5 Minutes + 6 Ingredients = Dairy-Free Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream

Photos: Lee Crosby

This delicious, dairy-free cherry chocolate ice cream tastes like cherry sorbet and chocolate ice cream had a baby. It's sweet and creamy with chewy bits of cherry and a scrumptious soft-serve texture, yet it’s made with nourishing ingredients and no refined sugar.

So, what’s the secret? Frozen cherries! They're naturally sweet, blend well and taste amazing with chocolate and vanilla. Add a dollop of almond butter for creaminess and you’re in chocolate-cherry heaven.

What’s more, cherries are rich in antioxidants and pack an anti-inflammatory punch thanks to their high anthocyanin content. (Fun fact: Those same anthocyanins give cherries their gorgeous ruby-red color.) So not only is this ice cream good, but it’s good for you, too. Best of all, you can make it in five minutes flat!


Vegan Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream

Recipe by Lee Crosby

Ingredients

  • 1 pound frozen pitted cherries
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup almond butter
  • ¼ cup maple syrup (or ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons date paste)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract

Directions

  1. Pulse frozen cherries and cocoa powder in a food processor until cherries are broken up into small pieces, about the size of peas.
  2. Add remaining ingredients — almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and almond extract — to food processor. Pulse, scraping the sides two to three times as you go, until almond butter is just incorporated. Be careful to not overmix!
  3. For soft-serve texture, serve immediately. For a firmer texture, transfer to a storage container, place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ice cream, and freeze for 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Serves 4.

Cooking Note

  • If you've opted to freeze for a firmer texture, thaw the ice cream on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes (or microwave for 15 to 20 seconds) before serving for easier scooping.

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Lee Crosby
Lee Crosby will be starting her dietetic internship this fall at Virginia Tech. She's passionate about plant-based nutrition and making healthy cooking easy.