We may be just emerging from the depths of winter here in Melbourne, but there is one thing I can count on; no matter the weather, my children consistently ask me for ice creams. We have always made homemade ice creams of various sorts, but these vegan chocolate coconut ice cream are a steadfast winner.

Why?

Well, cos they’re super creamy, made from only 6 ingredients (7 if you counts salt- I don’t), can be made without plastic packaging, have no refined sugar and most importantly- the girls love them. They cost around $6 (AUD) to make 10 medium sized ice creams, so I’d say they are pretty great value, too.

What you need to make these vegan chocolate coconut ice cream

• Coconut milk or cream. The type you choose will change the result, so be careful in your choice. I find the best results with full fat Ayam or Woolworths organic coconut milk/cream, both of which have only coconut in their ingredients list.
• Cacao or cocoa. I used dutch pressed cocoa for this recipe, as I like the depth of flavour and the colour it lends. You use whatever one you like.
• Peanut butter. Crunchy or smooth will work, as will a refined or more natural version. I always choose a brand that is only made from roasted peanuts and a pinch of salt. You do you, though. You can sub for any nut butter.
• Vanilla extract. You’ll find that my recipes basically always contain vanilla, and thats because sweet food just always tastes better with it, especially if there is chocolate in the flavour profile. Vanilla enhances and supports, much like salt. If you don’t have any you can skip it- they will still be delicious.
• Pure maple syrup. You can use your preferred liquid sweetener- honey, agave, rice malt or coconut nectar. If you skip this ingredient, the vegan chocolate peanut butter ice cream pops will set harder and be much less creamy, but they still work ( I have tried it).
• Salt. Because flavour.

Now, as you can see in the pictures, the vegan chocolate ice creams are dipped into chocolate and while I absolutely recommend doing this in all truth I rarely do. It’s fun, but we just want to dive in and avoid the extra step. You do you though.

You’ll need vegan dark chocolate, extra peanut butter and optional crushed peanuts. The crushed peanuts give an almond magnum vibe and, in my opinion, that’s always a good thing.

That is it. The method is listed below, and is as simple as blend and pour into moulds. Just make sure you have some popsicle sticks on hand and you’re ready to go!

Creating a waste free vegan chocolate coconut ice cream

Besides making my girls snacks they are excited about I love these vegan chocolate peanut butter ice cream pops because store bought ice creams are always wrapped in plastic. Especially in the vegan category. When I was a kid I remember ripping the paper wrapping of my paddle pop before I wolfed it down, but those days are almost a thing of the past. Individual plastic wrapping is a pet peeve, especially when the box is intended for home use. We know paper works just fine, but shiny plastic marketing has taken over regardless.

So, I like to make my own.

The trick here is to source ingredients at a bulk food store. These last few months I have been ordering online through the source bulk foods (not sponsored) as we cannot visit in store, and have been delighted in my discovery that their ‘plastic’ lined bags are indeed home compostable (actually, I’d expect nothing less from The Source). It takes me around an hour to cut up all the bags into tiny squares that then go into our compost bin but it is so worth it. My point? You can be in stage 4 lockdown and still shop virtually waste free.

Finally, the can can be an issue. Most cans, even the ones labelled ‘BPA free’, contain a a plastic lining on the inside. Wherever you are in the world, take note of the inside your cans. If they are lined in a white slippery surface they are not plastic free (which is most of them). I have a list with all the brands that don’t use plastic, and i focus on only buying those brands. We then we save them for planting seedlings into. As waste free as you’ll get with canned coconut milk.

Well, I hope you enjoy these vegan chocolate coconut ice creams as much as my kids do. If you try them, I would love for you to leave a review, or if you have any feedback at all please leave a comment. Your reviews help others find this recipe too.

After more great vegan ice cream recipes? Try:

• Blueberry and vanilla bean ice-cream
• Creamy vegan chocolate ice-cream with only 5 ingredients

Or perhaps you’re after some healthy no bake desserts?

• Raw blueberry swirl cheesecake
• Nut free chocolate bliss balls
• Healthy no bake mocha cheesecakes

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