
-
Mix all the chocolate shells ingredients until you get a smooth mixture with a texture like molten chocolate.
Assembly:
-
Transfer the chocolate shell mixture into a glass, which should be able to hold 1 ice cream bar.
-
Dip the frozen ice cream bar into the chocolate mixture, and if required move it around to coat it completely in chocolate.
-
Allow the excess chocolate to drip away, and holding the ice cream bar by the stick, turn it the right way round (to prevent "peak" formation due to the dripping chocolate). The chocolate will begin setting immediately due to the coldness of the ice cream bar.
-
Allow the chocolate shell to set completely while still holding the ice cream bar (takes about 1 minute), then place the ice cream bar onto a baking tray.
-
Repeat with other ice cream bars, and freeze them again for at least 1/2 hour.
-
Enjoy either directly out of the freezer, or thawed slightly (but do not keep out of the freezer for more than 5 – 10 minutes before eating).
Storage:
-
The vegan ice cream bars keep well in the freezer for about 2 – 3 weeks (actually, they disappear within a day...).
Note 1: This makes more chocolate sauce than is needed – but this amount works best because it is sufficient to fill a glass, which makes coating the ice cream bars with chocolate much easier.