The Best Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream recipe is easy to make and tastes like fresh strawberries. It's seriously the best strawberry ice cream I've ever tasted! No coconut and no bananas. Just 5 ingredients, cashews, your favorite plant-based milk, fresh or frozen strawberries, sugar, and vanilla. You can use an ice cream maker if you have one or use my no-maker technique.
Homemade vegan ice cream is one of my most favorite treats. It tastes SO much better than store-bought and it's surprisingly easy to make. Just blend up the ingredients and pour into your ice cream maker. That's it! This is the perfect recipe to make when strawberries are in season, but you can also use frozen strawberries any time of year!
Tips and Tricks:
Adding vodka or kirsch (optional): In this dairy-free strawberry ice cream, I also include the option of adding 2 teaspoons of either vodka or kirsch to the ice cream base. This is added for texture. Strawberries have a lot of water in them, and because of this, the ice cream can get very firm in the freezer. For a more scoopable ice cream add vodka or kirsch which will help it from getting too hard. You cannot taste the vodka. Or if you have kirsch it will enhance the strawberry flavor.
Blend, blend, blend! To make sure that your ice cream is extra creamy, you need to make sure your cashews are blended completely smooth with no remaining bits. If you have a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix or Breville, this won't be a problem. If you have a less powerful blender, you can make sure that your cashews are soft enough to blend well by first boiling them for 10 minutes, then draining and rinsing them before using.
Add Strawberry Chunks: If you like pieces of strawberry in your ice cream (I do), add ⅓ cup of diced strawberries to the ice cream base. If you want even more strawberries, feel free to toss in extra strawberry pieces in the last 5 minutes of the ice cream being churned.
No Ice Cream Machine? If you do not have an ice cream maker, no worries! Just make the ice cream base as directed and then follow the directions for my no ice cream maker technique.
How to make Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream:
Softening the cashews (optional):
Softening the cashews first helps them blend. If you have a high-powered blender you can skip this step, but if not, this step is important to get smooth and creamy ice cream. To soften the cashews add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. Drain and rinse cashews before using.
To make strawberry ice cream:
Prepare your ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions. I have this Cuisinart ice cream maker which I love.
Add the cashews, 1 ⅔ cups strawberries, plant-based milk, sugar, vanilla, and vodka or Kirsch (if using) to your blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape the sides if needed. Make sure that the cashews are completely blended and no bits remain.
Optional: if you like chunks of strawberries in your ice cream, dice the remaining ⅓ cup of berries and add them to the ice cream base, and pulse to mix in. (If you prefer no pieces simply skip this step).
Pour the ice cream mixture into your ice cream maker and churn the ice cream for about 25 minutes until it reaches a soft serve consistency. If you want even more strawberry pieces you can add additional diced strawberries in the last 5 minutes of churning. Enjoy immediately, or...
For firmer ice cream, spread into a sealable container and freeze for 2 hours or overnight until firm.
Scoop and enjoy! Store leftover ice cream in the freezer for up to two weeks. Serve in an ice cream cone or a bowl and optionally sprinkle with diced fresh strawberries or chocolate sauce.
This vegan strawberry ice cream...
- tastes like fresh strawberries!
- is creamy, sweet, and delicious.
- doesn't use bananas or coconut milk.
- can be made in an ice cream maker or in a blender!
More delicious vegan ice cream recipes:
Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream
The Best Vegan Pistachio Ice Cream
How to make Ice Cream in a Blender
Veganized: Black Ice Cream
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon Appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
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Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream
Servings: (makes about 3 cups or 1 ½ pints)
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews, softened if needed, see step 1
- 2 cups (12oz/ 340g) fresh or frozen strawberries, hulled, divided
- 1 cup plant-based milk, (such as oat or soy)
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 2 teaspoons vodka or Kirsch, (optional, see notes)
Instructions
Softening the cashews (optional):
- Softening the cashews first helps them blend. If you have a high-powered blender you can skip this step, but if not, this step is important to get smooth and creamy ice cream. To soften the cashews add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. Drain and rinse cashews before using.
To make strawberry ice cream:
- Prepare your ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions. I have this Cuisinart ice cream maker which I love.
- Add the cashews, 1 ⅔ cups strawberries, plant-based milk, sugar, vanilla, and vodka or Kirsch (if using) to your blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape the sides if needed. Make sure that the cashews are completely blended and no bits remain. Optional: if you like some strawberry pieces in your ice cream, dice the remaining ⅓ cup of strawberries and add them to the blender, and pulse to mix in. (If you prefer no pieces simply skip this step).
- Pour the ice cream mixture into your ice cream maker and churn the ice cream for about 25 minutes until it reaches a soft serve consistency. If you want even more strawberry pieces you can add additional diced strawberries in the last 5 minutes of churning.
- Enjoy immediately, or for firmer ice cream, spread into a sealable container and freeze for 2 hours or overnight until firm. Scoop and enjoy! Store leftover ice cream in the freezer for up to two weeks.
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Notes
Nutrition
More vegan sweet recipes you might enjoy:
Cathy says
I have tried soaking the cashews overnight and boiling them but I still cannot get the cashews smooth and they are too grainy to use for anything. I have always had this problem and lament missing out on all of the recipes that use blended cashews like dressings, cashews cream cheese etc. Either the blender overheats and stops working, burns out altogether or the cashews splat up against the sides of the blender. I have about 7 high speed blender & food processors that I have bought to cream cashews but don't cream cashews. Is there one that will just cream the cashews?
CEZAR MARTINS FIORIO says
If you are using raw cashews of the w3 variety, which means the white version without roasting, soak them in water in double the quantity of cashews for at least 12 hours. During this time, the cashews will absorb about 20% of the total water. In my opinion, it's best to exchange this water 2-3 times and soak the cashews for a total of 24 hours because they will ferment and taste better. Test if the cashews are soft by tasting them to see if they need more time. Remember to always exchange the water.
After soaking, if you plan to consume the cashews raw, the last time you exchange the water, use boiling water to stop fermentation and kill any harmful bacteria. I store the cashews in the freezer in portions of 200 grams, and I usually do this process with 1 kg of cashews each time.
Cathy says
Thank you, I will try this. I have been soaking them for about 24 hrs and then boiling them in new water and that hasn't worked so I will try your method.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Cathy! I LOVE my Breville blender and would highly recommend it. I never even have to soak or boil the cashews and it turns out perfectly. Ensure you are using raw cashews (and not roasted). You can also strain the mixture with a fine mesh strainer to remove any bits. I hope that helps.
Rosa R says
This looks delicious and I would love to make it. Is there a substitute for the cashew? Allergic to nuts.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Rosa, you could try my rice ice cream recipe and add strawberries to that. I hope that helps!
Krupa says
Hi! Thank you for this awesome and easy recipe to my new favourite strawberry ice cream! Delicious! Who says vegan ice cream isn't ice cream? Give this a try! Cheers!
Chris says
Would you be able to use cashew butter instead of blending raw cashews?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Chris, no I don't think this would work as well as cashew butter is oily and it usually has a strong cashew flavor which I don't think would make the best ice cream. I hope that helps!
Hilary says
Yum, yum I followed your 'in a blender' method. I blitzed a small bag of frozen strawberries & the raw cashewnuts. My partner could not believe there wasnt double cream in it! Cant wait to make different flavours. Delicious. Thank you Sam. Keep those recipes coming xx
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Yay! That's awesome!
izzi says
The ice cream is really tasty but I don't have, nor can afford, a high speed blender, and the recipe doesn't really work without one. I've tried every which way from Sunday to blend the cashews enough so the ice cream isn't grainy...soaking overnight, boiling, blending for ages. Alas, no luck. 🙁
Nicole says
Strong cooked cashew flavor, unfortunately. Added extra chunks of strawberries and even swirled in some strawberry jam. Don’t think it will save it. Ideas?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Sorry to hear that! Were they definitely raw cashews? Any other kind will change the flavor.
Nicole says
Thanks Jess, yes they were raw cashews which I keep in the freezer. Maybe I should have rinsed them after boiling? I think I just drained them. Anyway, my husband likes it so it's getting eaten!
Lisa says
*Marcona almonds I meant to say, not Marco ♀️
Lisa says
Would almonds or Marco an almonds work instead of cashews in this? My son has a cashew allergy.
Thank you!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
It will change the flavour slightly, but blanched almonds may work!
owenna says
Is there a substitute for the Vodka or Kirsch to avoid any alcohol? Anything that helps make it more scoop-able would be a plus.
Sam Turnbull says
The alcohol is optional, so I would just omit it. I don't always add it, and it's fine 🙂
Andra says
Has anyone used coconut sugar instead of white sugar? Want to make this but not really with white processed sugar.
Sam Turnbull says
That should work just fine! It might add a bit of brown color to the ice cream tho.
Deb Z says
Looks terrific Sam. When listing blenders, tell your vegan friends about BlendTec. A great high powered blender.
Sam Turnbull says
Oh yes, I have a Blendtec and love it too! 🙂