Let’s be real: we all scream for ice cream. And, it’s especially true when options like this dairy-free strawberry cheesecake ice cream exist.
Several months back, my husband suggested that I make strawberry cheesecake ice cream with nut-based cream cheese. Naturally, I was into the idea, but bookmarked it for the warmer months ahead. While I will happily eat ice cream any time of year, it truly is better when it’s warm and sunny. Plus, strawberries are now in season, so it’s even that much better.
In addition to the nut-based cream cheese, this recipe is kept dairy-free with good-quality unsweetened almond milk and coconut cream. These ingredients get blended together with coconut sugar and a splash of vanilla, and then churn together to form the cheesecake ice cream base. After churning, fresh strawberry puree gets folded in, along with hefty chunks of homemade almond flour crust. It had to be done, even if it is a bit of extra work!
I hope you love this ice cream! It’s:
- creamy and full of strawberry flavor
- not too sweet
- loaded with pieces of grain-free crust
- free of refined sugars
- a tasty summery treat
- made with real food ingredients — no weird stuff!
- a fun project that yields a delicious result
If you’re interested in other dairy-free ice cream flavors, check out my coconut sugar tahini ice cream and vanilla hazelnut ice cream.
Cheers and enjoy!
Creamy, fresh and plant-based, this dairy-free strawberry cheesecake ice cream is a true delight, and healthier too! No refined sugars, gluten or grains either.
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 Tbsp raw honey
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled (if needed) and diced
- 8 oz good-quality nut-based plain cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 2 cups coconut cream, chilled (full-fat coconut milk works too)
- 1 cup good-quality unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
-
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a small loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
-
In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut sugar, coconut oil, raw honey and sea salt. Once mixed, pour into lined loaf pan and pat down in an even layer with your hands. Bake in preheated oven for 14-16 minutes or until light golden brown. Set aside to cool.
-
Add chopped strawberries to a small saucepan over medium heat. Mash with a potato masher until mostly smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer and then reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook for about 25 minutes, stirring regularly. Set aside to cool (strawberries will continue to thicken while cooling).
-
Add softened nut-based cream cheese, coconut sugar, chilled coconut cream, almond milk and vanilla extract to a high-powered blender container. Blend on high until free of lumps and completely smooth.
-
Pour mixture into ice cream freezer bowl and churn according to the manufacturer's insructions. For reference, mine churned for about 17-20 minutes. While churning, remove the crust from the loaf pan and chop into small pieces. Once ice cream is done churning, pour into large loaf pan or other freezer-friendly container and fold in the crust pieces and cooked-down strawberry puree.
-
If you want softer ice cream, serve right away. Otherwise, place in the freezer to firm up for a few hours or so. The ice cream will get quite hard overnight, so you may need to let it sit for 10 mintues or so at room temperature before serving.
Make sure to put your ice cream freezer bowl in the freezer the day before making the ice cream!
I used and recommend this brand of unsweetened almond milk, this brand of coconut cream and this brand of plant-based cream cheese. None of these have any gums, fillers or anything weird.
Leave a Reply