I am so excited to share today's Samoa Ice Cream with all my fellow girl scout and ice cream lovers. This healthy vegan ice cream is incredibly creamy and packed full of caramel, coconut, and chocolate flavors. It's smooth and crunchy, and super easy to make.
What Makes This Girl Scout Cookie Ice Cream Healthy?
I grew up absolutely crushing boxes of girl scout cookies (can I get that metabolism back please?). It was amazing until a couple hours later when I experienced a massive sugar hang over. At a certain point I just stopped eating them, because they always made me feel like crap afterwards. But boy did I miss those sweet cookies; especially Samoas.
If you can relate to this, man do I have a treat for you! This Samoa Ice Cream recipe is not only delicious, but it's super healthy too! No sugar crashes over here! This recipe is:
- VEGAN - This ice cream recipe is made dairy-free, egg-free, and animal product-free.
- REFINED SUGAR-FREE - This recipe does not contain any refined sugars. It's naturally sweetened with dates!
- GLUTEN-FREE - This Girl Scout Cookie Ice Cream does not contain any gluten.
- OIL-FREE - This recipe is made without any oil. This means its high in fiber and other nutrients that are not found in oils.
- WHOLE FOODS PLANT BASED - If you haven't guessed it by now, this recipe is made with all natural ingredients!
- GRAIN-FREE - Not only is it gluten-free, but it is also grain-free.
- PALEO - Since this recipe is dairy-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free, it is also paleo!
Ingredients For Samoa Ice Cream:
- Raw Cashews - I love using raw cashews for my homemade ice cream base. They're incredibly creamy, and they are full of fiber and vitamins and minerals. Make sure you're using raw cashews and not roasted. Roasted contain highly processed oils, and will not work as well when trying to achieve the right smooth and creamy ice cream texture.
- Full Fat Coconut Milk - Obviously one of the main flavors in Samoa Ice Cream is coconut, so what better way to achieve that flavor than using coconut milk? I love using coconut milk as an ice cream base regardless, but I really love for this recipe in particular. If you want to make a lower fat ice cream, you can use lite coconut milk, however it will be more icy, and not as creamy.
- Medjool Dates - To achieve the ultimate caramel flavor and sweetness, I went with medjool dates. I love using medjool dates, because they're super sweet and have the perfect natural caramel flavor.
- Vanilla Extract - Vanilla helps to balance out all the flavors. I always recommend using Mexican Vanilla. It has a much deeper flavor, and instantly elevates the flavor of this Samoa Ice Cream.
- Coconut Extract - I find that a little bit of coconut extract really helps to achieve the perfect coconut flavor. Make sure to use pure coconut extract, and not artificially flavored coconut.
- Shredded Coconut - I love adding some shredded coconut to this recipe to add some texture and additional coconut flavor.
- 2 Ingredient Vegan Caramel - No Samoa recipe is complete without caramel. My 2 Ingredient Vegan Caramel recipe is the ultimate healthy and easy caramel to add to this ice cream recipe.
- Vegan Gluten-Free Samoas - (optional (but recommended lol)) I love adding chunks of my Vegan Gluten-Free Samoas. They taste just like the classic cookie, and they're completely whole foods plant based!
How To Make Samoa Ice Cream:
Making this Samoa Ice Cream is relatively easy. All you need is a medium bowl, a high speed blender, and an ice cream machine.
I recommend that you make the 2 Ingredient Vegan Caramel, and the Vegan Gluten-Free Samoas ahead of time.
First, begin by combining the cashews and pitted dates together in a medium bowl. Cover with water and place in the fridge to soak for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Once the dates and cashews have softened, strain and add to the blender. For a lower fat ice cream, you can add some of the water to the blender as well.
Add the coconut milk, vanilla and coconut extracts, and blend until silky smooth. Add the shredded coconut, and add to the ice cream machine. Churn for 40-50 minutes, or until it sticks to the paddle.
Chop the cookies into bite size pieces, and begin assembling the ice cream in an ice cream container. Add some of the coconut ice cream, then the caramel, then the cookies. Mix until evenly combined, and continue to repeat this process.
The ice cream can either be enjoyed immediately, or placed back in the freezer to chill until scoop-able (about 3 hours). Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
How Long Does This Samoa Ice Cream Keep?
Making homemade vegan ice cream is great, because you can make large quantities and store it in the freezer for extended periods of time and enjoy it whenever the cravings hit. This Samoa Ice Cream is one of my favorites to keep on hand.
If stored properly in a covered container, this ice cream will last for about 2 months in the freezer. I don't recommend taking it out and allowing it to thaw some and then freezer it again, because this will shorten the lifespan.
Can I Make This Recipe No-Churn?
If you haven't invested in an ice cream maker, but still want to make this Homemade Samoa Ice Cream, don't worry, there are still ways to make it! I still strongly recommend investing in an ice cream machine (it's a game changer), however I completely understand that it is not a super common kitchen appliance.
To make this vegan ice cream no churn, all you need is a blender and ice cube molds. Follow the recipe steps up to the point of adding to the ice cream machine.
Instead of pouring into the machine, pour into the ice cube molds. Place the molds in the freezer and freeze until solid. Once frozen, add back into the blender with a touch of plant based milk and blend until smooth and creamy. Then resume the recipe steps as usual.
What Is The Best Way To Store Homemade Vegan Ice Cream?
Storing homemade vegan ice cream can be tricky. Since homemade ice cream doesn't have all the fillers that are normally found in ice creams, it freezes a little harder than regular ice cream. Therefore how you store it is important.
I don't recommend storing it in glass, or in metal containers. This will cause it to freeze even harder. I recommend storing it in plastic ice cream containers. I use these, and I have never had any issues with any of my homemade ice cream recipes.
Related Healthy Vegan Dessert Recipes:
- Vegan Coconut Banana Cream Pie
- Snickerdoodle Ice Cream
- Vegan Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Ice Cream
- Vegan Coffee Ice Cream
Samoa Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 ice cream container
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup medjool dates
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- 1 batch 2 ingredient vegan caramel
- 5 cookies Vegan Gluten-Free Samoas
Instructions
- First, begin by combining the cashews and pitted dates together in a medium bowl. Cover with water and place in the fridge to soak for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Once the dates and cashews have softened, strain and add to the blender. For a lower fat ice cream, you can add some of the water to the blender as well.
- Add the coconut milk, vanilla and coconut extracts, and blend until silky smooth.
- Add the shredded coconut, and add to the ice cream machine. Churn for 40-50 minutes, or until it sticks to the paddle.
- Chop the cookies into bite size pieces, and begin assembling the ice cream in an ice cream container. Add some of the coconut ice cream, then the caramel, then the cookies. Mix until evenly combined, and continue to repeat this process.
- The ice cream can either be enjoyed immediately, or placed back in the freezer to chill until scoop-able (about 3 hours). Enjoy!
Holly
Very good. I love the caramel. I think my family is getting addicted to your ice cream recipes!
Choclette
I'm in. It looks so decadent and delicious and yet it's sort of healthy. Love desserts like this. You are a genius.