Your favorite simple dessert, ice cream with chocolate syrup, gone HEALTHY! This Vegan French Vanilla Ice Cream with Date-Sweetened Chocolate Sauce will be your new favorite sweet treat. Paleo and KETO-friendly, too!
Is there anything better than classic vanilla ice cream with a hefty drizzle of chocolate sauce?
Especially in the middle of summer!
Sometimes simple is better. Sure, there are all sorts of crazy ice cream flavors with a million mix-ins out there now…but me? I actually PREFER simpler ice cream flavors. My favorite ice cream treat as a kid was a soft-serve twist with rainbow sprinkles. Pure bliss.
I still enjoy ice cream as a treat now and again, but I know myself and many other people out there would definitely eat it more often if it was a bit healthier! Especially since a lot of people are dairy-free, paleo, vegan, or have other dietary restrictions.
For awhile now, I’ve been wanting to make a homemade ice cream recipe that could be enjoyed by a TON of people no matter what their dietary needs and preferences are. I just needed a bit of inspiration to get my recipe development juices flowing.
Enter Emily Kyle’s new cookbook The Hashimoto’s AIP Cookbook!
Not only is the book super informative and helpful to those suffering with Hashimoto’s and thyroid issues in general, but it’s also FULL of amazing recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts, and everything (snacks, dressings, sauces, appetizers!) in between. Whether you have thyroid issues or not, you will LOVE the delicious, healthy recipes found in Emily’s book.
One recipe that really caught my eye was her Caramel Date Sauce!
You all know I love to make sweet treats with dates instead of sugar, so when I saw there was caramel sauce made with only dates…I was SOLD.
I made the sauce and used it as a dip for apples as well as an ice cream topper. It was so good (and easy to make!) that it inspired me make a chocolate sauce to top my homemade vegan ice cream with!
See the delicious results below…
PrintDate-Sweetened Chocolate Sauce
Adapted from The Hashimoto’s AIP Cookbook Caramel Date Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
1 cup canned coconut milk
½ cup pitted medjool dates, chopped
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Optional: Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
In a small pot, warm up the coconut milk and pitted chopped dates until the milk is hot and the dates are softened.
Pour the milk and dates into a food processor and add in the cocoa powder and pinch of salt.
Blend until smooth.
Pour the chocolate sauce into a jar or tupperware container and refrigerate until cool and thickened.
Serve on top of ice cream!
Keywords: dessert, sweets, chocolate sauce, chocolate, vegan, gluten-free, paleo, keto, grain-free, healthy desserts
Vegan French Vanilla Ice Cream
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
Ingredients
2 cups canned full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Stir all ingredients together in a bowl until well mixed. If you have an ice cream maker (I have this one!), transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions for your machine. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can freeze the mixture in ice cube trays, then blend the frozen ice cubes in a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix or a food processor. Eat the ice cream straight from the blender or freeze a few hours for a firmer texture. Don’t forget to drizzle some chocolate sauce on top!
Keywords: dessert, healthy dessert, healthy treat, sweet treats, gluten-free,
Vegan ice cream made with coconut milk is SO incredibly creamy and rich tasting and since it’s homemade there’s less sugar, no funky additives, thickeners, or preservatives. With that said, I recommend eating it the day you make it for best taste. But it can be frozen and saved for a few weeks if need be. The chocolate sauce can also be stored in the fridge for about a week in an airtight container!
These two recipes are paleo-friendly, keto-friendly, naturally gluten-free, and perfect for when you’re craving something sweet, cold, and creamy but still want something wholesome and made from REAL, WHOLE FOODS.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Are you a cone or bowl person?
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Wow, so yummy! I’m definitely going to make this. Thanks for sharing at the Weekend Blog Hop at My Flagstaff Home! –Jennifer
Your French Vanilla Ice Cream would be a delicious treat right now. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a great week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
Thanks Helen! Hope you enjoy this treat!
Thanks Helen! Hope you try this!
Sounds delicious!! I love doing homemade ice cream with coconut milk
Thank you!! I hope you try it!!
Thanks Ashley!! Hope you try it!!!
Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party – I look forward to see what you’ll bring to tomorrow’s party! Have a great weekend.
Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party! We’d love to see some that you haven’t shared before!
Looks delish! I love using dates to make lightened up versions of my favorite desserts! I will have to check out that book, too-thanks for the recommendation! I do want to note that you say this is keto-friendly somewhere near the top of the page and that is erroneous. Did you mean Paleo-friendly?
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you give this a try! 🙂