Malted Vanilla Vegan Ice Cream

This simple three-ingredient malted vanilla vegan ice cream is delicious. Whip up this smooth and creamy dessert in minutes using a blender — no churning required.

This weekend, we planted several varieties of old-fashioned lilacs by the garden, in hopes that they will create a natural hedge over time. I look forward to seeing and smelling the beautiful blooms. I’m also excited about making homemade plant-based lilac ice cream.

Here on the mountain, we love vegan ice cream, also called “nice” cream. One of our favorite flavors is malted vanilla. I was inspired to use barley malt syrup, which I try to keep on hand to make homemade einkorn sourdough bagels, to recreate the taste of ice cream enjoyed back in the day at soda fountains.

This vegan vanilla ice cream is delicious on its own, topped with fruit or homemade magic shell (more on that below), and it pairs beautifully with desserts like strawberry cobbler. I feel good about giving it to my kids, since it is made with fruit and without refined sugar. It’s a cool treat that our entire family enjoys.

Why you will love this vegan vanilla ice cream recipe:

• This non-dairy ice cream is made with only three ingredients.
• In addition to being a dairy-free dessert, it’s free from refined sugars, too. It is naturally sweetened, thanks to the bananas and barley malt syrup.
• It’s made in a blender, not an ice cream maker, so there’s no churning required.

Tips for Making Malted Vanilla Vegan Ice Cream

• Peel the bananas before freezing them.
• Breaking or cutting the bananas into chunks or coins before freezing will make them easier to blend.
• Overripe bananas will be sweeter.
• If you have a Vitamix, consider using the stainless steel container. (Talk about vintage soda fountain vibes!) It keeps the nice cream cold. Not to mention, there’s less plastic.
• If you’re not using a high-speed blender, I recommend adding a splash of plant milk first and working in small batches. Of course, you could do this with a high-powered blender as well.
• You could also try using a food processor.
• If you prefer a soft serve consistency, you can enjoy the homemade nice cream immediately. For more traditional ice cream, you can transfer it to a container (I use a glass loaf pan) to freeze and scoop from later.

How to Make Dairy-Free Malted Vanilla Ice Cream

Add all ingredients to a blender.

Blend until smooth and creamy.

Enjoy immediately or transfer to a freezer-safe dish. Freeze for a few hours, then scoop and serve.

How to Make Homemade Magic Shell

Simply combine a tablespoon or two of coconut oil and about a half cup of dark chocolate chips or a small scoop of cacao powder in a sauce pan (or even a cast iron skillet) and melt.

Pin this easy recipe for later.

Hope you enjoy this homemade plant-based ice cream as much as we do!