I’ve made us some Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Ice Cream and it’s the most delicious thing ever. It’s also a healthier dairy-free/ vegan dessert recipe, but you would never know it. Go on, have a second scoop. You know you want to!

It’s my birthday week!

To celebrate, I’ve made us my favorite ice cream ever. This is what I get when I go to those mix your own ice cream shops. Always peanut butter. Always cookie dough.

Apparently, I turned 5-years-old this week.

I tried to make us a more grown-up ice cream flavor earlier this week. Since I’ll be heading into a new decade next year, I thought it might be time I grew up. You know, develop more refined taste and all that. But the first ice cream I made wasn’t calling my name. I mean, it was good, but it wasn’t peanut butter cookie dough ice cream kind of good.

What I have done is made my fav ice cream a little healthier. Don’t worry, you’ll never know. When I handed that ice cream cone with the single scoop to my handsome man (it’s my birthday, I got the double scoop!) he was floored it was vegan.

He’s my gauge about whether a vegan recipe is good enough to share with you guys. He usually makes all sorts of faces when I say things like vegan or dairy-free. If he raves about a vegan recipe (cause he can’t tell it’s vegan) then I know it’s a winner.

Healthier Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Ice Cream for the win! ✨✨✨

Want to know why this healthier version is a dead ringer to real (ie: dairy loaded) peanut butter cookie dough ice cream?

One word: CASHEWS.

Here’s the thing, most vegan ice cream recipes are made with coconut milk and there is NO WAY that coconut milk based ice creams will ever taste like the ice cream you are trying to recreate. Unless you want coconut ice cream, you should never use coconut milk as the base.

Trust me on this one, I’ve tried many many times and am always disappointed. Maybe I’m too much of a perfectionist. But hey, I want the dairy-free ice cream I’m making to taste like what I’m flavoring it with.

That’s where cashews come in. They’re a neutral base that won’t flavor your ice cream. If you use cashews, you can have any flavor of ice cream you want. Plus, their high fat content makes the ice cream super creamy, just like regular ice cream.

Why should you choose this healthier peanut butter cookie dough ice cream recipe?

1. It’s insanely delicious. I believe that the most important reason you should make any recipe is that it tastes amazing. This ice cream has a creamy, peanut buttery base and is loaded with tons of cookie dough bites.

2. Cookie dough. Lots and lots of cookie dough bites. You know when you buy those little tubs of ice cream and each time you reach in with your spoon you’re hoping, fingers crossed, that you’ll come up with a chunk of cookie dough? Ya, that doesn’t happen with this ice cream. There’s enough cookie dough to have some with every bite. Just the way it should be.

3. Dairy-free means it’s better for you. I’m not vegan, and you don’t have to be to eat this ice cream, either. Here’s the thing, I can eat a giant double scoop of this ice cream and still feel great. No tummy aches. No feeling heavy. Just a big happy ice cream-induced smile.

4. It’s summertime. This is a real reason! Summer only lasts so long, and we should celebrate it every chance we get. Peanut butter cookie dough ice cream seems as good a thing to celebrate with as any. You with me? Let’s do this, my friends!

More delicious vegan ice cream recipes

• Dreamy Almond Chocolate Nice Cream
• Black Pepper Pistachio Ice Cream
• White Balsamic and Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream
• Boozy Cherry Garcia Ice Cream
• Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
• Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream
• Chocolate Banana Ice Cream