Description
Delight in this creamy, dairy-free Black Cherry Ice Cream made with fresh black cherries, oat milk, and rich coconut cream. Enhanced with hints of vanilla, almond, and amaretto, this vegan frozen dessert offers a luscious layered cherry sauce swirl, perfect for a refreshing treat any time of year.
Ingredients
Scale
Ice Cream Base
- 400 g black cherries, pitted (or sweet dark frozen cherries)
- 460 ml unsweetened oat milk (or unsweetened vanilla oat milk)
- 45 g cornstarch (cornflour) or ground arrowroot
- 250 g vegan condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons amaretto
- 440 g chilled full-fat canned coconut milk
Cherry Sauce
- 150 g black cherries, pitted
- 70 g vegan condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon amaretto
Instructions
- Freeze ice cream bowl: Freeze the bowl of your ice cream machine at least 12 to 24 hours before starting to ensure it’s properly chilled for churning.
- Blend the base: In a high-speed blender, combine 400 g of pitted black cherries, oat milk, cornstarch, and vegan condensed milk. Blitz until smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan for cooking.
- Cook the base: Heat the mixture over low to medium heat, whisking continuously to prevent sticking and burning. Alternate between whisk and spatula for thorough mixing. Cook until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon or spatula, then remove from heat.
- Flavor and cool: Stir in the sea salt, vanilla bean paste, almond extract, and 2 tablespoons amaretto. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature; use an ice bath to speed cooling but avoid water contact with the mixture.
- Prepare cherry sauce: Blend 150 g pitted cherries with 70 g vegan condensed milk until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and cook for about 5 minutes while stirring until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon amaretto. Let cool to room temperature.
- Whisk coconut cream: Whisk the chilled coconut cream until light and fluffy using a stand mixer, electric whisk, or hand whisk.
- Fold cherry sauce: Gently fold the cooled cherry sauce into the whipped coconut cream until well combined.
- Churn the ice cream: Pour the cooled cherry and coconut cream mixture into the frozen ice cream machine bowl. Churn following the manufacturer’s instructions (generally 25-40 minutes) until thick and clinging to the machine’s arm.
- Freeze with swirl: Transfer the churned ice cream into a loaf pan or sealable container. Using a spatula, swirl in the cooled cherry sauce for a marbled effect. Cover tightly with parchment paper and freeze for 3-4 hours until fully set, or enjoy immediately for a soft-serve consistency.
- Storage and serving: Store the ice cream in an airtight container or covered loaf pan in the freezer. Best enjoyed within 2-3 weeks. For perfect scooping, let the ice cream rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Note 1: Use fresh pitted black cherries or sweet dark frozen cherries if fresh are unavailable.
- Note 2: Vegan condensed milk can be homemade or store-bought.
- Note 3: Amaretto adds a subtle almond flavor but can be omitted or substituted.
- Ensure no water gets into the mixture when cooling with an ice bath to avoid graininess.
- Freezing the ice cream bowl in advance is critical for proper churning.
- Letting the ice cream temper a few minutes before scooping enhances texture and ease.
