6 Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Fudge Gelato
For most of my life I have been a vanilla girl. It was always vanilla cupcakes over chocolate, vanilla cheesecake over chocolate mousse cake, and vanilla ice cream over chocolate any day. I don't know if maybe the chocolate was just too intense for me when I had a good sized piece of dessert with it or what, but I have always preferred vanilla. That is until lately. I feel like in the last year I have come to appreciate chocolate more, actually craving chocolate things and wanting to make more chocolate cakes and desserts. I guess now it is more of a balance between chocolate and vanilla which is good because everyone needs balance and variety in their life right?
So I was in one of these chocolate sort of moods last Friday, and I wanted some chocolate gelato. Rich, smooth, silky chocolate gelato...it was sounding really good to me when I was on my post work stress relieving walk. So, it had to happen. I knew I could pull it off fast, ice cream is so easy and quick to make, when you are impatient or have little time. It ended up being only 6 ingredients. This is not diet or low fat ice cream. So if you are one of those people who fears fat, you might as well stop right here. It does however contain healthy fats. Coconut milk and walnut butter. Nothing like getting some healthy omega 3 oils in your ice cream (walnuts have more than other nuts, which is why I love them). I sweetened it with dates, because I love how they give things almost a caramel flavor note. It ended up being only 6 ingredients which is awesome for those who like simple things which was me the day I made it, I was not into having a big long ingredient list.
The base tasted amazing, and once churned into soft serve it tasted like delicious fudge ice cream, which is why I am calling it that. It was so rich and chocolaty, sweet and delicious. Just a small serving will satisfy, which is good for those of use "ahem" (me) who sometimes are not good with portion control when it comes to things that are really good. If you are in a chocolate mood, you need to try this. It will make you happy, I promise. Even if you don't have an ice cream maker, I have instructions for you so you can enjoy it.
6 Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Fudge Gelato
Makes 4 cups
2 15 oz can organic full fat coconut milk
1 1/2 cups soft medjool dates, pitted (if they are not soft, soak them in filtered water for 30 minutes and drain well before using in the recipe)
½ cup raw walnut or almond butter
1/2 cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions. Once it has finished, pour into a freezer safe container with a lid, and freeze for about 4 hours or until firm enough to scoop. Enjoy!
*Note, if you do not have an ice cream maker you may also freeze it this way. Pour into a bowl, and place in the freezer. Whisk once every half hour until it has frozen to the consistency of soft serve. Then pour into your freezer safe container.
*If your ice cream gets hard, let sit out about 15-20 minutes before scooping.
