This no-churn almond butter fudge ice cream has a creamy almond butter coconut milk base and is loaded with chunks of almond butter fudge! It’s rich yet made with good-for-you ingredients and contains no refined sugar. This easy to make ice cream is dairy-free, egg free, vegan and paleo.
Okay, I know we’ve been scooping a whole lot of ice cream lately around here but I can say whole heartedly that this no-churn almond butter fudge ice cream is worth it!
Plus, it’s summer, and ice cream is an absolute must, period. And when it’s loaded with chunks of almond butter fudge, I’m not sure how anyone could say no to it!
I recently posted a no-churn chocolate almond butter cookie dough ice cream and today’s recipe was partly inspired by how much I loved that one. I mean, if I have a chocolate no-churn ice cream I really do need a “vanilla” version too.
This isn’t totally just a vanilla version of the other recipe though, it’s much more almond-buttery all around than the other one!
The ice cream base itself uses almond butter to give it a creamy texture and amazing flavor. Then, rather than making a cookie dough, we make a super simple almond butter fudge to give this ice cream the chunks of heaven that make any ice cream worth eating!
I am personally a “chunk” lover when it comes to ice cream – the more, the better! That way, it’s like a Sundae in a scoop, am I right?
Okay to be honest, I STILL put toppings on my ice cream no matter what – usually leftover cookies or chopped chocolate or really anything that looks like a good match. I’m a sundae lover so extra toppings are never a bad thing.
That said, this ice cream is rich enough that you probably won’t feel the need to top it with anything at all. You already have your almond butter and fudgy chunks!
If you absolutely must have chocolate though, you can always sprinkle on some chopped chocolate OR make my fudge sauce!
More about the ice cream – it takes a bit longer to make than typically churned ice cream recipes, since you’re cooking the base to thicken it up, and, essentially create a sweetened condensed coconut milk before adding in the other ingredients.
I wanted to make this both no-churn PLUS banana free, since there are just tons of banana ice cream recipes out there and honestly, I’m sorta over the “nice” cream.
Anyway, you’ll need to plan for chilling time after that first cooking step – about an hour – before you can proceed with the recipe and actually freeze the ice cream.
Once you’re past that first cooking step, the rest is smooth no-churning! And, just in case you have an ice cream maker and wouldn’t mind using it, you can absolutely churn the base before adding in the fudge chunks and freezing – it would be AMAZING that way!
If you’re on the no-churn train though, no worries at all – just make sure to stir the ice cream a few times while it’s freezing, and thaw in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving, to soften it up without melting it.
I hope you’re ready for almond buttery fudgy deliciousness – let’s make this ice cream!
No-Churn Almond Butter Fudge Ice Cream {Paleo, Vegan}
No-Churn Almond Butter Fudge Ice Cream {Paleo, Vegan}
This no-churn almond butter fudge ice cream has a creamy almond butter coconut milk base and is loaded with chunks of almond butter fudge! It's rich yet made with good-for-you ingredients and contains no refined sugar. This easy to make ice cream is dairy-free, egg free, vegan and paleo.
Ingredients
Ice Cream:
- 2 14 oz cans coconut milk full fat (either chilled or room temp)
- 2/3 cup pure maple sugar coconut sugar can be used as well, color will be darker
- 1 cup coconut cream (or thick part of a chilled can of coconut milk
- 1/3 cup smooth almond butter
- 1 1/2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
Almond Butter Fudge chunks:
- 1/3 cup smooth almond butter
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil melted
- 1-2 Tbsp pure maple sugar sweeten to suit your tastes
Instructions
For Ice Cream Base:
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The first step will involve making a sweeten condensed coconut milk. You’ll need 1-2 hours to chill this after preparing before proceeding with the recipe, so plan accordingly.
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Place the two cans coconut milk in a medium saucepan and add the maple sugar, set the heat to medium and whisk.
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Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and continue cooking about 20 mins, stirring occasionally until mixture is thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl or large measuring cup, place in the refrigerator until at least room temp.
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Once room temp or cooler, place the chilled mixture in a large bowl OR blender - a bowl if you’ll be using an electric mixer. You can also use a stand mixer for this step if you prefer.
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Add in the remaining ingredients - coconut cream, almond butter, vanilla extract and salt, and either beat or blend until very smooth and creamy. Transfer to a freezer safe container (I used an 8 x 8 pan for this one) and place in the freezer, but don’t cover yet.
For the Fudge:
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In a small bowl, whisk together the almond butter, coconut oil and maple sugar until well blended. Transfer to a small parchment lined bowl, tiny loaf tan, or muffin tins lined with parchment. You’ll be chilling and then cutting the fudge, so shape is not important!
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Place fudge in the freezer along with ice cream and allow both to chill for 30 minutes, or until fudge is firm.
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Remove both from freezer and cut fudge into small chunks. Give the ice cream a good stir, then stir in all the fudge chunks. Smooth over the top and cover tightly with plastic wrap so that the ice cream surface makes complete contact with the wrap.
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Place in the freezer and freeze several hours until solid. Since this no-churn ice cream will get hard in the freezer, thaw it in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*If you have an ice cream maker, you can churn the ice cream base with great results. Churn until soft-serve texture and then stir in the almond butter fudge chunks when you transfer to your freezer safe container.
Nutrition
Shop Products and Ingredients:
Want More Paleo and Vegan Ice Cream Recipes? Try One of These!
Almond Butter Fudge Chunk “Nice” Cream
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Salted Caramel Swirl Ice Cream
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough “Nice” Cream
Chocolate Almond Butter Cookie Dough Ice Cream {No-Churn}
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Sue says
July 22, 2018 at 1:03 pmCan maple syrup be used in place of the maple sugar?
Teresa Ann Brasher says
July 22, 2018 at 1:54 pmI would like to know also if I can use maple syrup in place of the maple sugar in this recipe and how much? I have all the ingred. on hand except maple sugar, I have lots of pure maple syrup. Thanks!!!!
Debbie says
July 22, 2018 at 6:01 pmHi Love your recipes I’m in Australia and can Maple syrup be used as no Maple sugar here – Advice please😊 Thank you…
Natalie says
July 23, 2018 at 1:44 amLooks so delicious and so easy to make! YUM!
Katie Waite says
July 24, 2018 at 7:15 pmThis was very very good. It was very sweet! I did use maple syrup in the fudge part and it seemed to be fine!