no churn chocolate sunbutter ice cream
Free from dairy, peanuts, & processed sugars. Full of deliciousness. The chocolatey creamy ice cream of your dreams.
No blender, dairy, ice cream maker, or effort required.
I sort of feel like the intention behind this recipe doesn’t really need an explanation. It’s summer + ice cream is delicious + I don’t have any of the usual tools needed to make ice cream = the creation of this recipe. If you are a chocolate peanut butter lover, this will especially speak to you.
If you are like me and avoid added gums, fillers, dairy, peanuts etc. then you know how hard it is to find clean ice cream!! Yes, it has been done but you can typically only find it in specific local areas, not so much in chain grocery stores. So when Steve wanted ice cream I took it upon myself to create something truly delicious that would satisfy his craving without the usual added junk.
This ice cream has the perfect subtle Sunbutter flavor that is perfectly complimented by a light chocolate taste, sweetened with date syrup and a hint of vanilla. Did I mention it also has dark chocolate chunks folded in?? You can omit them if you aren’t a fan of a little texture in your ice cream but I would highly recommend tossing them in for that little extra somethin’ special.
The hardest part of creating this recipe was the fact that I still cannot eat any of the ingredients in it - but you best believe I am manifesting it happening SOON.
Here’s some insight into what’s usually in ice cream.
Name brand chocolate peanut butter ice cream:
*the not-so-great ingredients are bolded
Cream, Liquid Sugar (Sugar, Water), Skim Milk, Water, Peanuts, Sugar, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Canola Oil, Peanut Oil, Wheat Flour, Cocoa, Coconut Oil, Egg Yolks, Salt, Tapioca Starch, Guar Gum, Natural Flavors, Soy Lecithin, Baking Soda, Carrageenan.
20+ ingredients
Gut-upsetting gums, fillers, and additives not to mention…
A ton of processed sugar
Inflammatory ingredients like peanuts, dairy and wheat
This ice cream:
Organic Full Fat Coconut Milk, Semisweet Chocolate, Organic Dark Chocolate, Organic Sunbutter, Organic Date Syrup, Vanilla Extract, Sea Salt
6 quality ingredients
No inflammatory additives or processed sugars
Gluten and dairy free
Why date syrup?
Dates have been a staple food of the Middle East for thousands of years. They are grown on date palms, a tree in the palm family, found predominantly in the Middle East, as well as northern Africa, the Canary Islands, Pakistan, India and California.
There are many sweeter options out there - honey, maple syrup, stevia etc. but not all of those are compatible with certain dietary requirements. Dates are great if you are on a keto or vegan diet and they are paleo and Whole30 friendly. However, they are high fodmap so that is something to be mindful of!
While dates do contain natural sugar, they have a low/medium glycemic index score. This is because of their high fiber content, which slows the release of the carbohydrates and gives you sustained energy rather than spiking your blood sugar. This is why they are one of the more diabetic friendly sweet treats. They’re also low in fat and full of nutrients like niacin, calcium, iron, vitamin K, copper, magnesium, vitamin B6, and potassium ( they contain 50% more potassium by weight than a banana!).
I think dates are the perfect addition to this recipe because they offer a subtle caramel flavor that no other sweetener really provides. Don’t get me wrong, I love maple syrup, honey, and blackstrap molasses but that deep rich caramel date flavor really takes this ice cream to the next level - without the grittiness of options like coconut sugar since we aren’t using a blender.
As for a brand, I love NuNature because their syrup is organic and 1 ingredient - organic dates sourced from the Middle East. They are family owned and use sustainably grown, non-GMO medjool dates gathered from local farms, which are then steamed and pressed for a fresh, sweet taste.
They were also nice enough to offer any readers 10% off with the code “MARISSA10”!
Let’s get into the tasty details.
There are a few key ingredients and techniques to make sure this ice cream is the creamy smooth consistency your ice cream dreams are made of.
Take the time to stir it every 30 minutes!! I learned this trick from Flora and Vino (although she stirs hers every hour) and it really is a game changer in creating a wonderfully creamy ice cream.
Use full fat coconut milk. We are making the recipe so healthy that there is no place for any of the fat free stuff. Get the full fat canned coconut milk to ensure a full bodied rich ice cream. Plus, when companies remove fat from coconut milk, they often replace it with additives and sugar.
Place into a freezer safe container and remove all air to prevent unnecessary ice crystals from forming and creating an “icy” ice cream. We do this by tapping the container a few times to release any air bubbles and then covering to keep any additional air out as it sets.
Taste it before you put it into the freezer container! Again, we are making ice cream without the usual ingredients or tools so it’s important to make sure the flavor is where you like it! Ice cream is a very personal experience. I think it’s perfection but… I won’t be offended if you want to add a bit more syrup or vanilla. I’m not known for sticking to recipes either ;)
If your ice cream has been in the freezer a couple days and is rock hard, let it sit out for about 30 minutes prior to scooping for the best results.
Substitutions/Notes:
Carob chips can be subbed in for the chocolate but you might need to increase the sweetness aka amount of date/maple syrup.
You can substitute maple syrup for date syrup if needed but it will give the ice cream a very pronounced maple taste so make sure that’s something you are looking for. I haven’t tested any other substitutions.
Sunbutter can be substituted out for a different nut butter, just make sure it's a clean option where the only ingredients are organic nuts! ****NOTE: If the other ingredient is salt, you can omit the salt from the recipe. Just be mindful that this might also alter the texture if you are choosing one that isn’t perfectly smooth and creamy.
Recipe
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 10
Churn + Freeze Time: 6.5 hours
Servings: 6~
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups full-fat organic coconut milk (this is one full can) *I use the Trader Joe’s yellow can
½ cup semisweet chocolate *I use Santa Barbara chips
½ cup dark chocolate roughly chopped *I use Hu Baking gems
¼ cup organic Sunbutter
¼ cup organic date syrup *I use NuNature (MARISSA10 for 10% off)
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp sea salt
Directions:
Slowly melt together ½ cup coconut milk, ½ cup semisweet chocolate, ¼ cup Sunbutter over low heat. Stir occasionally, until mixture is completely melted and silky smooth. *do not let it come to a boil
Remove the mixture from heat and add in the remaining ingredients (coconut milk, date syrup, vanilla, salt), except for the chopped dark chocolate.
Put back on low heat and stir continuously until everything is thoroughly melted and combined. It will have the consistency and look of chocolate milk.
Remove from heat, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and stir in chopped chocolate. If the container doesn’t have a lid, cover with plastic wrap - pressing it down as close to the liquid as possible to prevent extra air from making the ice cream “icy”.
Freeze for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes with a metal spoon.
Freeze for an additional 4 hours, no further stirring required.
When ready to serve, allow the ice cream to thaw at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving.
If you try this no-churn, no-blend chocolate chunk Sunbutter ice cream, let me know! You can also head to my Pinterest to pin this recipe for later.
What flavor of ice cream should I make next?? I’m thinking of attempting my all time favorite flavor - mint chocolate chip - stay tuned!
And lastly, a big thank you NuNature for gifting me some of their amazing organic date syrup to take this recipe to the next level! 🌱