Vegan Mixed-Berry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Vegan Mixed-Berry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Cheesecake is the ultimate dessert of choice when going out to eat. Whether you are vegan or none vegan you know cheesecake for its indulgent creamy filling that makes us ask for more. When thinking cheesecake and summer, you automatically think fresh flavors and berries are the perfect example. We have it readily available and it lightens anything up with the simply addition. Secretly we think its healthier as well and with ice cream we really like to pretend. This recipe you do not have to, it is an all in one vegan cheesecake sensation. With its creamy base, vegan frosting swirls, sweet and light berry mix ins, and served with tasty cheesecake like toppings. Your all set to indulge but not feel bad about this dessert, unless you eat the whole container! Enjoy!

Vegan Mixed-Berry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Ingredients

Cheesecake Ice Cream Base
-1 (15 ounces) can cream of coconut
-2 (13.5 ounces) can of full fat coconut milk
-1 8oz tub Tofutti vegan cream cheese
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
-1/4 teaspoon xantham gum powder
-1 teaspoon agar agar powder
-2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
-2 teaspoon The Vegg & 1/2 cup water (Optional)

Mix Ins
-1 cup Strawberry Preserves
-1/2 cup blackberries, crushed

-1/2 cup blueberries, lightly crushed

-3/4 to 1 cup vegan cream cheese frosting (Homemade: Recipe on Blog or store bought)

Toppings (Optional)
-Vegan Whipped Cream (homemade or store bought)
-Vegan graham crackers, crushed or pieces
-Cherries, maraschino or fresh (pitted)
-Vegan Sprinkles

Directions

Before making the vegan ice cream, set your ice cream maker bowl in the freezer to freeze over night for at least 6 to 8 hours. Once the bowl is completely frozen, it is ready for you to add the ice cream liquid base.

Ice Cream Base
In a saucepan on medium-high heat, mix the coconut milk, vanilla extract, The Vegg (prepared beforehand), and cream of coconut.

Vegan Ice Cream Base

When the mixture has just started to boil, add in the agar agar powder. Once it is combined and cooks for 2 minutes, take off the heat and stir in the arrowroot powder. Now that the arrowroot is combined, wait 2 to 3 minutes and add in the xantham gum and whisk to combine. Then add room temp or heated up vegan cream cheese, whisk to combine. (This mixture should thicken slightly, it will be much thicker when it cools completely in the fridge.)

Vegan Cream Cheese Ice Cream Base

Blend until smooth, once smooth add to a glass or plastic container to chill in the fridge covered with plastic wrap.

Ready to Chill Base

Once the ice cream base has cooled completely, remove and strain in a wire strainer to make sure there are no lumps. 

Straining Materials

Strained & Ready to Pour Base

Once strained, add to your now assembled and running ice cream maker. 

Adding Base to Ice Cream Machine

Adding Base to Ice Cream Machine

Let the base churn for 20 to 30 minutes until the base has set into an soft serve consistence. Turn off the machine and combine mix ins by hand or leave running and combine. 

1st Base Pic

2nd Base Pic

3rd Base Pic

Mix Ins

For my berries, I crushed or smashed up my blackberries until smashed and add in my blueberries and did the same but not as mashed but broken a bit. Once you have the berries mashed and juicy, add you chunked strawberries and mix (no mashing strawberries). You want a rustic and chunky feeling to the mix ins. They are ready to use at this point, but you can leave them to sit and get even yummier for later use.

Once your ice cream base has become an ice cream consistency, get your mix ins together. You can add them into the ice cream maker container or remove the ice cream in layers to a glass dish for freezing. 

Finished & Ready to use Ice Cream

Ice Cream Station for Mix Ins

Once the ice cream is ready, add the berries into first layer of Ice Cream by hand in a waiting dish or while it is running in the machine.

1st Layer on Ice Cream

Follow the berries with a little more ice cream and then vegan cream cheese frosting (swirl around). Continue to layer or mix until your ingredients are all combined and mixed.  

2nd Layer on Ice Cream

Once it is mixed in, place in your freezer with plastic wrap pressed firmly over the top of the ice cream. Let the ice cream freeze for several hours or over night to harden. 

Ready to Eat Ice Cream

When your ice cream has hardened, it is ready to serve. Serve with traditional sundae toppings or on a cone. You can add vegan graham crackers on top and/or vegan sprinkles as well, the skies the limit. Enjoy!

Ice Cream with Topping

*Note*

This recipe requires unique ingredients to get it to set and stabilize  Some of these ingredients can simply be found in the natural foods aisle or organic store (Arrowroot & Xantham Gum can be found there). Agar Agar may be found at these markets or it can be found in many oriental markets. If you cannot locate the powders, you can find them online at many sites. They are reasonably priced, you get a lot, and use a little at a time. So it will last you a while.

-Amy