Vegan Magnums

Who could resist a creamy vanilla ice cream with smooth caramel, coated in a crisp chocolate shell? And did I mention that it was completely free of dairy, gluten, refined sugar and is entirely plant-based? Now no one could possibly pass up one of these treats. A healthy take on a classic ice cream, the magnum, but this time all the nasties have been left out and replaced with wholesome ingredients like cashews, coconut and dates. But don’t worry, these babies are definitely not lacking in flavour and will leave even the biggest sweet tooth satisfied.

Ingredients:

Ice Cream Filling: 
1 cup cashews (soaked for at least 5 hours or overnight)
½ cup coconut cream
3 tbsp pure maple syrup*
1 tsp vanilla extract/vanilla bean paste
Pinch pink himalayan salt

Caramel: 
8 pitted medjool dates 
¼ cup coconut cream

Chocolate Coating: 
½ cup dairy free dark chocolate chips (opt for some that are sweetened with coconut nectar or another alternative sweetener to keep the recipe refined sugar free)
¼ cup cacao butter

Method:

Drain and rinse the cashews then add them with the rest of the ice cream ingredients to a high speed blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.

Pour into ice pop moulds and freeze until set. This can take anywhere between 5-10 hours but it is best to let them set overnight.

To make the caramel, soak the dates in hot water for about ten minutes then drain the water and add the dates and coconut cream to a blender. Blend until smooth.

Remove the ice creams from the freezer and allow to thaw until they can be easily removed.

Spoon a thick layer of caramel onto each ice cream then lie flat on a lined baking tray and return to the freezer for 20 minutes.

To make the chocolate shell, melt the chocolate and cacao butter in a heatproof bowl over a simmer saucepan of water and stir until combined.

Drizzle the chocolate over the ice creams until they are completely covered.

The chocolate should set almost instantly and form a thick shell.

Now all that’s left to do is take a big bite and enjoy!

*Item not available online but is available in your local GoodFor store.

Contributed by Ella Farrugia aka @thecuriousavocado.