This dairy-free, vegan Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream is made using juicy-sweet summer strawberries and buttery cashews as the base. Cashews create my favorite DIY ice cream. The texture churns up ultra-creamy and rich, the sweetness perfect and the fresh strawberry flavor the star of the show. So if you are obsessed with summer berries right now like me, give this healthy treat recipe a try…

Pink on pink..

Fresh Strawberry Flavor!..

There is something so delightful about strawberry ice cream. No, it isn’t chocolate – everyone’s go-to fave, but it has a cravability all it’s own. Especially when fresh summer berries are involved. I like to add a hint of vanilla and a tiny pinch of pink salt to tone and sharpen the strawberry flavor.

Cashew Ice Cream. Last summer I made a Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream recipe, which has the same base and ingredient basics. But this time, I used strawberries. And once again, this ice cream really delivered for me! I can’t get enough of the rich, velvety texture paired with summer berries.

Organic. When possible, use organic berries!

Sweetener. I use agave syrup for my cashew ice cream. But you could also use maple syrup, or if you consume it, honey. Medjool dates can also be used, I used them in my salted caramel cashew ice cream.

This is the ice cream maker I use: Cuisinart. It’s only $42 on Amazon and I have had it for years and years. It has more than paid for itself in joy and desserts!

But wait, can I make this without an ice cream maker??? This is the number one question I get when I create my churned ice cream recipes. And YES it is possible with a few (major) ingredient tweaks, but it won’t be quite the same.

To create a fresh strawberry ice cream minus the churning, I would advise cutting the cashews and milk in half, and tossing in 2-3 frozen bananas to get instant thick ice cream texture. Some ice may help as well. Add splashes of milk as needed to blend. You could even toss in a few frozen strawberries along with the fresh. And halve the agave as well. But that’s just a quick take estimate for those of you anxious to make a strawberry ice cream.

You could easily make my fave Vitamix banana ice cream recipe and add some fresh strawberries into the mix.

This was the soft-serve version served right after churning…

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 06/11/2019
Rich and creamy fresh strawberry ice cream made using cashews and summer berries. Vegan and dairy-free.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups raw cashews
6 medium strawberries, stem removed
1 cup non-dairy milk (plain soy used)
1/4 cup agave syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of pink salt
churn in: 1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
optional: a few drops of plant-based food coloring, red

Instructions

Make sure your ice cream maker barrel is fully frozen.
Soak the cashews in hot water for at least a half hour. Longer (1-8 hours) is preferred for creaminess, but not necessary.
Drain the cashews and add them to a high speed blender. Also add in the milk, agave, vanilla, salt and six strawberries. Blend from low to high until silky smooth.
Assemble your ice cream maker and turn it on. Pour in the cashew base. Allow to churn for about ten minutes. Then add in the chopped berries. Keep churning until the texture is thick and it stops swirling – usually another ten minutes.
Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-friendly container and chill for thirty minutes to slightly thicken – this is best for scooping, though you could just soft-serve it right away, straight from the ice cream maker. Enjoy! Store leftover, covered in the freezer.

Yield: 5 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 8 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins. Total time: 28 mins.