Think you're stuck with chalky store-bought vegan ice creams if you're lactose intolerant or following a vegan diet? Think again. With these uber-creamy "nice" cream recipes, sorbets, boozy ice pops, granitas, and more, you won't feel like you're missing a thing. Most can be whipped up without an ice cream maker, and all deliver top-notch delicious results, even without the milk, cream, or half-and-half. Keep your cool all summer (and year!) long with these sweet and refreshing dairy-free treats.
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Salted Chocolate-Peanut Butter Vegan Nice Cream
Like a peanut butter cup you can spoon, ripe bananas, peanut butter, cacao powder, and peanuts star in this silky nice cream recipe. Medjool dates naturally sweeten the tofu-thickened blend, while soaked cashews and soy milk replace all the dairy milk. Simply blend that all with some vanilla, salt, and ice, and prepare to dig into one surprisingly rich-tasting dessert.
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Cherry-Berry Rosé Sorbet
Like the grown-up sibling of frosé, this boozy dessert features a whopping ⅔ cup of frozen fruit per serving. Thanks to the wine, the quick-fix treat stays scoopable, even straight from the freezer. Think of this recipe more as a guide than a rule; adjust the sugar level according to the sweetness of your chosen rosé.
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Vegan Blueberry Coconut Ice Cream
Sugar-free, vegan and ready to scoop in less than an hour, this blueberry recipe offers a decadent taste of summer flavors. Full-fat coconut milk makes the custard super-creamy, while flax seeds and xanthan gum thicken things to a scoop shop-like consistency. Choose your own sweetener adventure — stevia, erythritol or any granulated sugar should work.
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Blackberry-Lime Gin and Tonic Ice Pops
Cheers to dessert and drinks all in one! The key to acing these gin and tonic-flavored ice pops is to add just a splash of gin. Otherwise, the blackberry-lime mixture won't fully freeze in your ice pop mold (such as this Koji Ice Popsicle Molds, $12.99; Target).
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One-Ingredient Sorbet
We know it sounds tough to believe, but you can create snack magic with just one ingredient! Frozen berries star in this pureed sorbet, which can be customized with bananas or other fruits if strawberry desserts aren't your jam. Allrecipes Allstar Bren raves, "This was very refreshing on a hot humid day. I used both strawberries and bananas and enjoyed the flavor combo!"
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Almond and Strawberry Tahini Ice Cream
If you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as a kid (or kid at heart!), chances are you'll love this nut-and-berry blend. Blend together fresh or frozen strawberries, creamy full-fat coconut milk, sweet dates, nutty tahini (like Soom Foods Single-Source Pure Ground Sesame Tahini Paste, $21.50 for two 16-ounce jars; Amazon), almonds, and almond extract, then freeze in an ice cream maker. Enjoy the rich and trendy treat immediately for a soft serve-like texture, or freeze for an hour or two for a scoopable, hard pack consistency.
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Berry-Mint Granitas
You don't need an ice cream machine to make this refreshing, sweet-tart, classic Italian dessert. Lemon and fresh mint brighten up the natural sweetness of blueberries and raspberries. The only other ingredients you need to get this granita good to go? Water and sugar!
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Limoncello Lemon Sorbet (With or Without Mint)
Speaking of summery Italian desserts, it's tough to top this 4-ingredient spiked sorbet that's "absolutely foolproof," according to Allrecipes fan Minnie, who created the concept. "It's simple, sweet, and tart, with just enough limoncello liqueur. Top with limoncello or vodka if desired!" (Others who have made it agree, including Allrecipes Allstar Kim who rates it "10 stars. Seriously, this sorbet is the bomb!"
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Chocolate-Cherry-Chip Vegan Nice Cream
"Life is like a box of chocolates," as is this nice cream, which tastes remarkably like a chocolate-covered cherry. Again, soaked cashews, soy milk, tofu, and dates build the base. But this food processor-mixed nice cream gets its dairy-free flavor boost from cacao powder, dried cherries, and vegan chocolate chips (we love Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Dairy Free Vegan Baking Morsels, $4.79 for 9 ounces, Target).
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Mint-Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Stick with dairy-free chocolate chips to stud this coconut milk ice cream and it's completely vegan. "My son has milk allergies and I have tried many other recipes for non-dairy ice cream but this was by far the best tasting and easiest to make," raves Allrecipes fan cbs4. "The whole family loved it!" Agave syrup lends just enough sweetness, and a splash of peppermint extract perks things up.
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All Root Beer Popsicles
A 2-liter bottle of root beer, a bit of sugar, and some soda-flavored extract (such as Watkins Imitation Root Beer Extract, $6.99 for 2 ounces; Amazon) are all you need to get these family-friendly ice pops ready to freeze. And since they're stoked with a little extra sugar, they don't freeze rock solid and have a consistency that's just like a store bought pop. No extract? No problem; feel free to make these without that element or add a dash of vanilla instead for some cream soda vibes.
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Vegan Horchata Ice Cream
Horchata is a traditional Mexican drink that's typically sipped in liquid format. Here, we take the same starring flavors — rice, cinnamon, sugar — and blend them into an ice cream custard with dairy-free coconut cream, vanilla, and brown rice syrup. If you're scooping this up to share with those 21+, feel free to spike with rum.
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Kiwi-Lime Pops
Enjoy a taste of the tropics in these almost-too-easy ice pops. The 3-ingredient line-up (kiwi, lime juice, sugar) and the blitz, layer, and freeze method will help you feel like you're on island time; more time to kick those feet up! If you can't find kiwi or don't have enough to slide slices in, try this same foundation with berries or small-diced fresh pineapple.