As we approach the official start of summer, there is so much anticipation and excitement about the months ahead. Among the many delights of summertime, for me homemade ice cream comes near the top. There’s nothing quite like the taste and texture of freshly made ice cream. When Dream sent me a box of their new Ultimate Almond Beverages, homemade ice cream immediately came to mind. Dream Ultimate Almond is made with four times as many almonds as their original almond drink so it’s rich and creamy with a concentrated almond flavor. For the ice cream, I combined it with coconut milk cream for a nice balance between the almonds and coconut. Throughout the ice cream are bits of toasted almonds for a pleasant crunch, and the shredded coconut reminds me a bit of eating a macaroon coookie. Toasting the almonds and coconut are absolutely essential for depth as are both the coconut sugar and maple syrup for flavor, so no substitutes here. With three months of summer ahead, I hope it’s filled with plenty of good ice cream.
Thank you to Dream for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed here are my own. Currently Dream Ultimate Almond Beverages are being sold at Whole Foods and Sprouts stores nationwide. Please visit Dream to receive a coupon and learn more about their new products.
- 1½ cups unsweetened Dream Ultimate Almond, divided
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot (or cornstarch)
- 2 cans full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight in the refrigerator
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of sea salt
- ½ cup raw unsalted almonds
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup Dream Ultimate Almond with arrowroot. Set aside.
- Scoop out 1½ cups of the top solidified coconut cream from the cans of coconut milk. (Save the remaining liquid for another use.) Combine the coconut cream, remaining Ultimate Almond Beverage, coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk together over medium-low heat until mixture becomes smooth and sugar is completely dissolved. Add the arrowroot mixture and continue to heat until slightly thickened, whisking constantly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours.
- While ice cream mixture is chilling, preheat oven to 350. Place the almonds on a small baking sheet and the shredded coconut on another baking sheet. Toast almonds in the oven for 9-11 minutes, stirring halfway. Toast coconut for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway. Almonds should smell fragrant and nutty and coconut should be light golden. Set aside to cool. Coarsely chop almonds.
- Freeze ice cream according to manufacturer's directions, adding the chopped almonds and coconut during the last five minutes. Transfer ice cream to a container to chill for 2-3 hours in the freezer for a firmer consistency. If left in the freezer for more than a few hours, allow ice cream to soften on the counter for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Tessa | Salted Plains says
This ice cream sounds so dreamy, Emily! (no pun intended!) Those flavors have me wanting to run to the kitchen to make this! I love that you’ve used coconut sugar and maple syrup – I bet it gives it such a great caramel-y flavor too. Lovely! xo.
Emily says
So many great ice cream flavors out there, but this one has been especially a treat lately.:) Thanks, Tessa!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
I love the flavor of this ice cream Emily! I’m also a huge fan of ice cream during the summer, especially homemade! Will be trying this one for sure.
Emily says
I think I could live on salad and ice cream in the summer. 🙂 There’s really nothing like fresh homemade ice cream, right? Happy summer, Mary Ann!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
Love the bit of crunch in this, Emily! You know, every since I started making vegan ice creams, I’ve not made ice cream with dairy or eggs since. Now…. when I want to do a goat cheese one.. well, that’s a different story. But it’s incredible how creamy and dreamy ice cream is with a bit of nut milk and coconut milk! You’ve captured it beautifully! xo
Emily says
I know, I couldn’t believe how creamy vegan ice cream could before I actually tried it! I don’t miss the dairy or the eggs at all in this one. Thanks always for your kind words, Traci!
Bethany @ athletic avocado says
WOW what an incredible ice cream flavor! I would have never thought of putting together toasted almonds and coconut in ice cream, but it sounds (and looks) delish!
Emily says
Thanks, Bethany! The almond milk wasn’t quite creamy enough on its own and sometimes I find coconut milk too overpowering in ice cream so this was the perfect balance. So glad you stopped by!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
This ice cream looks and sounds so so amazing! I love the photos! And I never have tried making a coconut based ice cream before so it’s something I have to try. Looks so creamy Xx
Emily says
Thanks, Thalia! Your photos are always so beautiful as well. 🙂
Gena says
Emily, this ice cream sounds absolutely amazing. I like coconut, but I don’t *love* coconut, so I always enjoy it most when it’s combined with other flavors. Can’t think of a better one to pair it with than toasted almond!
Emily says
Gena, you completely just made my day! Thanks so much for taking a moment to stop by. Although I’m not vegan myself, I absolutely love your cookbook and have found so much inspiration from your work. I’m always trying to find more ways to incorporate more plant-based foods into our diet. You are full of talent. 🙂
Gena says
Emily, it’s *you* who made my day! I can’t believe you have my cookbook, and I’m so, so happy to hear that you like it. I love your blog and your soulful approach to food, and it’s really nice to connect like this 🙂
Jessie Snyder says
Emily! I love this. So perfect for summer. All Ive been wanting lately is ice cream, and I’m so excited to check out this new nut milk too, thank you for introducing me to it! Hope you and your littles are gearing up for so much summer fun. Hugs – xo
Emily says
Yay for summer! I honestly don’t know who was happier for summer vacation, me or the kids, but we are all looking forward to the months ahead! It’s been so much fun reading the little bits and pieces about your move- hope you are able to enjoy all that CA sunshine this summer. 🙂
Aysegul says
Oh how much I love a homemade ice cream. Coconut and almond combination is superb.
Plus the photos in this post are spectacular. Truth be told, I am not a big fan of photographing ice cream as I find it very challenging. You made it look so easy.
<3
Emily says
You are the sweetest! Thanks so much, but if only you knew how much I struggled with these photos. I had to make three batches of ice cream to get it right… at least I know I got the recipe down. I have decided that ice cream is definitely not my favorite to photograph either. See? We are alike in so many ways. 🙂
jackie @ supermancooks says
This ice cream looks divine Emily!! I love that it is dairy free! Great flavor combination + beautiful photos! Pinned.