Dairy Free Chocolate Ice Cream

Whip up a batch of this and listen to them all scream for more ice cream!

One of the hardest things about having kids with food allergies is not being able to share some classic (and favourite) treats with them. Pre-parenthood, my husband and I used to enjoy walking to Eastside to get hard ice cream. Ice cream was also a regular dessert in our household. Our two children have allergies to dairy products and so eating treats that we absolutely love and can’t share in front of them pains our hearts. We have tried several of the commercially prepared vegan ice “cream” products on the market, but none of them suited our taste buds. All of them were pricey enough that even if they were delicious, we would only have permitted the occasional indulgence.

We don’t have to feel this way anymore, and neither does anyone who is vegan, allergic to dairy products, or lactose intolerant; have I got a recipe for you. This dairy free chocolate ice “cream” is creamy, flavorful, easy to make, and costs approximately $2.50 to make 4 cups. You can mix in your own add-ins to make custom flavours. My one year old son had a blast crushing cookies in a zipper bag and then stirring them along with PC The Decadent Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (delightfully dairy free) into the ice “cream.” So set aside about 15 minutes of your time and give this recipe a try. You won’t be dissapointed. Makes 4 cups (about 4-6 servings).

2 cups medium tofu

1 cup soy milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tbsp vanilla extract

dash of salt

1. In a blender or a food processor, blend all of the ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Place in a sealable container and freeze.

2. Remove from freezer and defrost 45 minutes. Place back in blender and blend again (don’t y0u dare omit this step!).

3. Spoon back into container and throw in any add-ins (see suggestions below), then re-freeze for about 5 hours.

Ad-In’s

• Crushed Chocolatey Chip Teddy Grahams and PC Decadent Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (both egg and dairy free, but please read the ingredients every time to make sure)
• Crushed Oreo cookies (also egg and dairy free, but see note above regarding exercising due dilligence)
• A mug full of Karla’s Brownie in a Mug mixed with some dairy free gummy worms for Worms and Dirt Ice “Cream”
• Frozen rasperries
• Your favourite homeade cookies (frozen and chopped) or cookie dough
• Dried bananas and chocolate chips

Variations

• Try using full fat coconut milk or chocolate soy milk instead of plain soy milk
• Sweeten with Splenda or Stevia (marketed as Truvia) instead of sugar for a truly low calorie, low fat indulgence
• Freeze in popsicle molds to make fudgesicles