I love the plant-based and whole food lifestyle for a few reasons (like, all of the reasons). But really? I’m the kinda gal that likes to eat A LOT. Once I hit my teens I developed a pretty voracious appetite and haven’t looked back.
I’ve always admired Sarah Britton and her blog, My New Roots, because she seems to take the same approach to living with wellness that I do: Lots of plant foods, listening to yourself, and eating for taste and aesthetic pleasure too. Fine living and notions of the good life are built in to the plant-based lifestyle and her blog has always expressed that notion so vibrantly to me. Food as nourishment by way of sheer delight for all.
Sarah’s book is full of gorgeous dishes that you could serve up to your favourite people, knowing with good conscience that they will leave the table satisfied, significantly wowed, and just full of life and energy too. This book is full of colourful and thoughtful feel-good food; the kind that makes you feel all glow-y and brimming with possibility as you make it. There are whimsical nods to nature and seasonal life cycles that open up to the big picture, as well as simple techniques that will add so much to your everyday life with food.
Sarah also proves that you can make dessert out of whole grains, nuts, fruit, vanilla, spice etc and yes, everyone will be blown away and love you for feeding them nutrients wrapped up in decadence. I went for this wholesome take on that famous Ben & Jerry’s flavour because I had just froze a bunch of perfectly sweet and ripe bananas, which form the base of this luscious and raw ice cream. Combined with a thick cashew cream, a vanilla bean and maple syrup, I was surprised (and delighted) at how rich this raw and vegan chunky monkey was. It was just the treat to wave hello to these warmer days we’ve been enjoying. Our grass is greening up and I saw some chives peeking up this morning. New beginnings in the works, all over again :)
Raw and Vegan Chunky Monkey Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 4 very ripe bananas
- 1 vanilla bean
- pinch of fine sea salt
- ½ cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- ½ cup chopped raw walnuts
- ½ cup cacao nibs
Equipment
Notes
- From Sarah Britton’s My New Roots cookbook
- I drizzled some date syrup onto mine once it was in the pan (pre-freezing) and sorta twirled it in with a butter knife to get a “caramel ripple” vibe. It was delicious! You can get date syrup online, at health food stores, or you can make it yourself.
- Also, I added a teeny splash of organic vodka to avoid super-hard freezing. I do this with all of my homemade ice creams.
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in filtered water for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.
- Peel the bananas and break them into chunks. Place the banana chunks into a sealable plastic bag and freeze completely until you’re ready to use. Remove frozen banana chunks from the freezer 10 minutes before you’re ready to make the ice cream.
- Combine the drained cashews and 1/2 cup of filtered water in a blender and blend on high speed until you have a completely smooth cream. Set aside.
- Slice the vanilla bean down the center and scrape the seeds out with a paring knife. Add the seeds to a food processor along with the frozen banana chunks, cashew cream, sea salt, maple syrup, coconut oil, and lemon juice. Flip your processor to the highest setting and blend the mixture until smooth. Taste the mixture for sweetness and add more maple syrup if desired. Fold in the chopped walnuts and cacao nibs. Scrape the ice cream out into a glass or metal container and freeze for at least 4 hours.
- To serve, remove the ice cream 5 to 10 minutes before you plan to enjoy so that it’s soft enough to scoop.
Phenomenal recipe..easy tastes creamy. Gluten free and vegan with healthy ingredients.
Thank you!
Can I use macadamia nuts instead of cashews??
Yes definitely!
Soooooo delicious, I made it twice within 12 days. I put my own twist into it, I added peanut butter the 2nd time. I’m in love.
Yum!! This looks absolutely amazing! I love that it’s vegan too! Awesome!
I am beyond excited to try this. I’ve been debating investing in an ice cream maker for vegan treats, but I’m betting this recipe will make that completely unnecessary. I think I’ll add some sort of peanut butter swirl along with your gorgeous date syrup suggestion.
This would be great as popsicles so you don’t have to worry about scooping when the ice cream is too hard!
Amazing idea! :)