Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream (Vegan)

This vegan strawberry cheesecake ice cream has a tangy vanilla cheesecake ice cream base, a strawberry swirl and a buttery graham cracker topping. It's SO good and you need it in your life this summer!

You know it's officially summer in the Crowded Kitchen when we break out the ice cream maker. We've already used it at least 8 times (it's only June 10th, not even actually summer yet!).

My favorite use so far has been for this insanely delicious strawberry cheesecake ice cream. I'm usually more of a cookie dough gal myself, but holy WOW.

The tanginess of the cheesecake ice cream + the sweetness of the strawberries + the crumbly, buttery, sugary graham cracker streusel = heaven. It's infinitely better than any store-bought vegan ice cream I've tried, and it's relatively easy to make!

Vegan Ice Cream

Do I need an ice cream maker?

Short answer, yes. At least for this recipe.

Look, if you're vegan and love ice cream, I'm telling you right now that an ice cream machine is worth the investment. While there are plenty of delicious store-bought vegan ice creams out there, nothing compares to homemade.

We almost always have a pint of homemade vegan ice cream in the freezer during summer. Most ice cream machines are incredibly easy to operate and all you have to do is blend up the base.

We love our high-end Breville ice cream maker, but you don't have to break the bank. There are plenty of affordable options!

Ingredients

The base is just a few simple ingredients and comes together in just a few minutes in a blender.

First things first, you'll need to soak some raw, unsalted cashews in room temp water ahead of time. About 2 hours will do. If you're short on time, 30 minutes in hot water will do.

We find that the cashews make the ice cream much creamier and thicker. If you have a nut allergy, you can just use extra full fat coconut milk instead, it just won't be quite as creamy.

Add the soaked cashews to a blender with a can of full fat coconut milk, a container of vegan cream cheese, maple syrup for sweetener, vanilla and a pinch of salt.

Blend everything up until smooth and creamy, pour into your ice cream maker and wait!

Strawberry Swirl

While the ice cream is churning, make a super easy strawberry jam.

Add 2 cups of fresh or frozen strawberries to a saucepan with a bit of maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest and arrowroot powder. Arrowroot helps thicken the mixture. You can sub for an equal amount of cornstarch.

If you don't have arrowroot or cornstarch, you can leave it out. Just be sure to cook the mixture down a bit more to thicken.

Bring everything to a simmer, stirring well and heating until you can easily mash the strawberries with a spoon. Once the mixture thickens, remove from heat and let cool COMPLETELY before adding to the ice cream.

I let it cool for a few minutes on the stove, then transfer to a separate container and put it in the fridge or freezer until completely cool.

Graham Cracker Topping

Last but most certainly not least is a buttery graham cracker streusel.

Add regular or gluten free graham crackers to a food processor with a few tablespoons of melted vegan butter, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt. Pulse a few times until it forms a crumbly mixture.

I like to swirl in the strawberries and the graham crackers with a spoon. If you add them directly to the ice cream maker while it's churning, you won't get those nice chunks.

It will still taste good, but I prefer when the components are separate. Plus, it looks gorgeous!

Transfer your ice cream to a freezer safe container, seal and store for up to a month. Vegan ice cream usually needs to soften a bit before enjoying. Let it sit out for 15 minutes or so before you eat!

More vegan frozen desserts to enjoy this summer

• Mocha Ice Cream
• Peanut Butter Mousse Pie
• Watermelon Berry Popsicles
• Strawberry Mousse Pie
• Mint Chip Nice Cream via The Modern Proper
• Cookie Dough Ice Cream (GF)

If you make this Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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