this homemade vegan chocolate ice cream is made from silken tofu and aquafaba! it tastes delicious while being a much lighter and healthier choice compared to dairy ice cream.
the inspiration
A few years ago I developed a Homemade Vegan Ice Cream Cake and Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream recipe. While these recipes are so incredibly delicious they are a bit more decadent and lush as they use non-dairy sweetened condensed milk and oat whipping cream.
So, I really wanted to create a recipe that was delicious but not as decadent as those. My first thoughts were to use aquafaba made into a meringue and silken tofu. This would be the base of our vegan chocolate ice cream. It would make the ice cream lower in calories and better suited for enjoying on a more consistent occasion.
the ingredients
- Silken Tofu: we will need one block of silken tofu for this recipe. Just regular silken tofu. Do not replace this with a different tofu firmness.
- Aquafaba: aquafaba is the brine from a can of chickpeas. We are going to whip it up and turn it into a meringue to create a light base for our vegan chocolate ice cream.
- Organic Powdered Sugar: we will use organic powdered sugar when whipping up the meringue to add sweetness to the vegan ice cream.
- Cocoa Powder: of course to make it chocolatey we need cocoa powder. You can also substitute in cacao powder if you prefer.
- Cream of Tartar: the cream of tartar helps to whip up the meringue.
- Vanilla Extract: we need a little vanilla extract to help round out the flavor.
- Salt: this is optional but you can add in a pinch of salt if you desire.
how to make vegan chocolate ice cream
- Use the stand mixer to make the meringue. Start on a slow speed to whip up the powdered sugar, aquafaba, vanilla extract, and cream of tartar. Gradually, begin to increase the speed until it is on high. Then, whip for 6-10 minutes or until the meringue forms stiff peaks.
- In a blender combine the silken tofu and cocoa powder and mix until combined. You can add in pinch of salt if you are using that. Then, gradually add in the silken tofu cocoa powder mix to the meringue.
- Slowly, fold the mixture together until it is mixed as much as you can. Mine wasn’t perfectly mixed and it was okay.
- Transfer into a container. I like to use a loaf pan actually. Transfer to the freezer, and freeze for at least 4-6 hours or overnight. If you want it to be a harder texture freeze for at least 8 hours.
- When you are ready allow the ice cream to soften slightly, scoop it out and enjoy.
what else can I add to this recipe?
If you are like me you love an ice cream with some stuff going on. So, here are just a few ideas on add-ins to make this vegan chocolate ice cream even more fun.
- Cookies. You can use sandwich cookies, like Oreos, chocolate chip, or any cookie you like. Just break it up and add it in aftering folding in the chocolate mixture.
- Brownies. Same as the cookies, just break it up, and add it in after folding in the chocolate mixture.
- Chocolate Chips. Sprinkle in some vegan chocolate chips after folding. You can also use chopped dark chocolate.
- Sprinkles. Of course you can never go wrong with adding in some sprinkles. Jus the sure to get vegan ones, Sweetapolita, has a lot of them.
- Meringue Swirl. You can save some of the vegan meringue on the side and then swirl it into the chocolate. It will make it like marshmallow.
- Nuts. Of course you can use any nut you want in here! Chopped pecans, peanuts, walnuts, almonds, so many options.
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why you’ll love this recipe
I think the best part about this recipe is how easy it is to make. No ice cream machine, no ice cream maker, no need to churn, and of course no dealing with animal products. We do not need to worry about eggs or milk.
With this recipe all we need to do is blend and whip up some things, combine them, and we will have an amazing vegan chocolate ice cream.
One thing I do want to say is the texture is a little icier than an ice cream made with something like oat milk, coconut milk, soy milk, or coconut cream. But it is delicious, and the deep chocolate flavor definitely hits the spot.
vegan chocolate ice cream faq
Is this recipe allergy friendly?
It does use tofu. Otherwise it is gluten and nut free.
How do I store the vegan ice cream?
In a freezer-safe container in the freezer. It can stay in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you see any ice crystals just scrape them off.
What is the consistency of the vegan chocolate ice cream?
It is not a soft serve, even though it looks like soft-serve consistency at first. This homemade ice cream is definitely a hard ice cream. However, once it starts to soften and melt it is creamy.
Do I need to press the tofu?
No. There is no need to press silken tofu.
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Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) block silken tofu
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¾ cup aquafaba one 15.5 ounce can of chickpeas will be enough liquid for this
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 ½ cups organic powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt optional
Instructions
- Use the stand mixer to make the meringue. Start on a slow speed to whip up the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, aquafaba, and cream of tartar. Gradually, begin to increase the speed until it is on high. Then, whip for 6-10 minutes or until the meringue forms stiff peaks.¾ cup aquafaba, 1 ½ cups organic powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- In a blender combine the silken tofu, cocoa powder, and pinch of salt if you are using it. Blend on high until combined and smooth, it will resemble pudding.1 (16 ounce) block silken tofu, ½ cup cocoa powder, Pinch of salt
- Slowly, add the silken tofu mixture to the meringue. Fold the mixture together until it is mixed as much as you can. Do this 2-3 times in increments, do not add all the silken tofu mixture at once. Note: mine wasn't perfectly mixed and it was okay, we just want to get it as well incorporated as we can.
- Transfer into a container. I like to use a loaf pan actually. Transfer to the freezer, and freeze for at least 4-6 hours or overnight. If you want it to be a harder texture freeze for at least 8 hours.
- When you are ready allow the ice cream to soften slightly, scoop it out and enjoy.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are based on my gram measurements put into Cronometer. Yours may vary, they are to help you get an idea.
- Please do not repost recipes without my permission. Sharing a direct link is always highly encouraged and appreciated.
- For any questions you may have please refer to the FAQ above the recipe card.
Nutrition
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Hey, I’m Francesca!
Thank you for checking out my recipe! I am happy to have you here and hope you explore more delicious vegan recipes.
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