This vegan toasted pecan and date caramel coconut milk ice cream is creamy, sweet, and nutty. A vanilla ice cream base made with canned coconut milk is churned with toasted and buttered pecans then layered with swirls of homemade date caramel sauce. Don’t forget to factor in about 8 hours combined chilling time!
Feeling a little underwhelmed by the store-bought vegan ice cream options? Make your own! As long as you have an ice cream maker, the options are endless. This version pairs a coconut milk vanilla ice cream base with toasted buttered pecans and a thick salted date caramel. The hardest part of making this vegan ice cream is the combined chilling time: the ice cream base chills for 4 hours before churning then the churned ice cream has to set up in the freezer for about 4 hours. Once you taste that first bite, it will be well worth the wait!
Toasted Pecan and Date Caramel Coconut Milk Ice Cream (vegan)
- Total Time: 8 hours
- Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan toasted pecan and date caramel coconut milk ice cream is creamy, sweet, and nutty. A vanilla ice cream base made with canned coconut milk is churned with toasted and buttered pecans then layered with swirls of homemade date caramel sauce. Don’t forget to factor in about 8 hours combined chilling time!
Ingredients
- 2 cans full fat coconut milk
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon plain vodka
- 1 cup pecan halves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 20 pitted dates
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 small lemon, juiced
- 2 good pinches sea salt
- coconut milk, as needed
Instructions
Make the ice cream base first as it needs time to chill before churning. In a large bowl, whisk together everything until smooth. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Make the buttered pecans next. Spread the pecans evenly on a cookie sheet and place it in an oven preheated to 300 degrees. Toast the pecans until fragant and golden, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the pecans, then toss with the vegan butter until it is fully melted and coating the pecans. Set aside to cool until ready to assemble the ice cream.
Make the salted date caramel. Cover the dates with boiling water, then set them aside to soften for 15 minutes. Drain the dates, then add them to a blender or food processor along with the contents of the vanilla bean, lemon juice, sea salt, and a couple of splashes of coconut milk. Blend until smooth, adding more coconut milk if necessary. Set aside until ready to assemble the ice cream.
When you’re ready to churn the ice cream, remove the chilled ice cream base from the fridge, whisk it well, then process it according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. During the last few minutes of churning time, slowly add in 3/4 of the buttered pecans. Once the ice cream is ready (it will be a soft-serve consistency), spread 1/3 of it into whatever container you will keep it in. Put a few dollops of the date caramel on top of the ice cream, then gently swirl it in. Continue with the remaining ice cream. You will most likely have date caramel left over. Sprinkle the remaining pecans on top of the ice cream, then cover it and freeze until firm, about 4 hours. I recommend letting it sit out 10-15 minutes before scooping and eating.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
Date and pecan! 2 magical ingredients. I don't think this ice cream could be any better!
Yum. And I'm with you on that rain.
It got a tiny bit better when I sprinkled a touch of smoked sea salt on top 😉
I don't know if I'd trade homemade ice cream with a busted AC unit. Though I'd rather have the ice cream and get the AC fixed. Haha! You never really know how the weather's gonna be like in the coming days, or if everybody else's AC units fry up, so getting your AC fixed has to be on top of your to-do list before it gets hotter and the repairman has to fix everyone's units. But still, thanks for the ice cream recipe!
Dennis Cannon @ Laird & Son Heating & Air-Conditioning