Berry Cheesecake Ice Cream

It just isn’t summer without ice cream. These long, hot days feel so carefree and magical when you’re holding a cone of ice cream and licking up every last creamy bite. 

Last summer I created my Rocky Road ice cream and shared it with my friends all summer long. This summer is all about this Berry Cheesecake Ice Cream. Mmmm. . . IT. IS. SOOOO. GOOD. Creamy, decadent cheesecake ice cream that melts on your tongue and lingers for a minute. With a sweet, tart berry swirl and buttery, crisp almond streusel.

And it’s totally dairy free! And it can even made vegan! AND, it actually taste like cheesecake. For real— I served it to friends without telling them it was dairy free. They not only said that they had no idea it was dairy free, but that it tasted just like cheesecake and was their favorite ice cream ever. (Little side note: It actually taste like cheesecake because of the coconut milk yogurt. Cream cheese is a cultured food, that’s why it has that tangy taste. So, using a well cultured coconut milk yogurt mimics the cream cheese flavor way better than cashews and lemon juice. Just saying.)

Okay. It’s time to go make some Berry Cheesecake Ice Cream and enjoy these last glorious days of summer!

Berry Cheesecake Ice Cream

• Cheesecake ice cream base
• Triple Berry Compote
• Almond Streusel

Directions:

1. Make the cheesecake ice cream base.
2. Put it in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
3. Make your berry compote and let it chill while the ice cream base is chilling.
4. Make the almond streusel and allow it to cool as well.
5. Churn the ice cream. In a freezer safe container, layer the ice cream with the berry compote and the almond streusel 3-4 times. Freeze for 4 hours or overnight. 

You don’t have to make everything on the same day if you don’t want to. You can make the berry compote and almond streusel a couple of days in advance. Just refrigerate the berry compote until you are ready to use it. Freeze the Almond Streusel until you are ready to use it.

For the Cheesecake Ice Cream:

• 1/2 cup coconut milk powder 
• 1/2 cup cane sugar 
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 3/4 cup coconut cream (reserve 1/4 cup for the slurry)
• 1 cup plain coconut milk yogurt, unsweetened and tangy* 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/4 cup maple syrup 
• 2 Tbsp tapioca flour

Directions:

1. Mix the tapioca flour with 1/4 cup of the coconut cream to make a slurry.  Set aside. 
2. In a 4 quart saucepan whisk the sugar, sea salt, and coconut milk powder together to break up any clumps. 
3. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of the liquid coconut cream and cook over medium heat. Bring the coconut cream to a low boil. Boil for 4 minutes. (Whisk frequently to prevent scorching.)
4. Remove from the heat and whisk in the tapioca slurry. Return to the heat and stir constantly until it thickens like pudding (about one minute).
5. Remove from the heat and add the coconut milk yogurt and vanilla extract. 
6. Strain the ice cream mixture through a fine mesh strainer and cool to room temperature. Place in the refrigerator until cold, about 4 hours or up to overnight. 
7. Pour the ice cream base into an ice cream maker. 
8. Churn in an ice cream maker until the ice cream reaches soft serve consistency. (This usually takes about 20-25 minutes.)
9. In a freezer safe container, layer the ice cream with the berry compote and the almond streusel 3-4 times. Freeze for 4 hours or overnight. 
10. Allow to soften about 5-10 minutes before scooping. Scoop. Serve. Enjoy!

*I use my own homemade coconut milk yogurt. That way I can control how tangy it is. I culture it for at least 16 hours. You want the yogurt to be extra tangy so, the cheesecake flavor comes through in the ice cream. You can also use a thick, plain, store-bought coconut milk yogurt like Culina. It may not be quite as tangy as the homemade stuff, but it will work.

For the Triple Berry Compote:

• 1 1/3 cup frozen blueberries 
• 1/3 cup frozen raspberries 
• 1/3 frozen blackberries 
• 1 cup turbinado sugar 
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• Juice from 1 lemon

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. 
2. Cook over medium heat until the mixture reaches 220F. (Stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar and keep the compote from scorching.)
3. Pour into a mason jar and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate and allow to get cold before using.

For the Almond Streusel: 

• 1/4 cup coconut oil (room temp)
• 1/4 cup coconut butter (sometime called coconut manna)
• 3/4 cup blanched almond flour
• 3/4 sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Roughly chop the sliced almonds, then add them to a medium sized mixing bowls. 
3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the sliced almonds. Combine with your fingers until the mixture makes big crumbles. 
4. Sprinkle 1/2 inch- 1 inch crumbles of streusel evenly over the baking sheet. 
5. Bake for 10 minutes.The streusel will likely melt into one giant oatmeal-like cookie. Stir the streusel with a wooden spoon to break up the “cookie” and form clumps again. 
6. Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir into clumps again, and allow to cool. Freeze until ready to use. It can be frozen for up to a month.