When you think of veganism, do you think of decadent, creamy desserts? Unbelievably rich pints of ice cream? Shockingly delicious custard treats? No? Well, you better start. Vegan nice cream is here to stay. If you run an ice cream or frozen custard business, you need to spot the rising trends.
In 2014, only 1% of the American public identified as vegan. As of 2021, that number has risen to over 6%. That’s a 500x increase!
Where will they go to get their summertime treats? If you’d like them to choose your store, read on!
We’ve prepared five delightful vegan ice cream recipes so you can see what the fuss is about. Whatever your tools, you’ll find something tasty– some of these recipes require an ice cream machine, while others can be made with just a food processor.
But First, Some Vegan Nice Cream Preparation
Since we won’t be using dairy, our vegan desserts will need ingredients that effectively replace the cream of cows.
There are a few different options here.
Frozen Bananas
What are creamy, sweet, and blend into a thick, delicious paste? Bananas, of course. Freeze some medallions of bananas on parchment paper, then transfer them to a freezer bag, and they’ll keep for months. Just toss them into your processor or ice cream maker when it’s time to create your confection.
Cashew Cream
Cashews have been a vegan secret weapon for decades now. By soaking the fatty, soft nut in water for a few hours and blending it into a paste, vegans can enjoy all the benefits of heavy cream with only a fraction of the health costs.
If you see a recipe with cashews in it, you should know it’ll likely taste great!
Coconut Milk
That old standby of vegan dairy substitutes, coconut milk, can do everything dairy can and more! Because coconut milk’s consistency is closest to real milk, this substrate is most likely to fool non-vegans. Be careful, though, because it does come with a slight coconut flavor. Make sure that’s something you want in your recipe!
Fudgy Vegan Chocolate Nice Cream
Have you got a chocolate obsession? This chocolate ice cream from Veggie Inspired is a real treat.
She uses frozen bananas, peanut butter, and cocoa powder to achieve that chocolatey deliciousness. If you’re looking for something bulkier, try adding some chocolate-flavored protein powder into the mix.
Any chocolatier worth their salt knows that you need to add a pinch of espresso powder if you want to boost the chocolate flavor to the moon. That, plus some vanilla bean powder, creates a lush, delicious treat.
Unbelievable Vegan Butter Pecan
My Darling Vegan, a killer plant-based food blog, blesses us all with this lovely butter pecan recipe.
She pan-fries the pecans in some luscious vegan butter, adding them to a base of coconut milk thickened with corn starch.
This recipe requires an ice cream maker, which makes the whole process pretty easy. Just churn the coconut milk with its corn starch slurry, add those gorgeous pecans, and freeze!
To-Die-For Turkish Coffee Vegan Nice Cream
Do you love the aromatic, robust taste of Turkish coffee? Well, if you try it out in ice cream form, you will likely die from pleasure.
This recipe is another hit from My Darling Vegan. She’s a former professional chef, and it shows!
If you or anyone you know is vegan, you’re already well acquainted with the power of cashews. The fatty, wholesome nut is a secret weapon in hundreds of vegan standbys. Normies have no idea!
In this recipe, the Vegan Darling makes the coffee ice cream out of ground cashews, almond milk, and some fresh-brewed java. Delicious!
Serve this to a few of your friends and see their reactions. You want to sell it at your own ice cream shop.
Paradise Pistachio Vegan Nice Cream
A double-whammy of vegan cream substitutes, this minor masterpiece from the Unconventional Baker combines soaked cashews with full-fat coconut milk for a decadent, thick dessert.
If that wasn’t enough, avocados are added to the custard to give it an even sweeter, thicker flavor– as well as the trademark green.
The result is chock-full of roasted pistachios, with a scrumptious hint of rosewater. Try this out!
Elegant Watermelon Mint Ice Cream
This splendid treat from Feasting on Fruit brings us a high-class dessert for those luxurious summertime soirees. By freezing the watermelon, she creates a cold base to mix in with coconut milk for a nice cream packed full of flavor.
Some fresh, chopped mint and a drizzle of maple syrup are all it takes to boost this delicious sorbet to the stratosphere! Enjoy this dessert any time you’re expecting company.
Raspberry Ripple Delight
This raspberry ice cream from the Minimalist Baker takes the tart, fruity flavor to a whole different level.
She also uses the cashew-plus-coconut method, which appears to be one of the best approaches for the vegan dessert specialist. The ice cream gets hit with some corn starch for thickening and some melted coconut oil to smooth it all out to sweeten the deal.
This professional, high-performance recipe is a great place to start an ice cream shop owner looking for the best home recipes to mass-produce.
Savvy Business Owners Choose Plant-Based – Vegan Nice Cream
As you can see, vegan nice cream is a popular, creative world. New ingredients, techniques, and recipes are appearing every day.
If you’re looking to get ahead of the trend-wave, it may pay to hire a consultant for your ice cream store. Figuring out the best machinery and ingredients for mass production is a bet that will likely pay dividends.
A sweet, delicious future could be right around the corner for your small business. If you’re thinking about what custard machine to buy, or need some help figuring out how to open up your own shop, fear not!
Contact us at any time to learn how we might better serve you. Make tasty memories for you, your family, and your customers today.
