Ice Cream Bites
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These easy ice cream bites are creamy dairy-free ice cream made with cashew nuts.
In fact, soaked cashews make the most creamy, dairy-free ice cream in a minute that is vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free.
I used to love the store-bought bite-size vanilla ice cream as a kid.
These frozen sweet treats bring back so many memories that I had to try a homemade healthier and vegan version at home to fix my sweet tooth.
Let me introduce you: cashew ice cream bites or the best little frozen treats of your summer.
How To Make Ice Cream Bites
If you have cashew nuts in the pantry, then you are ready for a treat.
All you need is a little bit of soaking time and a few other pantry ingredients.
Let me share with you how I make these healthy ice cream bites to refresh on hot days.
Ingredients
To make these ice cream bites you need:
- Raw Cashews – Unroasted, organic cashews.
- Canned Coconut Cream – Or canned coconut milk, both options work the same. Coconut cream has more calories but also more fat, which makes the bites creamier. Pick the option that suits your health goals the best.
- Sweetener – You can use maple syrup or a sugar-free liquid sweetener to cut the sugar and calories. Monk fruit syrup is a natural and low-carb substitute.
- Vanilla Extract – To add even more taste.
- Lemon Juice – For a touch of tanginess.
Preparation
The trick to making cashew nuts creamy and soft is to soak them in water.
I like fast recipes, so I choose to soak my raw cashews in a glass bowl with boiled water. Cover the bowl with a lid and wait 30 minutes.
If you have more patience, you can soak the nuts at room temperature overnight with cold water.
Blending
Prepare a 12-hole silicone mold, and place it on a plate – this makes it easier to transfer to mold to the freezer later in the recipe.
Next, drain and rinse the cashew in a sieve over the sink.
Place cashews, canned coconut milk or cream, sweetener vanilla, and lemon juice in a high-speed blender jug.
Blend on high-speed – speed 8-10 – for 15 to 20 seconds or until the texture is smooth – it won’t be thick just smooth with no bites of cashews.
Forming The Bites
Pour the liquid into a 12-hole silicon mold – fill them about halfway to make bites that are not too thick.
If you fill the mold too much – as seen in my pictures below – the bites are thicker, and they will take a little bit longer to soften at room temperature before eating.
Freezing
Now, place the plate with the filled mold in the freezer for 2 or 3 hours or until the bites are hard.
Chocolate-Covered Ice Cream Bites
It’s optional, but you can add a chocolate shell around the bites.
Prepare a plate or baking sheet covered with lightly oiled parchment paper. Make sure it fits the freezer as you will place this into your freezer later. Set aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil.
Push out the ice cream bites from the silicone mold and using two forks, work quickly to dip the frozen bites into the melted chocolate.
Place the chocolate-covered ice cream bites onto the baking sheet. Decorate with a pinch of freeze-dried raspberries or nuts.
Freeze again for 10 minutes or until the chocolate shell hardens.
Storage Instructions
You can store the ice cream bites in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Serving
Remove the ice cream bites from the freezer at least 8 to 10 minutes before eating.
Place them on a plate at room temperature to let the ice cream soften and get creamy.
More Ice Cream Recipes
Below are some more healthy ice cream dessert recipes for you to try.
Did you try this ice cream bite recipe? Share a comment or review below.
Ice Cream Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cashews - soaked
- 1 can Canned Coconut Milk - (13.5oz/400ml) (note1)
- ⅓ cup Maple Syrup
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
Optional chocolate shell
- ½ cup Dark Chocolate Chips
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
- ¼ cup Freeze-Dried Raspberries
Instructions
- Place the raw cashews in a glass bowl, cover with boiled water and place a plate or a lid on top of the bowl. Set aside 30 minutes to soften the nuts. Otherwise, soak with cold water overnight – 24 hours.
- Drain, rinse the nuts, and place in the jug of a high-speed blender, such as a Vitamix.
- Shake the can of coconut cream vigorously and add to the jug with vanilla, maple syrup, and lemon juice.
- Blend on high speed – speed 8 to 10 – for about 15-20 seconds or until smooth, when no bits and pieces of nuts can be seen.
- Place a 12-hole muffin silicone pan onto a board or plate. The plate makes it easier to transfer the mold to the freezer in the next step. Set it aside.
- Pour the batter into the silicone mold up to half their level – don't over-fill or the bites will be too thick and hard to crunch later on.
- Freeze the mold for 2-3 hours or until the bites are hard.
- You can eat them plain now. Push out the ice cream bites from the mold. Keep at room temperature for 5-8 minutes before eating to achieve the best creamy texture.
- Freeze remaining bites in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Optional shell
- In a microwave-safe bowl, place dark chocolate and coconut oil.
- Microwave until melted – about 1 minute.
- Release the ice cream bites from the mold and, using 2 forks, dip into the melted chocolate, drain for a few seconds above the bowl to remove excess chocolate, then return to a plate covered with lightly oiled parchment paper.
- Sprinkle some freeze-dried raspberries or chopped nuts to decorate.
- Freeze again to harden the chocolate shell.
Hi I can’t get the bites covered completely with chocolate – do I need to thin it out more with coconut oil?
It probably means your chocolate has less oil – I am using 85% or 78% and they required less coconut oil. So yes, add more coconut oil to thin out if needed.
OMG, it’s so perfect
Absolutely yummy, this is just amaZing
I made a batch, it was gone before my hubby came back home