Make Ahead

Date Honey Caramel Vanilla Ice Cream

February 24, 2017
5
2 Ratings
Photo by appetitesanonymous
  • Makes 4 cups
Author Notes

Date honey caramel and vanilla ice cream made from full fat coconut milk with smooth date honey caramel mixed in! Super creamy yet dairy-free!

Special equipment need: ice cream maker —appetitesanonymous

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 3/4 cups raw cashews, soaked for 6 hours (or overnight) in warm water then drained
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk (15 oz)
  • 1/2 cup raw agave nectar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 teaspoons sea salt, divided
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 20 pitted medjool dates, soaked for 10 minutes in hot water then drained
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
Directions
  1. Prep all things that need chilling and soaking: I recommend soaking your cashews and placing your ice cream churning bowl in the freezer the night before you want to make the ice cream!
  2. Add cashews (soaked and drained), full fat coconut milk, agave nectar, vanilla extract, one teaspoon sea salt, and melted coconut oil to a blender then blend on high until completely smooth, creamy, and liquidity.
  3. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the contents of the blender into a bowl (cover with lid or plastic wrap) and chill mixture in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours (best option is overnight if you have the time). You want this mixture to be very firm before churning otherwise it will not churn properly (and not be super ice cream like).
  4. During the 4-6 hours while you are waiting for your ice cream base to chill, make the date honey caramel! Soak dates for at least ten minutes in hot water then drain. Place soaked and drained dates in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until only small bits remain. Next, add in honey, bourbon, water, and remaining two teaspoons of sea salt to the food processor bowl then pulse until mixture becomes fully incorporated and looks gooey – like caramel!
  5. Once the mixture is thoroughly chilled, scoop it into the ice cream churning bowl and churn for at least 45 minutes (or according to manufacturer's recommended time; mine is the Kitchen Aid mixer ice cream maker attachment). If you find that after 45 minutes the ice cream is not looking like thick and creamy ice cream, place the ice cream churning bowl (with the ice cream) back into the freezer for about 1-2 hours then churn again until the ice cream looks like... ice cream!
  6. Pour churned ice cream into a freezer safe container. Using a butter knife, scoop some caramel onto the knife then dip it into the ice cream and swirl it around to create a marbled pattern of ice cream and caramel. make sure to evenly distribute the caramel throughout the ice cream! Lastly, top with a few more pinches of sea salt!
  7. Place ice cream with swirled caramel in its container in the freezer for 2-4 hours or until ready to eat. I recommend letting it sit out for about ten minutes before scooping. It will be much easier on your forearms/biceps!
  8. Serve ice cream plain or with delicious toppings like dark chocolate syrup or honey. Enjoy!
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2 Reviews

Austin G. May 23, 2019
The date bourbon paste was delicious as was the ice cream. The problem I had after following the directions to a 'T' is I froze the ice cream overnight in a good freezer proof container but could not get it out to place in my ice cream maker. It was hard as a rock. So I had to place the container in a warm water bath but it still was hard. I then placed it in the fridge to soften for a day then added the date bourbon paste. Extremely good but just wish I knew why it was so hard? I may skip the first step and just add the mixture to my ice cream maker next time.
 
Nick January 12, 2018
Putting this recipe on our list to try out. Honey caramel is such a great flavor. It's tough not to eat too many honey caramels. So good. http://blog.myhoneycrate.com/this-caramel-will-ruin-all-others-for-you/