I'm providing two different vanilla recipes. One is "premium," like all fancy and stuff, and the other is easy and basic and cheaper because vanilla beans can be expensive. Of course, you can use any non-dairy milk in these, even though I've listed soy milk in the recipe. You could even use vanilla-flavored milk for a crazy vanilla experience.
Fancy Pants Vanilla
2 c. soy creamer (or any non-dairy milk)
2 c. soy milk (or any non-dairy milk)
1 vanilla bean
¾ c. sugar
2 T. arrowroot
Remove the vanilla bean shell. Stir in the sugar, and bring to a boil again. When the mixture has just started to boil, take off the heat and stir in the arrowroot slurry. This should immediately cause the liquid to thicken (not a lot, but a noticeable amount; it will be thicker when it cools).
Set the ice cream mixture aside to cool. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.
Lazy Vanilla
2 c. soy creamer (or any non-dairy milk)
2 c. soy milk (or any non-dairy milk)
¾ c. sugar
2 T. arrowroot
2 t. vanilla extract (choose a high-quality brand; none of that imitation stuff either!)
Mix ¼ cup of soy milk with the 2 tablespoons of arrowroot and set aside.
Mix the soy creamer, soy milk, and sugar together in a saucepan. When the mixture has just started to boil, take off the heat and stir in the arrowroot slurry. This should immediately cause the liquid to thicken (not a lot, but a noticeable amount; it will be thicker when it cools).
Stir in vanilla extract.
Set the ice cream mixture aside to cool. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.
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Greeting from Kobe, Japan.
ReplyDeleteA link on the official blogger beta page brought me here.
I just want to tell you that I like your recipe of vanila ice cream with arrowroot (in Japan we call it "kuzu"). The ingredient is quite popular in East Asia, however I never thought we can use it for ice cream!
I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian, avoiding these stuff as much as possible.
Of course I completely support your choice of being a vegan!
Ciao,
Tetz
From Ottawa, Canada: GREAT!!!!!
ReplyDeleteNow for ovo-vegans that are diabetic, is there an ice cream? Have experimented with Splenda on many things and am sometimes successful.
Thanks.
Bonjour,
DeleteTry fructose! It is a natural sweetener that is not processed by insulin so diabetics can enjoy it. Also, it is cup for cup the same when you bake... an d possibly a bit sweetener which is almost always a perk when you are a diabetic :)
To Miryom: I imagine that you could use Splenda in all the recipes. I've never tried, but Splenda is supposed to mimic sugar very well. Let me know if you try it and if it worked for you or not!
ReplyDeleteI would also recommend using unsweetened soy milk, since many of the "plain" kinds actually have sugar added. I prefer the unsweetened kind for all purposes, myself.
To Courtney: It will be easier to use an ice cream maker to make the recipes. However, you could try freezing the recipes until they are mostly solid, then chopping them up in a food processor. It won't be as "fluffy" as if you'd used an ice cream maker, but it could work. Please note, I've never tried this so it could suck. :) If you do try, let me know how it turns out!
Also, you can usually pick up an ice cream maker fairly cheap (at least in the U.S.--I don't know about Germany). I got mine for $50 and it's really nice. I usually see models for about $20 at discount stores (like WalMart) during the summer months.
Thank you so much for this blog! You inspired me to buy an ice cream maker. I am so glad I did!
ReplyDeleteThe vanilla recipes are both very good! I experimented with the Fancy Pants vanilla by turning it into cherry vanilla. I blended in 1/4 frozen dark cherries with the soy milk before cooking. Then I added 1/2 cup thawed dark cherries 5 minutes before it was done. It was lovely! I love that your basic formula can be customized to make all kinds of things!
Dawn,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you like the vanilla. That's a great idea, making cherry vanilla! Really, once you get the basic formula for making ice cream, it's really easy to experiment with different flavors. Let me know if you come up with any more ideas!
-Agnes
I just tried the Lazy Vanilla yesterday (we have a couple vanilla beans, but our friends got them for us in the Caribbean, so I'm definitely gonna have trouble using them).
ReplyDeleteI had made slushies with our ice cream maker that morning, and then didn't let the canister refreeze long enough, so it came out like a bunch of milk shake. But it was definitely delicious!
I can't wait to try it again with a fully frozen canister. Thanks again!
For those without an ice cream maker: I haven't tried this but I have read that you can make ice cream by whipping it in a stainless steel bowl over a bowl full of ice. Sounds like hard work. There is also a series of recipes in the old (pre-1995) edition of the Joy of Cooking for something called a "Bombe", basically an ice cream type desert made by alternately whipping a custard and then chilling it in the freezer (I think they also recommend outside in the snow). I think you have to repaet the process a few times. Never tried it, but the Joy will never lead you astray.
ReplyDeleteCan tapioca starch be used to sub the arrowroot? I bought arrowroot, but it came in a spice sized container, so 2 T would probably use half the container. I saw your comment about buying it in bulk, i will look for that, just curious if I could use Tapioca.
ReplyDeleteShadelyfe--
ReplyDeleteI've never tried tapioca starch, but why not give it a try? Let me know how it turns out!
If you use a vanilla-flavored non-dairy milk in the Lazy Vanilla, cut the amount of added vanilla in half.
ReplyDeleteThis Lazy Vanilla is an easy, fast and reliable recipe, IMO. I make it frequently.
Thanks so much for sharing your recipes. My son has cashew and dairy allergy so I had trouble finding recipes until I found your blog. DT (Australia)
ReplyDeleteI made the lazy vanilla last night and it was very yummy. I halved the recipe, used 2 cups of soy milk, ~1/3 cup agave, added a little coconut cream since I wasn't using creamer, and then added crushed chocolate chip/walnut/coconut cookies at the end of the freezing process. Very smooth and creamy, love it! It was my first time making a cooked mixture that turned out really well and not too rich. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteFor those without an ice cream maker...one of the more recent issues of Vegetarian Times magazine had a recipe in which they poured the prepared mixture into ice cube trays. Once frozen, you put it in a blender. It worked well for that recipe...maybe it would work for these too! Just an idea. Thanks so much for your blog!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this recipe! I had to use a can of coconut milk instead of the soy creamer, but followed the rest of the recipe =)...it's creamy, vanilla-icious, and is "ripening" in the freezer as we speak.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your blog!
This recipe is delicious! I made it with 2 cups coconut milk and 2 cups of vanilla soymilk, a little extra sugar, and the same amount of vanilla. I did everything according to the recipe, except I put the starch slurry into my mixer and mixed everything on high with my whip beater for five minutes before pouring it into my ice cream freezer. I did use tapioca starch (the same amount) and it turned out beautifully. :) Even my totally omnivore family which winces at soy milk loved it! Thank you for a recipe that enabled me to enjoy birthday parties again!
ReplyDeleteFor the person that is diabetic, try agave, it is natural and has a low glycemic index...many diabetics use it. Check with your doctor
ReplyDeletecan pear juice concentrate be used in place of sugar???
ReplyDeleteTo Anon-- You could certainly try the pear juice concentrate. I haven't ever tried it, but I'd be interested to hear how it goes for you!
ReplyDeleteCan anyone tell me approximate how long it takes to harden in the ice cream maker? This is my frist time making vegan ice cream, I know with the standard ice cream recipes it usually takes only a half hour, but I can't seem to get this to harden. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I followed the recipe to the T.
ReplyDeleteAnon--
ReplyDeleteFreezing time will depend on your ice cream maker. Your ice cream maker should come with an instruction book that gives you a general idea of how long it takes with your machine.
My machine takes about 30 minutes. A few tips:
- Make sure the liquid mixture (the stuff you freeze) is chilled first. I suggest at least a couple hours in the fridge, if not longer.
- If your ice cream maker is the type where you have a bowl that you stick in the freezer previous to using it, make sure it's good and frozen.
- Finally, the texture of the final product will most closely resemble soft-serve ice cream. It won't be hard like a carton of ice cream from the store. It will harden much more when stored in the freezer.
Thanks for the inspiration! I tried making a vanilla ice cream with a little bit of yogurt to thicken it up since I didn't have any of the usual thickeners, and I did it with the plastic bag + ice + salt method. It turned out amazing! I liked it so much I added it to my blog (http://grubpost.blogspot.com) and linked back here for everyone to see. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteWhat is creamer? Is it just a cream alternative? Would this stuff work? http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/drinks/oatly-healthy-oat-alternative-to-cream/
ReplyDeleteNikkiQ--Yes, it looks like the Oatly product would work. Soy cream is just a fat-enriched soy milk, which makes the ice cream richer. Coconut milk is also a good way to go.
ReplyDeleteTo make ice cream without an ice cream maker, put the liquid mixture in a bowl in freezer. Every 30-45 minutes, take the bowl out and mix the mixture with an electric mixer (as it freezes, you'll want to mix it until the frozen chunks break up and the mixture is creamy again). It'll take 3-4 hours, but you end up with ice cream that's about the same soft serve consistancy as what you get with the machine. I tried this before I got my ice cream maker and it worked pretty well.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger my grandma would always make ice cream with us without an ice cream maker and it always turned out delicious. And its fun!
ReplyDeleteWhat she did was divide the ice cream mixture into heavy duty ziplock bags and tape the tops. Then she put each of those smaller zip lock bags into another larger ziplock bag which she then filled with ice and rock salt. She would tape everything up to make sure it doesn't leak and then she would give it to us grandkids with a towel to shake and roll around for good 30-60 minutes. Then combine (or not) and pop it into the freezer to harden a little. It always worked perfectly and was a lot of fun from what I remember.
By the way... This site is amazing. Thanks.
I found this recipe http://www.ehow.com/how_5661205_make-soy-creamer-home.html
ReplyDeleteto make your own soy creamer. Haven't tried yet but just thought I'd post it here before I go off to make the ice cream :)
The only problem with the Fancy Pants Vanilla Ice Cream recipe is that it doesn't make enough ice cream! It's so good I could eat it all in one sitting (if I didn't have to share it). I wish I had a bigger ice cream maker...
ReplyDeleteHave you tried using rice milk at all?? Or other vegan non soy versions? :)
ReplyDeleteKasl-- I haven't personally tried rice milk (I tend to prefer soy or hemp or hazelnut), but any non-dairy milk would work. My husband LOVES using coconut milk.
ReplyDeleteMaking this right now, it smells and tastes lovely so far. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteSuch a shame you no longer blog....I use your blog as my go to place for my ice cream recipes :-)
ReplyDelete