We love preparing gelato at home as we can give it a healthier spin using natural, plant-based ingredients. For today's recipe, we decided to revisit a summer classic: salted caramel ice cream. We made it vegan and sugar-free, with just three wholesome ingredients. Let us show you how we did it!
While classic caramel ice cream includes white sugar, double cream, eggs, butter, and whole milk, we made ours with only canned coconut milk, ripe bananas, and soft dates. First, we blended coconut milk with bananas to make the ice cream base. Then, we blitzed dates with water and salt to make a smooth caramel sauce. Finally, we swirled the date caramel into the frozen ice cream and job done!
Our caramel ice cream is not only dairy-free and egg-free but also lower in fats and sugars compared to the classic one. Salted caramel ice cream is surely a decadent dessert, but it's so easy to turn into a healthier treat if you use the right combination of ingredients.
Fats and sugars are what makes ice cream tasty, soft, and creamy. In our recipe, we relied on coconut milk for richness and ripe bananas for sweetness. Weight by weight, coconut milk has half the fats and saturated fats than double cream making it a healthier choice. Bananas have only a tenth of the sugars of white sugar, and they become incredibly creamy when blended and frozen.
If you don't have an ice cream machine, you can still make this ice cream without it. We'll give you step-by-step instructions on how to churn the gelato by hand. It's a simple process that will require very little work: just give a good stir to the ice cream every 4-5 hours while it freezes. When we did it, we started the recipe in the morning, churned the ice cream throughout the day, and made the caramel swirls before bedtime. Then, we let it freeze overnight, ready for the next day.
Now that you know how healthy and easy-to-make is this vegan caramel ice cream, we hope you'll make a big batch of it. It will keep you happy during the hot summer days without derailing your diet. Let's get started!
And if you'd like to try more healthy and delicious homemade ice cream recipes, check out this coconut jackfruit ice cream, pistachio banana "nice" cream, or vegan lavender ice cream.
Ingredients
| Ripe Bananas (peeled weight) | 400 g |
| Canned Coconut Milk | 400 mL |
| Lemon | 1 |
| Pitted Dates | 120 g |
| Water | 120 mL |
| Salt | 2 pinch |
Step 1
If you use an ice cream maker, remember to pre-freeze the machine's bowl, preferably overnight.
If you don't have it instead, we'll explain how to make the ice cream without a machine. Make sure you have a freezer-friendly container or use a loaf tin.
Add chopped bananas, coconut milk, and lemon juice to a blender.
Blitz the ingredients until smooth and creamy.
Step 2
Now, pour the ice cream base into the machine's cylinder and process the ice cream according to the manufacturer's directions.
For those who don't have an ice cream machine instead, transfer the banana mixture into a freezer-safe container.
Then, freeze the ice cream for 5 hours.
Step 3
Meanwhile, soak the pitted dates in a cup of warm water for 30 minutes (1).
Then, drain them, add them to a food processor with salt and water, and blitz all for 1-2 minutes (2).
You'll have a smooth and creamy paste which you'll use to make caramel swirls in the ice cream.
Step 4
At this point, you'll need to stir the gelato a few times while it freezes to make it creamy.
So, after the first 5 hours, take the container out of the freezer and stir the ice cream thoroughly to break down the ice crystals.
Then, put it back in the freezer and freeze it for 4 more hours.
Step 5
Once again, take the container out of the freezer and give one more vigorous stir.
Then, put it back in the freezer and freeze it for 4 more hours.
Step 6
Now, it's time to make the caramel swirls.
Take the gelato out of the freezer and let it soften for 30 minutes at room temperature or until you can stir it without too much effort.
Then, use a skewer or a knife to make deep horizontal grooves in the ice cream. Dip the skewer in the date caramel and run it along the marks to fill them.
Step 7
Finally, use the skewer to drag the caramel streaks around and make swirls in the ice cream.
You can enjoy your vegan caramel ice cream right away as a soft serve. If you prefer a more scoopable consistency instead, put it back in the freezer and let it freeze for at least a couple of hours or overnight.
Tips
Add two teaspoons of vanilla essence to the banana mix for extra flavour.