Ice cream is the perfect sweet treat to cool down in the summer heat, and this luxury isn’t only for those who eat dairy. In fact, making ice cream without using any dairy is simple and yields delicious results. Here are ways to make ice cream without dairy:

1. Freeze Your Fruit

In a basic, simple and glorious fashion, you could literally blend together some frozen fruit and have ice cream, just like that. Of course, it would be more of a sorbet, but just know that if you are ever craving a frozen treat but do not want the extra fat and calories that come from other ingredients, blend up that frozen fruit. You can make this Raw Mango Banana Soft Serve Ice Cream using only fresh peeled mango and frozen banana. Or, try this Blackberry Acai Nice Cream!

2. Blend Almond Milk

Almond milk will help give your ice cream a smooth, creamy consistency. For a simple ice cream that goes one step beyond blending frozen fruit, combine almond milk with the frozen fruit listed above. Use almond milk for this Strawberry Sorbet and Raw Banana Ice Cream and this Blackberry Ice Cream.

3. Choose Full Fat Coconut Milk

Depending on what you’re making, you might want to choose a coconut milk that is lower in fat in the name of health. But as we know, not all fats are bad, and if you are going to indulge in a dessert, take that as the perfect opportunity to use full fat coconut milk. This will make your ice cream taste so decadent and creamy. Your taste buds will be happy. Use full fat coconut milk for this Drunken Cherry Coconut Ice Cream and this Lavender Coconut Ice Cream.

4. Go Nuts

If you love a nutty, creamy taste, try blending some nuts into your ice cream. Blend them all the way until they reach a smooth consistency that matches the rest of the ice cream, or make your ice cream with more chunky bites of nut pieces throughout. Use raw almond butter or cashew butter for this Effortless Nutter Butter Ice Cream. You can also use them as toppings as in this Raw Banana Ice Cream Sundae.

5. Sprinkle Fruit Juice and Powder

In addition to using frozen fruit, sprinkle in some fruit juice for added fruity flavor. Use rhubarb juice and lime juice for this Rhubarb, Rosewater, and Lime Sorbet and acai powder for this Acai Berry Vegan Ice Cream.

6. Thicken With Tofu

You may not think to use tofu for ice cream, but it helps thicken the mixture. Try it in this Low Fat Strawberry Tofu Ice Cream.

7. Other Fun Additions

We have already created the basics for making vegan ice cream, but to give your recipe an extra boost, consider adding fun additions like spices, potatoes, pumpkin, cacao nibs, caramel, and vanilla. Try this Sweet Potato Apple Ice Cream, Vegan Cherry Garcia Ice Cream and these Raw Ice Cream Sandwiches.

We also highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 15,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out!

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