Is it ice cream weather where you are? Bahaha. Ok, it's always ice cream weather -- at least it is over here -- snow or shine. But today has been exceptionally hot, which prompted me to share one of our favorites around here: this simple and wholesome, fruit-sweetened, no churn, dairy-free peanut butter chocolate chip ice cream.
Today has been an unusually hot day, which I normally love very much. I soak up all the heat and sunshine with relish whenever the rare opportunity presents itself; in fact I crave heat -- even when everyone around me appears to be withering and melting away... Getting into a parked car in the sun on a hot day is one of my favorite things! But today I reached my limit.
I think you may officially be a bake-a-holic when you've got the oven running through a 100+ degree heatwave. I didn't look at a thermostat to gaugue the temperature, but I'm pretty sure by the time I was done the air in the house was probably half-way to boiling point. I may or may not have half-baked my dogs and husband in the process. I just had a crazy recipe idea that I had to make and it had to happen -- heat wave or not...
Thank goodness for ice cream! Luckily I had several batches in the freezer to keep me cool. So I thought to share this chocoaltey peanut-buttery nicecream recipe with you too -- so we can all keep cool and continue soaking in the sun :)
I love this recipe mostly because, well, can't beat chocolate and peanut butter. There's a reason it's a classic ♥ Almost too conventional for this blog though maybe :D . But the making of has nothing in common with conventional ice cream -- except for the great taste and creaminess of course ;) . This ice cream doesn't require an ice cream maker, no cooking, no dairy, sugar, cream, etc. Not even coconut or bananas! Just a handful of simple ingredients you probably already have on hand and you're set!
I normally use chocolate chunks, but used chocolate chips for this instead this time around. Feel free to substitute with a chopped up version of your favorite chocolate bar. Up the add-ins to your liking. Or better yet, play around with the flavors -- throw in some raspberries at the very end instead of chocolate chips or just swirl in some jam to have a pb & jam ice cream. Or maybe just add some cinnamon and make it a cinnamony peanut butter ice cream... Or some caramelized peanuts... Or go far out and make it peanut butter and potato chips or maybe pickles... OK, maybe that's going too far ;) But you get the point.
P.S. You can easily raw-ify this by making your own peanut butter from scratch first, then adding remaining ingredients, and using a raw chocolate bar...
PrintNo Churn Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
A fruit-sweetened vegan peanut butter ice cream loaded with peanuts and chocolate chips. Optional chocolate drizzle. No churning required.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 6-7 small servings
- Category: Ice Cream
- Method: No Churn
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
- 1½ cups non-dairy milk {I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk}
- 1 cup soft dates {pitted}
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter {preferably organic}
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Add-Ins:
- ½ cup peanuts {raw or roasted, not salted -- unless you like salty ;) }
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- + extra for sprinkling {optional}
- + a bit of melted chocolate chips for drizzling
Instructions
- Place all ice cream ingredients in a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth and uniform {a power blender would work best -- I used my Vitamix -- but a regular blender will work too, just keep at it patiently until the mixture is very smooth}. Throw in the add-ins and pulse a few times to mix them through.
- Pour ice cream into a freezer-safe container {I just used a glass bowl for this one}. Sprinkle with extra toppings if you like. Cover and place in the freezer to firm up overnight {or at least 5-6 hours}.
- Allow ice cream to thaw out on the counter for a little prior to scooping {or divide into individual portions like this to begin with if you prefer}. Drizzle with some melted chocolate if you like and enjoy!
Clara says
The best tasting ice cream I have ever made!! It was unbelievably amazing. I love that it doesn’t have bananas or coconut milk as the base. Peanut butter and chocolate is my favorite ice cream flavor and I’ll definitely be making this all the time.
Audrey says
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Clara! :) Thanks for the great feedback. I love this ice cream for the same reasons you mentioned. I also have a few similar recipes with almond butter and caramel cashew butter you can find on the blog if you want variations down the road.
Daniela says
I can't wait to try this, I love peanut butter, but just wanted to ask if you're able to use any other plant milks? Our almond milk here has too many additives that I'm not keen on.
Much appreciated
Audrey says
Hi Daniela, yes, absolutely -- feel free to substitute with another plant milk of your choice.
Vicki Richards says
Seriously SO good, better than regular ice cream, and really adaptable. I've made this twice now, once as written and once with almond butter instead of peanut and with pecans as mix-ins. Tasted just like butter pecan!
Audrey says
Hi Vicki -- thanks so much for sharing. I'm so happy you're enjoying this recipe :) I like your mix ins. I love this with almond butter a lot -- I actually have a version of that up as well because I liked it so much: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/no-churn-dairy-free-creamy-almond-butter-ice-cream-raw-fruit-sweetened/
And there's a very similar caramel swirl version here if you're looking for more ideas: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/caramel-swirl-ice-cream-no-churn-raw-dairy-free-refined-sugar-free/
Catherine Francis says
I love your recipes so much. My two and a half year old son has his mamas sweet tooth and I don't need to stress about giving him ice cream or fudge when it's one of your versions. Thank you!!!!!!!!!
Audrey says
Best feedback ever, Catherine :) So happy you're both able to enjoy the ice cream!
Marina says
This is by far the BEST DF ice cream EVER! I've served it to others & no one had a clue there wasn't dairy or refined sugar. It's so creamy! Have you tried any other flavors using this method? I'm wondering how it would do taking out the PB & adding say, espresso/cocoa? Do you think the PB is what helps it have that creamy texture? Thank you so much for this recipe, it's been a game changer!
Audrey says
You're welcome -- I feel much the same about this ice cream :) and have the same experience serving it. I did try it in many different flavors and some variations. I love the almond butter version on this site (separate recipe) and a cashew butter version with a caramel swirl. With peanut butter, you can make it chocolate (though need to add more liquid so it doesn't dry out), or espresso, a jam ripple, etc. So far most things have turned out great -- it's a pretty versatile ice cream base :)
Audrey says
Whoops, just realized I didn't answer the last part of your question. What makes it creamy is the combination of nut butter and dates. Blended dates don't freeze solid usually, so they keep the ice cream more soft and not "icy".
Marina says
I was thinking of doing some roasted dandelion tea with cocoa powder to make it like mocha but wasn't sure if nut butter is a necessity. I'll report back when I try it ;)
Marina says
It was a success! The plain PB is still my holy-grail but the dandelion powder, cocoa & a pinch of PB was an awesome variation! Kind of reminded me of a peanut buttery espresso ice cream!
Audrey says
That's great -- thanks so much for sharing :)
Sarah says
Delicious! Tried it this morning and it's so creamy and yummy. I used a dark roasted natural peanut butter and it turned out amazing. I love this one even more than the almond butter ice cream.
Audrey says
So glad you liked it. And thanks for sharing your thoughts. This was the original one I made and I agree -- peanut butter is always special :)
Tx says
Hi Audrey,
I can't eat too many dates as I'm trying desperately to quit sugar. Any ideas for substitutions? I'm ok with rice malt syrup, etc.
X
Audrey says
You can just try it with rice malt syrup to taste and a bit more almond milk to cut out the dates. I don't know the exact quantities, since I haven't tried, but that's where I'd start. Also, not sure if you've seen this vanilla caramel swirl ice cream recipe -- it's date-free and you could easily swap out the maple for rice malt, so maybe it's a recipe that will be easier for you to work with as a baseline: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/vanilla-salted-caramel-swirl-ice-cream/. If you're ok with other fruit, you can also substitute the dated with ripe bananas.
And I'm sharing a recipe hopefully later today for a new peanut butter and banana ice cream that's date-free, so stay tuned :)
Lexi says
I made this last night and it was so hard to wait for it to freeze until this morning! My fiancé and I had a scoop each for lunch (have to watch those calories!) and it was amazing! Same texture as regular ice cream and great peanut butter flavor. I had to use the processed peanut butter because I didn't have natural (next time I will use natural) but I used all of the other ingredients as the recipe specified. I used a regular blender and it worked just fine. We used a cheese grater to make chocolate shavings to add in and they were delicious as well. I am so glad I found this recipe as I having been craving ice cream but cannot have diary due to lactose intolerance and it causing flares in my asthma. I also cannot have wheat or corn products due to allergies. Corn is unfortunately in everything including store bought dairy free ice cream. My fiancé enjoyed eating this ice cream with a mini brownie bite mixed in (not wheat/gluten free friendly) I am looking forward to making more nut-butter based ice creams and making a chocolate one to go with the peanut butter!
Audrey says
Hi Lexi -- thank you so much for the thorough feedback, and I'm SOOOO glad to hear you both liked it! :) Nut-butter based ice creams are a great dairy-free alternative. And of course you could customize them to your liking with other flavors. Enjoy them!
Sabrena says
Could I use my food processor instead of a blender?
Audrey says
Possibly :) I think it should work if you have a decent processor, but maybe it won't be as smooth. My main worry is the blending down of those dates -- hard to get those tiny bits to blend well in a processor sometimes. But all-in-all I suspect it should work just fine. Let me know how you go if you try it.
Jennifer says
I'm just at the very beginning of attempting to switch my family to a plant based diet. So I'm constantly searching for recipes i think they will like and trying them out one by one. Made this ice cream last night and WOW!!!!!! Soooooo good! The flavour and texture are amazing. The sweetness is spot on and love that the recipe uses dates instead of sugar. I don't think I've ever bought dates before and I was nervous cause they look weird, lol, but they totally work. Thanks so much
Can't wait to test more of your recipes on my hubby and 2 girls :)
Audrey says
Jennifer, that is the best comment ever! Thank you so much for sharing. I'm so happy you loved the ice cream. It's quite a treat for me as well -- I've been making it over and over around here since I worked out this recipe. The dates are pretty easy to work with and help with the texture in the recipe -- glad you were able to overcome the date weirdness haha -- I use them plenty, but I totally know what you mean :)
I don't know if you like almonds, but I have an almond butter version of this that I absolutely love as well -- I just shared the recipe for it and it's getting rave reviews all around so far <3
https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/no-churn-dairy-free-creamy-almond-butter-ice-cream-raw-fruit-sweetened/
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says
The texture of this ice cream looks perfect! Plus, what's not to love about peanut butter and chocolate?! Would natural peanut butter work? I'm guessing yes since that's kind of more your style than processed pb,correct?
Audrey says
Thank you Sharon. And yes, thanks for pointing it out. I did use natural creamy peanut butter. I have no idea how this would with the processed stuff -- I imagine it would be a lot sweeter since those are usually sweetened. I'll add "natural" pb to the ingredients now -- thanks for the catch!
chrysta @ noshed says
This looks so good!! and I love the no churn method. Perfection. To be honest my favorite pairing with peanut butter is chocolate!! bananas are a close second though.
Audrey says
I think we have twin taste buds, Chrysta :)
Celeste says
Wow, this is the first no-churn ice cream I've seen that doesn't use sweetened condensed milk. Looks fabulous!
Audrey says
Thanks Celeste. Yeah, no sweetened condensed milk in this household... unless I make my own coconut version, but with recipes like this I love keeping it simple :)
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Hello chocolate and PB! Such a classic!
Audrey says
Indeed ♥ And now you just reminded me I totally forgot to check your Friday Finisher >.<
Linda @ Veganosity says
I made almost the exact nice cream with frozen bananas yesterday! This looks so delicious and perfect for a hot day.
Audrey says
Sounds great with bananas, Linda. I love bananas on and in everything, but I have quite a few readers that aren't fans so I've been reserving all my nana ice creams for instagram instead and trying to come up with banana-free versions for the few missing out on the nice cream fun...
Harriet Emily says
Nothing beats no-churn ice cream! Especially when there's chocolate and peanut butter involved. You always make the best recipes Audrey! This sounds so delicious. Love that's its sweetened with dates! <3
Audrey says
Thanks Harriet ♥ I'm definitely lovin' the no churn ice creams right now...
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Wow! This no-churn dairy free ice-cream looks incredibly delish and refreshing! Loved this creamy dreamy ice-cream! :)
Audrey says
Thank you Anu! It is creamy dreamy indeed :)
Meg @ NomingthruLife says
I just wanted to say that I am so glad you scratched that first line... it is ALWAYS ice cream time. My mom would give me a hard time when I was younger because it would be the dead of winter in Norther Michigan and ice cream sounded like a good idea (all the time). Now, can we talk about how chocolate and pb is one of the greatest combos of all time!?!?! So you are combining all my sweet tooth desires with this one Audrey! Love it!
Audrey says
Haha. Meg, in the winter I insist on eating nana ice cream for breakfast every morning -- glued to the fireplace and all :D
genevieve @ gratitude & greens says
Audrey, can I crown you the queen of ice cream? Because every time you share an ice cream recipe I kinda just oggle the screen without realizing I'm drooling, haha! I'm trying to avoid the oven at all costs because it is steaming hot here... perfect weather for ice cream ;)
Audrey says
Yes, it is! I think we're in the same weather zone so I know you feel my pain with that oven heat, Genevieve! :)
Tina says
Audrey again you have come up with another awe inspiring recipe. I can't believe how few ingredients and so easy. Peanuts is the next test for my little one so if it's all good, I'll be making this asap. Every time I think of peanuts and chocolate, I think of the picnic chocolate bar with peanuts, chocolate, caramel, wafer biscuit, nougat and puffed rice :)
Audrey says
Aw, thank you Tina. Can Saffy have sunflower seeds? Because you can easily make this with sunbutter instead. I mean peanuts + chocolate are amazing of course, but sunbutter is a close enough substitute :)
I've never heard of a picnic chocolate bar. Googling it now :) Sounds delicious!
Tina says
Yes Saffy has had a small exposure to sunflower seeds in a seed bread. Omg, I would never have thought that sunflower seeds could be used as a peanut substitute !! Audrey you are a wealth of knowledge. Could cashews work? My favorite chocolate bars were a Tosca and Picnic. Haven't had a Tosca for at least a decade (possibly 2) as it is no longer being produced. The flavor combinations in a picnic could make a nice ice cream ;)
Audrey says
Hi Tina,
Somehow sunflower seeds on their own taste pretty different to peanuts, but when ground into a butter sunbutter strangely tastes very close to natural peanut butter -- works a treat in recipes. Just beware that bakes sunbutter turns greenish in hue for some unknown reason -- wouldn't want any green cookie surprises if you're converting a peanut butter cookie recipe into a sunbutter one ;)
Cashew butter would definitely work as well. Both would be delicious.
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
Whoa this is creamy chocolate dreamy peanut butter easy peasy incredible! I was expecting some crazy secret ingredient, but it's so simple! Never would've guessed that those ingredients without an ice cream maker could become ice cream, but obviously you have proved me wrong! And it lasts in the freezer, unlike nice cream, which means PB ice cream all week :)
Audrey says
I know -- I love how simple this recipe is too. You could of course make it fancier in many ways, but for me it works just as is. The creaminess of the peanut butter and smoothness of dates makes it such that you don't really need a lot of the stuff that normally goes into an ice cream and I love both those ingredients -- can't go wrong with pb & dates :)
Jessica @ Styled Nutrition says
This looks SO good! I love how it just requires a blender and it's different than banana ice cream.
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Jessica. I've been really into blender ice creams lately. Sure an ice cream maker fluffs things up a lot, but I'm finding it unnecessary -- just another loud machine that takes up cabinet + freezer space. I'll take my blender ice cream over that for the moment any day :)