Mulberry ice cream recipe (vegan & cashew-based)

Dollops of vegan mulberry ice cream with creamy cashew base in pastel bowl.

5 from 1 vote

Mulberry ice cream recipe (vegan & cashew-based)

This vegan mulberry ice cream recipe features a creamy vanilla cashew base swirled with jammy ribbons of mulberries. It's a rich, dairy-free dessert that's perfect for summer.

Heads up: Your ice cream machine bowl needs to chill in the freezer for at least 24 hours before making ice cream. If you have the freezer space, leave the bowl there all the time for ice cream whenever the mood strikes.

Cook Time28

Cooling time13

Total Time13 28

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: dairy free dessert, seasonal produce, vegan ice cream

Servings: people

Calories: 288kcal

Author: Cadry Nelson

Ingredients

For the mulberry compote

8 ounces mulberries
¼ cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch of salt

For the ice cream base

1 ½ cups raw cashews *see notes below
1 ½ cups non-dairy milk plain & unsweetened (I use Silk cashew milk)
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the mulberry compote

Bring a medium-sized pot to a medium heat. Add mulberries, ¼ cup sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Combine with a spoon, stirring regularly, until a lot of the liquid has cooked off, and the compote has condensed.
This can take anywhere from 6 to 18 minutes, depending on the juiciness of your berries. If necessary, lower the heat to maintain a simmer.
(If you'd like whole mulberries in your ice cream, don't mash them up too much. If you'd like a saucier compote, smash them with a spoon while they cook.)
Remove the pot from heat, and allow it to cool. It will thicken more while it sets.
Once it has cooled to about room temperature, transfer the compote to a covered container, and move it to the fridge to chill for several hours. (Or transfer it to a coIt needs to be completely cold before using it in the ice cream.

To make the ice cream

In a high-speed blender, combine raw cashews, non-dairy milk, ¼ cup sugar, and vanilla extract. Blend until it's completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. (You'll know it's done when you don't hear any crunching sounds.)
Don't have a high-speed blender? Blending raw cashews can be a challenge for standard blenders. See the notes section below for workarounds to use with your standard blender.
Move the pitcher to the refrigerator, and allow the ice cream base to cool and thicken for 1 to 12 hours. (If the ice cream base is too warm, the machine won't be able to churn it into ice cream.)
Once the ice cream base has fully chilled, add the frozen bowl to the ice cream machine. (Mine is 1.5 quart.) Start it running. As it turns, pour your ice cream base into the top. Allow it to churn until it becomes the texture of soft serve.
(This usually takes about 20 minutes, but if your ice cream base is especially cold and condensed, it may take as little as 8 to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it, and take a taste test out of the top with a spoon to see how set it is.)
Once the ice cream has thickened to the texture of soft serve, turn off the machine. Scoop about half of the mixture into a bread loaf pan or other freezer-safe container.
Then spoon the chilled mulberry compote on top of it in an even layer. Finish with the remaining half of the ice cream, and use a butter knife to swirl the purple mulberry sauce in the vanilla ice cream.
Cover the pan with a layer of plastic wrap. Then add an additional cover of aluminum foil. (If you're using a container with a lid, you can use that instead.)
Put the ice cream into the freezer, and allow it to freeze for at least 12 hours to set up.
When you're ready to enjoy it, be aware that it may be frozen solid. You may need to let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes or more before scooping into it.
Once it's soft enough, scoop the ice cream into bowls and enjoy! (Put any leftovers back into the freezer in a covered container.)

Video

Notes

*If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you have three options for blending raw cashews in a standard blender.

Pick one of the following:

Grind the dry, raw cashews first in a clean coffee grinder until they become the texture of flour. (Because of the amount of cashews, you may need to grind in batches.) Then put them into the blender with the other ingredients. (My favorite option!)
Soak the raw cashews in water overnight and drain before following the recipe.
Cover the cashews in boiling water and let them soak 10-20 minutes before draining and using.

Alternative instructions for purple ice cream

If you'd rather your ice cream has a uniform purple color instead of swirls of mulberries, follow these instructions:

Make and cool the mulberry compote and ice cream base the same as listed above. Pour the ice cream base into the ice cream maker, and allow it to thicken to the texture of soft serve.

Once it has thickened, pour the mulberry compote into the top of the ice cream maker while it continues to churn. This will thin the ice cream slightly. Allow it to churn a few minutes more. Then transfer to a bread loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap & aluminum foil, and freeze for 12 hours.

Prefer a sweeter dessert?

This ice cream isn't as sweet as many recipes. If you'd prefer a sweeter dessert, you can double the sugar in the mulberry compote and/or ice cream base.

Storage instructions

Store the ice cream in a covered container in the freezer. (A bread loaf pan covered with a layer of plastic wrap & layer of aluminum foil works well.)

Nutrition