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Three scoops of vegan banana ice cream with chocolate and walnuts in a metal dish.
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Vegan Chunky Monkey Ice Cream (banana ice cream with chocolate and walnuts)

Vegan chunky monkey ice cream - creamy vegan banana ice cream with chocolate chunks and walnuts. This Ben & Jerry's copycat is easy to make and so delicious!

Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian, vegan
Keyword ice cream
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Chilling Time 12 hours
Servings 10 people
Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

  • 120 g (¾ cup) cashews
  • 250 ml (1 cup) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used soy)
  • 400 ml (14 oz) full fat coconut milk (tinned, NOT the drinking variety)
  • 160 g (¾ cup + 1 Tbsp) caster sugar
  • 200 g (2 medium) very ripe banana
  • ⅛ tsp xanthan gum (optional)
  • 1 Tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)* optional
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate chopped
  • 80 g (2.75 oz) walnuts (or pecans) broken into pieces

Instructions

  • Cover the cashews in boiling water and set aside to soak for at least half an hour then drain. (You can also soak them in cold water overnight instead).
  • Place the soaked cashews in a blender along with the 250ml of milk and blend until very smooth.
  • Add the full fat coconut milk, sugar, bananas, xanthan gum, cornflour, vanilla extract and salt and continue to blend until the mixture is completely smooth. There should be no hint of grittiness if you rub some of the mixture between your fingers.
  • Pour the mixture into a saucepan and place it over a low heat. Whisk until it comes up to the boil and thickens then remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Don't let it boil for more than a minute. Skip this step if you did not add cornflour/cornstarch.
  • Cover with greaseproof paper directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming then place in the fridge until completely cold. (I leave it in there overnight).
  • Give the chilled ice cream base a good whisk then churn it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions. (See above for instructions on how to churn it without an ice cream maker).
  • Once it has reached soft serve consistency, mix through the chopped chocolate and walnuts and transfer it to a container. Place in the freezer for a couple of hours to firm up before serving.
    Once the ice cream is fully frozen it will be quite firm; let it sit out at room temperature for a bit before scooping.

Notes

*The cornstarch gives the ice cream a thick, pudding-like texture. Omit it for a more melt-in-the-mouth texture.