Vegan Blueberry Crumble Ice Cream
My ice cream consumption skyrockets in the summer. Hands down, it’s my dessert of choice. There’s an ice cream shop in our neighborhood that’s had a steady line outside the door for the last month or so. I like to alternate the indulgent, classic frozen treat with one that’s homemade and healthier like this vegan blueberry crumble ice cream. With berries at their peak, I ditched my usual chocolate dessert to do something different.
I started by making a simple blueberry compote followed by a cinnamon-spiked toasty oat crumble sweetened with a little coconut sugar. Next I pureed frozen banana chunks with almond milk in the food processor until the mixture was smooth and creamy. Instead of just stirring everything together, I layered the banana base, compote and crumble in layers and dragged a knife through a few times to create a subtle swirl.
Vegan Blueberry Crumble Ice Cream
Makes about 1 pint
4 large bananas
1 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup almond milk
Cut the bananas into chunks and freeze until firm.
Combine the blueberries, water and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the berries release their juices and the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.
Preheat the oven 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment. In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, almond meal, coconut sugar, salt and coconut oil. Pat the mixture into a thin layer on the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and fragrant. Cool before crumbling.
Place the bananas and almond milk in a food processor and puree until smooth and creamy. Layer the banana base, blueberry compote and about half the crumble in a freezer-proof container. Gently drag a knife through the layers to swirl. Freeze until firm. Serve topped with the remaining crumble.
