We may be just emerging from the depths of winter here in Melbourne, but there is one thing I can count on; no matter the weather, my children consistently ask me for ice creams. We have always made homemade ice creams of various sorts, but these vegan chocolate coconut ice cream are a steadfast winner.
Why?
Well, cos they’re super creamy, made from only 6 ingredients (7 if you counts salt- I don’t), can be made without plastic packaging, have no refined sugar and most importantly- the girls love them. They cost around $6 (AUD) to make 10 medium sized ice creams, so I’d say they are pretty great value, too.
What you need to make these vegan chocolate coconut ice cream
What you need to make these vegan chocolate coconut ice cream- Coconut milk or cream. The type you choose will change the result, so be careful in your choice. I find the best results with full fat Ayam or Woolworths organic coconut milk/cream, both of which have only coconut in their ingredients list.
- Cacao or cocoa. I used dutch pressed cocoa for this recipe, as I like the depth of flavour and the colour it lends. You use whatever one you like.
- Peanut butter. Crunchy or smooth will work, as will a refined or more natural version. I always choose a brand that is only made from roasted peanuts and a pinch of salt. You do you, though. You can sub for any nut butter.
- Vanilla extract. You’ll find that my recipes basically always contain vanilla, and thats because sweet food just always tastes better with it, especially if there is chocolate in the flavour profile. Vanilla enhances and supports, much like salt. If you don’t have any you can skip it- they will still be delicious.
- Pure maple syrup. You can use your preferred liquid sweetener- honey, agave, rice malt or coconut nectar. If you skip this ingredient, the vegan chocolate peanut butter ice cream pops will set harder and be much less creamy, but they still work ( I have tried it).
- Salt. Because flavour.
Now, as you can see in the pictures, the vegan chocolate ice creams are dipped into chocolate and while I absolutely recommend doing this in all truth I rarely do. It’s fun, but we just want to dive in and avoid the extra step. You do you though.
You’ll need vegan dark chocolate, extra peanut butter and optional crushed peanuts. The crushed peanuts give an almond magnum vibe and, in my opinion, that’s always a good thing.
That is it. The method is listed below, and is as simple as blend and pour into moulds. Just make sure you have some popsicle sticks on hand and you’re ready to go!
Creating a waste free vegan chocolate coconut ice cream
Besides making my girls snacks they are excited about I love these vegan chocolate peanut butter ice cream pops because store bought ice creams are always wrapped in plastic. Especially in the vegan category. When I was a kid I remember ripping the paper wrapping of my paddle pop before I wolfed it down, but those days are almost a thing of the past. Individual plastic wrapping is a pet peeve, especially when the box is intended for home use. We know paper works just fine, but shiny plastic marketing has taken over regardless.
So, I like to make my own.
The trick here is to source ingredients at a bulk food store. These last few months I have been ordering online through the source bulk foods (not sponsored) as we cannot visit in store, and have been delighted in my discovery that their ‘plastic’ lined bags are indeed home compostable (actually, I’d expect nothing less from The Source). It takes me around an hour to cut up all the bags into tiny squares that then go into our compost bin but it is so worth it. My point? You can be in stage 4 lockdown and still shop virtually waste free.
Finally, the can can be an issue. Most cans, even the ones labelled ‘BPA free’, contain a a plastic lining on the inside. Wherever you are in the world, take note of the inside your cans. If they are lined in a white slippery surface they are not plastic free (which is most of them). I have a list with all the brands that don’t use plastic, and i focus on only buying those brands. We then we save them for planting seedlings into. As waste free as you’ll get with canned coconut milk.
Well, I hope you enjoy these vegan chocolate coconut ice creams as much as my kids do. If you try them, I would love for you to leave a review, or if you have any feedback at all please leave a comment. Your reviews help others find this recipe too.
After more great vegan ice cream recipes? Try:
Or perhaps you’re after some healthy no bake desserts?
vegan chocolate coconut ice cream Pops
- Prep Time: 5mins
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 10
Description
6 ingredient, creamy vegan chocolate coconut ice cream pops made with healthy ingredients that are so easy to make and will be loved by all.
Ingredients
- VEGAN CHOCOLATE COCONUT ICE CREAM POPS
600ml full fat canned coconut milk or cream (both work, I have checked)
1/2 cup (60g) Dutch pressed cocoa or cacao
1/3 cup (90g) natural peanut butter
1 tsp (5ml) pure vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1/3 – 1/2 cup (110-125g) pure maple syrup
Optional- 1/2 tsp instant coffee
OPTIONAL CHOCOLATE COATING
100g dark chocolate
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp roast peanuts, crushed
Instructions
- This recipe is somewhat forgiving, so while I recommend using scales for measuring you can easily use Australian or American standard cups. For best results have all ingredients at room temperature.
- Set aside ice cream moulds and popsicle sticks. I use a 12 piece set that holds around 1/3 per mould, but you can easily use whatever you have. Alternatively, you can use small paper cups and insert a small spoon as the handle if you don’t have any moulds/sticks.
- Add all ingredients to a blender. I like to use a silicone spatula to scrape all my ingredients into the blender, not leaving any in the can or measuring cup. Blend on high until completely smooth.
- Pour the mixture evenly between your moulds. Insert popsicle sticks then freeze for a minimum of 6 hours.
To remove from the moulds and optional chocolate coating
- To remove ice creams from moulds you should fill up a large cup with boiling hot water (I use a milk shake cup). Be extra careful that the cup is away from little hands, then dip each individual ice cream mould into the cup for 5 seconds. At this point you should be able to easily remove the ice-cream from its mould with just a gentle pull on the stick. Place ice cream on a tray lined with baking paper or a refusable silicone mat. Repeat until you have removed all ice creams, then place tray in the freezer for 30 mins to firm completely. At this stage you can place the ice creams into a air-tight container and store in the freezer or dip into chocolate (see next step).
- Take chocolate and roughly chop into small bits. Place in a heat proof bowl with peanut butter, and set bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Melt completely, then remove from heat and stir through peanuts.
- Remove ice creams from the freezer. Dip each one into the melted chocolate, then place back on the lined tray. Once all the ice creams have been dipped, place the tray back in the freezer for 10 minutes, before finally storing the ice creams in an airtight container in the freezer.
Note! To eat these ice creams, please allow 5-10 minutes to defrost before eating for the best texture. As they are low in sugar they set fairly firm, but if you simply allow a little time to soften they are the best texture; so creamy, and melty just like ice cream should be.
Keywords: Vegan, ice cream recipe, paleo, peanut butter, chocolate, dessert
Ahhh thanks for getting back to me. It seems I haven’t read till the end and didn’t put the peanut butter in the chocolate mix for the coating. Chcolate became very lumpy. Rest of ice cream was litterally divine though. Thanks for a beautiful tip 😉
★★★★★
Hi Elise- ah huh, glad we solved etc problem. Yes, for the coating I mix in the peanut butter not teh melted chocolate until smooth. This helps teh chocolate set a little softer, which works better with the ice-cream in my opinion. Glad you liked these, we love them at my place!