Vegan Rum And Raisin Ice Cream

Name: Vegan Rum And Raisin Ice Cream
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients: 175 g (1 cup + 3 Tablespoons) raisins; 150 ml (½ cup + 2 Tablespoons) dark or spiced rum; 160 g (1 + ⅓ cups) unroasted cashews; 25 g (¼ cup) porridge oats; 800 ml (3 ⅓ cups) unsweetened non-dairy milk (preferably soya or oat barista) (divided); 160 g (¾ cup) caster, granulated or light brown soft sugar; 1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste; 55 g (4 Tablespoons) melted refined coconut oil or vegan block butter; ¼ teaspoon salt

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Vegan rum and raisin ice cream - this easy vegan ice cream is rich and creamy with a grown-up, boozy flavour of rum raisin.

Three cones of vegan rum and raisin ice cream on a dark background.

Like many of my ice cream recipes, this vegan rum and raisin ice cream is based on my delicious vegan vanilla ice cream recipe, which uses a base of cooked oats and cashews rather than coconut. It is a great base recipe which can easily be adapted to create all sorts of different flavours.

This rum and raisin version is a very rich, flavourful, grown-up ice cream that is definitely not suitable for children! It is delicious just on it's own, but would also pair fabulously with Autumn/Winter desserts such as apple pie, crumble or steamed puddings, or try it on top of a warm slice of banana bread!

A labelled photo of thje ingredients needed to make vegan rum and raisin ice cream.

Ingredient Details:

Cashews: Unroasted cashews provide creaminess to this vegan rum and raisin ice cream. They need to be soaked so they are soft enough to blend up to a smooth cream. You can either soak them in boiling water for about an hour, or in cold water overnight.

Porridge oats: regular rolled porridge oats or quick cooking ones are fine. You are going to simmer them with some plant milk until they are soft before blending them.

Plant milk: unsweetened soy milk is the best option here as it has a neutral flavour and creamy texture. (I like Alpro Unsweetened Soya milk the best).

You can use any kind of plant milk you like but bear in mind that the flavour of the milk will affect the flavour of the ice cream. Opt for a rich and creamy milk such as oat barista, don't use thinner, more watery milks like rice or almond.

Sugar: I use caster sugar but granulated is also fine, or for more of a caramel flavour use light or dark brown soft.

Coconut oil: Adding a bit of fat to the ice cream helps make the texture richer and creamier. I used melted refined coconut oil but you could also use a vegan block butter.

Vanilla: This adds a bit more depth of flavour.

Rum: Use dark or spiced rum rather than white. Pedro Ximenez sherry would also work well instead.

Raisins: Pretty essential in a rum and raisin ice cream! Sultanas would also be fine.

Close up of scoops of vegan rum and raisin ice cream.

How To Make Vegan Rum And Raisin Ice Cream:

(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

Step 1: Soak the cashews in boiling water to soften.

Step 2: Heat the raisins and rum in a small pan until simmering then cover and leave to soak overnight.

Step 3: Place the oats in a saucepan with half of the milk and bring to a gentle simmer, cook for about 5 minutes until the oats are soft.

Step 4: Place the oat mixture and the drained cashews in a blender along with the rest of the milk, sugar, vanilla, melted coconut oil and salt and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and chill.

Step 5: Drain the soaked raisins well, reserving the liquid.

Step 6: Whisk 60ml of the reserved raisin rum into the chilled ice cream base.

Step 7: Churn the ice cream until it reaches soft-serve consistency then add the drained raisins.

Scoops of vegan rum and raisin ice cream in a metal dish.

Top Tips:

As with all of my recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!

This ice cream is quite solid straight out of the freezer so make sure that you take it out at least 15 minutes before serving to allow it to soften up a little.

Ideally you need a power blender (such as Froothie/Vitamix) for the smoothest ice cream. You can still make it with a regular blender, but it might not be quite as smooth and creamy.

I recommend making the ice cream base the day before you churn it so that it has time to properly chill first. It needs to be cold when it goes into the ice cream maker. The raisins also need to soak in the rum overnight.

I have a 2 litre ice cream maker (this one by Cuisinart).

I recommend placing the container that you are going to put the ice cream in in the freezer to chill while the ice cream is churning. This will help stop the ice cream from getting too melty while you transfer it to the container.

Don't skimp on the sugar! Sugar is important in ice cream not only for the flavour but also for the creamy texture. Things also taste less sweet when they are cold, so bear in mind that you want the unfrozen base to taste a bit sweeter than you want the finished ice cream to taste.

Don't add extra rum to the ice cream otherwise it won't freeze properly!

Try adding a teaspoon or two of ground cinnamon for a warming, spicy twist.

FAQ's:

What if I don't have an ice cream maker?

If you don’t have an ice cream maker you can still make this vegan rum and raisin ice cream, it just takes a bit more work and the texture may be a bit more icy.

Once the base is chilled, pour it into a large freezerproof container and pop it in the freezer. Every 30 minutes or so, remove it from the freezer and give it a quick whisk with an electric mixer to break up any ice crystals then return it to the freezer.

Repeat this until it reaches soft-serve consistency then allow to freeze for a couple of hours before serving.

How should I store it?

Obviously ice cream needs to be kept in the freezer; make sure that you use a freezer-proof container either with a lid or wrap it well with plastic wrap. Store the ice cream for up to 2 months, though the sooner it is eaten the better as unlike shop bought ice cream it does not contain any stabilisers or preservatives.

Homemade ice creams set a lot firmer than shop bought ones, so let it sit out on the counter for 15 minutes, or in the fridge for 30 before scooping to give it a chance to soften up slightly.

Two cones of vegan rum and raisin ice cream on a dark background.

More Vegan Ice Creams:

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5 from 3 votes