Creamy date and coconut ice lolly – no ice cream maker needed!
I have to admit that I’m not quite sure whether it was really such a good idea to come up with this recipe… This date and coconut ice lolly has turned out to be absolutely addictive and a bit too delicious, to be honest. But the good thing is: it contains absolutely no added sugar, as we only sweeten it with dates – so you can keep your guilty conscience in check. As long as you don’t wolf down 3, 4 or 5 of them in a row, there’s no need to make a mountain out of a molehill.
It’s really super easy to make. All you need is a blender, and you just need to soak the cashews and dates the night before. What makes this recipe special is the tonka bean in the filling: just a hint of it is enough to give the ice lolly a flavour that’s a bit like vanilla and almond – absolutely delicious! And for the glaze, I use the ‘Kokoskuss’ variety from Dein Kakao (a bit of self-promotion), an organic cocoa powder with a subtle coconut flavour that goes perfectly with the filling. I’ll explain below why I soak the cashews beforehand and rinse them thoroughly – or you can take a look directly at my recipe for easy coconut ice lollies, where I’ve already described this in detail.
Equipment
- 1 blender
- 1 popsicle mold approx. 8-10 servings
Ingredients
Ice-filling
- 100 g cashews soaked overnight
- 90 g dates soaked overnight
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 1 pinch tonka bean
Chocolate glaze
- 30 g coconut oil
- 30 g cocoa powder
Instructions
Preparations the night before
- Place the cashews and the pitted dates in two separate bowls, cover them well with water and leave them to soak overnight. The next day, drain off the soaking water and rinse both thoroughly with fresh water.
Ice-filling
- Put the rinsed cashews, dates, coconut milk and freshly grated tonka bean into the blender. Blend everything on a high setting for about 2–3 minutes until you have a completely smooth, creamy mixture. Taste it briefly – if you prefer it a little sweeter, simply add 1–2 more dates.
- Pour the mixture into the ice lolly moulds, insert the sticks and place everything in the freezer for at least 4–5 hours, ideally overnight.
Chocolate glaze
- Mix the liquid coconut oil and cocoa powder thoroughly in a small bowl until you have a smooth glaze. If your coconut oil is solid, melt it briefly in a bain-marie.
Glazing
- Carefully remove the frozen ice lollies from the moulds. Dip each one briefly into the chocolate coating and leave to set on a wire rack – this happens very quickly because the ice lolly attracts the coating straight away.
Nutrients
Why soak them? It’s not an unnecessary extra step!
I know, ‘soaking overnight’ sounds like a fiddly step at first. But the actual effort involved takes exactly two minutes: put the nuts in a bowl, pour water over them, and pop them in the fridge. That’s it.
There’s a specific reason for soaking: cashews – like all nuts and seeds – naturally contain what’s known as phytic acid. This is a compound that can affect the body’s absorption of certain minerals. Soaking them and then rinsing them thoroughly significantly reduces this. At the same time, it makes the cashews so creamy that the blender almost magically whips up a silky mixture all by itself.
Soaking also softens the dates, making them much easier to blend. It noticeably improves the consistency of the ice cream. Thank me later.
Tonka bean – what’s actually in it?
You might be wondering: Tonka bean – what on earth is that? The tonka bean is a spice that tastes a bit like vanilla and almonds, with a slight hint of caramel. Grate just a tiny bit into your ice cream and the filling immediately takes on more depth. Just give it a go. It’s worth it!
Important: always use tonka bean very sparingly. A quarter of a bean is more than enough for the whole recipe. As it naturally contains coumarin and should therefore not be consumed in large quantities. In the amount specified here, it’s absolutely safe. Incidentally, it’s also a popular ingredient in top-class restaurants. So: less really is more in this case!
The chocolate glaze – it couldn’t be simpler!
To make the glaze, simply mix liquid coconut oil with cocoa powder. That’s it. I use our coconut cocoa from Dein Kakao, of course – the ‘Kokoskuss’ variety (a bit of a plug), which has a subtle coconut flavour and goes perfectly with the filling. Of course, you can use a different cocoa powder. It just won’t be quite as coconutty.
Incidentally, when I looked at the ingredients list for vegan Magnums, my jaw really did drop – sugar in various forms appears four times in the first nine ingredients alone! You really don’t need that, as you’ll realise when you make this ice cream yourself.
More ice lolly inspiration for the summer
- Easy coconut ice lolly – the pure coconut version with a light chocolate coating
- Vegan chocolate ice lolly – for anyone who wants as much chocolate as possible in their ice lolly
- Frozen chocolate fruit bars – the quickest summer snack ever (under 50 kcal per bar!)
- Iced Cacao recipe – if you’d rather drink your cocoa than eat it
- Berry and cocoa smoothie – for the summer chocolate lovers amongst us
I can’t wait to hear what you think of this date and coconut ice cream! Feel free to let me know in the comments or tag me on Instagram – @rosa_lazic or #foodlifestylefacts.
And if you’re looking for even more vegan summer recipes, I’ve got a whole board for you on Pinterest – just click.
As always: Enjoy!
LJUBAV.
Rosa ♥️
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