Raw Vegan Cashew Ice Cream

When it comes to raw vegan "ice cream" there are a lot of options. Cashew-based frozen dessert is simple to make and it's very rich and decadent. It's also really easy to customize with different flavours and it keeps for a long time.

You'll Need:

Raw Cashews

Raw Agave Nectar

Coconut Oil (Raw or Cold-Pressed)

Blender

Optional: Fresh Raspberries

For Mint Chocolate-Chip:

Fresh Mint Leaves, Raw Cacao Nibs & Spirulina Powder

You will need to soak your cashews for around 24 hours to make this dish. Put 2 & 1/4 cups of raw cashews into a glass container and cover with water. Wait for them to swell up and soften.

After they have had time to soak, strain the cashews and add to the blender. Add about a quarter cup of water and blend on high until smooth. If you have trouble getting a smooth consistency just add more water.

If you started with about 2 and 1/4 cups cashews add 1/4 each of raw agave nectar and coconut oil. Blend again and then pour into a sealable container like tupperware or a glass jar.

First you will need to soak a handful of raw cacao nibs overnight. This will make the dessert much more palatable as the nibs are very hard if you don't soak them. Next, chop up some fresh mint leaves and blend into your unfrozen cashew "ice-cream" base (I used the leaves from 2 stalks for 1 cup) along with a pinch of spirulina powder (this makes it a brighter green.) Finally add your cacao nibs, stir and freeze.

For a fresh and fruity version, add a half-pint or 6oz of raspberries or strawberries. Blend into your cashew "ice-cream" base and freeze.

After around 6 hours the cashew "ice-cream" will become rock hard so plan ahead and take your container out of the freezer about an hour before you plan to eat it to make it easier to serve (i.e. take it out while you're cooking dinner and it will be ready for dessert when you are.)

The cashew dessert is delicious as is and also makes a lovely sundae. What you see in the photo is a banana split with plain cashew "ice-cream" topped with walnuts and agave nectar, mint chocolate-chip with a strawberry heart and raspberry flavour with a drizzle of raw vegan chocolate sauce. Enjoy!