It’s winter here in New Zealand, but we have reached the point where days are getting longer again. Yay! Am I too early to be thinking about vegan ice cream?! Well, I love my icy treats no matter what season.
There already is recipe for vegan almond raspberry ice cream without sugar on the blog. But it calls for dates as a sweetener. After receiving quite a bit of feedback and demand for date-free options, I decided to try another version. This time I have used coconut sugar to sweeten it. So it still contains sugar. But like with all things in life, it’s all about the balance, right? 
Also, this recipe has a little twist. Because there aren’t only raspberries in it to create that dreamy pink colour. I have also snuck in some beetroot. You can use raw or cooked beetroot, the effect will be pretty much the same 
And as always, this recipe for almond raspberry ice cream is vegan, gluten-free and without refined sugar.
There are two options to make this vegan ice-cream: by using a high-speed blender and an ice cream maker or by using only the high-speed blender. You can find instructions for both options below.
Makes approx. 1 liter:
1 cup (140g) almonds, soak for at least 8 hours in water, then rinse and drain
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoon (70g) coconut sugar
50g beetroot (cooked or raw, add more if you like it more pink)
1 teaspoon guar gum
200g raspberries
2 1/2 cups (600ml) water
a handful of raspberries for garnish (I also used chopped pistachios)
Instructions for ice cream maker:
1. Blend all ingredients in a powerful blender until smooth.
2. Pour into ice cream maker and churn until it is finished. Transfer mixture into a freezer safe container. Sprinkle with raspberries and stir them into the ice cream a little. You may want to store it in the freezer for a little while to make it firm up some more.
3. If you leave the ice cream in the freezer for longer, let the ice cream thaw for at least 1/2 hour before serving.
Instructions with high-speed blender:
1. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.
2. Pour mixture into large ice cube forms or approx. finger thick into freezer safe containers. Place in freezer.
3. Once frozen, chop up the slabs into rough chunks and place in high-speed blender. Blend on high-speed, using the temper to press the chunks into the blades (similar as you would make nice cream out of frozen bananas).
4. Transfer the ice cream to freezer safe container. Sprinkle with raspberries and stir them into the ice cream a little. You may want to store it in the freezer for a little while to make it firm up some more.
If you leave the ice cream in the freezer for longer, let the ice cream thaw for at least 1/2 hour before serving.
Enjoy!Â
Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.
