Vegans and lactose-intolerant individuals can enjoy soy or coconut milk-based ice cream recipes, which offer the same flavor as traditional ice cream without animal products. Arrowroot powder can replace eggs as a thickener in vegan recipes. Sherbet made with fruit juices is another option.
Vegetarian ice cream fans might get away with a little animal milk in their ice cream, but those eating a vegan or lactose-intolerant lifestyle should turn to soy ice cream recipes. Using soy or coconut milk or cream, these desserts offer the same flavor without protein from animal sources like milk or eggs. While the ingredients vary widely, a basic recipe includes soy milk, soy creamer, sugar, and a pinch of salt, along with any flavorings needed to add flavor.
Basic ice creams that include dairy products like milk and eggs are made with few ingredients other than that. A recipe for vanilla ice cream, from chef David Lebovitz’s book The Perfect Scoop, makes about 1 quart (about 0.94 L) of ice cream with 1 cup (about 250 mL) of milk, 2 cups (about 500 mL) of cream, five egg yolks, 0.75 cups (about 150 g) of sugar, a split vanilla pod, 1 tsp. (about 5 ml) of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Vegans could live with themselves after using this recipe.
Instead, key substitutions are needed for milk and eggs. A simple vanilla soy ice cream recipe, on the All Things Ice Cream website, uses 2 cups (about 500 mL) of soy milk and soy cream, equal amounts of sugar and vanilla, but also 2 tbsp. of arrowroot slurry. This last ingredient replaces the egg as a vegan thickener, easily available in health and whole food stores.
The process for making soy ice cream isn’t much different than any other way of making ice cream. A dedicated ice cream maker will make it creamy and soft; a variety made from the freezer will have a firm texture. This process begins by mixing some soy milk with arrowroot powder until it forms a paste. Then, the milk, cream and vanilla are mixed, boiled rapidly and simmered for half an hour. The bean shell is removed from the mixture, the sugar is added and the liquid is boiled again. Arrowroot can be added when the boil begins again, as soon as the pan has been removed from the heat. This mixture is then chilled and frozen, either in an ice cream machine or with constant stirring in the freezer.
Another way for ice cream-loving vegans to indulge in frozen desserts is to make sherbet. This anticipates dairy and egg for fruit juices and pulps. Those who still crave the creaminess of ice cream, however, can supercharge their soy ice cream versions with all the ingredients found in regular ice cream — from the usual chocolate and strawberry to butter pecan and cookie dough.
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