Dairy Free/ Desserts/ Gluten Free/ Paleo/ Regular Macro Day/ Treat Day/ Vegan

Dairy Free Caramel Walnut Swirl Ice Cream

You need to try this homemade Dairy Free Caramel Walnut Swirl Ice Cream recipe that is out of this world creamy. Made with coconut cream and naturally sweetened with date caramel sauce, this ice cream is refined sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, and vegan & paleo friendly!

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In case you haven’t noticed, summer is sadly coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this deliciously creamy treat throughout the year! This vanilla ice cream is made with all natural ingredients and swirled with homemade date caramel sauce and chopped walnuts.

If you’re a daily calorie counter, then this Caramel Walnut Swirl Ice Cream might not be for you. I mean don’t get me wrong, this is for everyone (because it’s really that good!), but this particular recipe uses real food ingredients, and therefore, the macro count might not align with your caloric goals.

However, if you’re health-conscious, like to eat clean, and like to know what you’re putting into your body, then you’re in the right place. Yes, it is high in calories, fats, and carbs, but compare the natural ingredients in this recipe to any of those you might find at a store, and this will win every time.

Dairy Free Caramel Swirl Ice Cream | The Healthy Chelle

First, the base of this recipe is coconut cream, which is very rich in nutrients and healthy fats. In addition, walnuts are a good source of healthy fats along with protein and fiber. And don’t forget, healthy fats don’t make you fat!

Second, it’s loaded with healthy carbs that are natural and unprocessed, unlike the ones that actually are harmful when consumed too often (potato chips, pizza, cookies, etc) . Dates, another major ingredient, are also “a good source of fiber, they have a low glycemic load—meaning that when eaten in moderation, they should have a relatively mild impact on blood sugar levels” (Very Well Fit).

Third, the sugar content comes from all natural sugars provided by the dates and pure maple syrup, which differs from store-bought ice cream filled with white, refined sugar. No bueno!

I’ve been asked before, “Why not just let yourself have the real (insert food) from the store rather than going through the trouble to make your own??” The answer is simple:

I actually enjoy making it on my own, and I’m not saying treating yourself to store bought ice cream/donuts/cookies/etc. is a horrible thing, at all. Trust me, I enjoy a good DQ Blizzard or rich treat from time to time when I’m out with my family and friends. My point is, of course, everything in moderation is key, whether it is with clean eating or not-so clean eating. I just choose to to eat clean when I can, especially at home, when I know I will be snacking on those certain treats if it fits my macro goals for the day. And just because I choose those clean treats, doesn’t mean they taste any less delicious than the store bought ones. (Check out my other clean treats!)

Bottom line, I know how certain foods make me feel, and I like to keep it clean when I’m at home. Get it? Got it? Good!

Now let’s get to the yummy deets about this Dairy Free Caramel Walnut Swirl Ice Cream.

This ice cream recipe has a coconut milk/cream base. (This is the brand I have been using in order to skip the step of refrigerating coconut milk cans the night before.) If you’ve ever tried making ice cream before, you know that certain ingredients end up making it icy when frozen, which isn’t the goal here. We want it to be nice & creamy, so using full fat coconut cream as the base along with a good ice cream maker (or attention to stirring hourly without one) will result in perfection.

I recently purchased this ice cream maker as an attachment to my KitchenAide Stand Mixer, and I love it! It took about 45 minutes to churn into a soft serve-like consistency.

I swirled in the date salted caramel sauce and walnuts right after I poured the ice cream mixture into the loaf pans, and froze it for 3 hours. (When it is in the freezer for longer than that, it will be a little harder to scoop, so placing it in your refrigerator for an hour before serving to soften up can help. Or, simply place it on your counter for 15 minutes.) And you’ll have to trust me again because it will be worth the wait!

Recipe for date salted caramel sauce here!

More about counting macros with my amazing coach and The Faster Way to Fatloss here!

If you try this recipe or any of my recipes, I would love to hear how you enjoyed it! Review and comment below to let me know your thoughts, and share your pictures on instagram, tagging @thehealthychelle or #thehealthychelle – I love seeing your recipe creations! You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!

~Michelle Jones, Recipe Developer and Photographer in Cleveland, Ohio

Print Recipe

Dairy Free Caramel Walnut Swirl Ice Cream

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

By Michelle Jones | The Healthy Chelle – Serves: 12

Ingredients

6 small cans of Native Forest coconut cream (cream only cans) *about 32 ounces of coconut cream if using chilled cream from the top of a coconut milk can
1 T date salted caramel sauce (see recipe linked above)
2 T pure maple syrup
1 T tapioca flour
1 pinch fine grain sea salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup date salted caramel sauce (see recipe linked above)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

Prepare your ice cream maker bowl and loaf pans by placing them in the freezer the day before. (If you are doing the no churn option, place your loaf pans in the freezer the day before.)

The next day, blend all ingredients except for the 1 cup caramel sauce and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts for 1-2 minutes in a high speed blender, working your way up to the highest speed.

Add additional sweeter and vanilla to taste, if needed.

CHURN OPTION: Remove ice cream maker bowl from freezer and follow your manufacturer's instructions on how to churn. I pour my mixture into the bowl after I turn on the "stir" setting, and then let it churn for about 45 minutes. Once it is done, it should have a thick milkshake-like consistency. Pour churned mixture equally into frozen loaf pans, and swirl in the 1/2 cup caramel sauce and walnuts by the spoonful. Cover loaf pans with saran wrap and then tin foil and place in the freezer for 3- 5 hours. *3 hours will give you a soft-serve consistency, while 5 plus hours will be more of a hard ice cream consistency. If it is too hard to scoop out of the freezer, let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes, and you'll get beautiful, creamy scoops.

NO CHURN OPTION: Remove loaf pans from freezer and pour mixture into pan. Swirl in the 1/2 cup caramel sauce and walnuts by the spoonful. Cover loaf pans with saran wrap and then tin foil and place in the freezer for 3- 5 hours, stirring by hand every hour to allow to freeze evenly. When ready to serve, let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes, and you'll get beautiful, creamy scoops.