The creamiest Blueberry Ice Cream made without any bananas, dairy, or refined sugars! You won't believe how deliciously indulgent and sweet this ice cream tastes with such great ingredients -- plus no ice cream maker is needed!
SOFTEN THE CASHEWS: We need to get the cashews soft before blending; there are a few different ways to go about this:*Add to a bowl and cover with water. Let stand for 6-8 hours or until soft and bloated. Thoroughly drain.*Place cashews in a heatproof bowl. Pour 2 cups boiling water over the cashews. Let stand for 30 minutes to an hour or until soft and bloated. Drain thoroughly.*Add cashews to a small pot and cover with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes or until cashews are soft and bloated. Drain thoroughly.
BLEND: Meanwhile, add the entire can of coconut milk (including the liquid that may have settled) into a large, powerful blender. Add remaining ingredients and well-drained cashews. Blend on high speed until very smooth, 2-3 minutes.
FREEZE IN ICE CUBE TRAYS: Pour mixture evenly into ice cube trays (we use 2). (Reserve 1/3 cup and chill in the fridge if you don't have a high-powered blender -- Note 1). Freeze in ice cube trays for at least 8 hours.
OR USE AN ICE CREAM MAKER: If using an ice cream maker, chill the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes (it gets warm from blending!); then add to an ice cream maker and churn per ice cream maker instructions.
ENJOY: Pull out the ice cube trays and run the bottoms under hot water for about 15-20 seconds or until they release easily. Add ice cream cubes to a high-powered blender. (No liquid needed, unless using a lower-powered blender-- then add in the reserved 1/3 cup.) Blend the cubes into smooth and creamy ice cream. This takes a little patience -- scrape down the sides of the blender frequently and stir everything to get it all to blend evenly. Once smooth and creamy, scoop out into bowls and serve.
STORAGE: We love making a few batches of this healthy Blueberry Ice Cream at a time so we always have some on hand for when the cravings strike. Freeze the mixture in ice cube trays and then pop out the frozen ice cubes into a couple of gallon-sized freezer bags. Whenever you're feeling like some ice cream, blend up a handful of the ice cubes and enjoy!
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Notes
Note 1: High-powered blender: (we use a Blend-tec®). It's imperative the blender can handle the cashews without overheating. You'll also need a lot of power to break down the ice cream "cubes" into smooth and creamy ice cream without making it watery. If you do not have a high-powered blender, use caution in blending the mixture to avoid overheating. You may need to blend an additional minute or two. Additionally, if you don't have a high-powered blender, set aside 1/3 cup of the mixture to blend with the frozen ice cream ice cubes later on.Note 2: Ice cream maker/ ice cube trays: If you use an ice cream maker, just be sure to chill the mixture before adding it to the maker. Here’s the one I use and love. Otherwise, add the mixture to ice cube trays and blend the frozen cubes -- works like a charm!Note 3: Wild Blueberries: It's important to use wild,notregular frozen blueberries! Wild blueberries are smaller and more compact than regular blueberries. This means they have less water content and much more flavor. Wild blueberries have a more intense and tangy flavor, plus they're much sweeter when compared to regular blueberries. They're a game changer in this recipe! Note 4: Coconut Milk: We want rich and creamy ice cream which is why we use full-fat coconut milk. Lite coconut milk will yield a thinner and icier dessert.Note 5: Maple syrup: This is a natural sweetener (not to be confused with corn syrup or pancake syrup) made from the sap of a maple tree that is boiled down to a thicker consistency. Maple syrup is just one ingredient and is all natural!