This recipe came about in my kitchen two days ago when I was trying to think of something yummy to do with 2 cups of homemade vegan “sweet crema” that I had made for Thanksgiving dessert but never used, and some leftover vegan sour cream (both items made with silken tofu). I thought about ice cream right away because both of these low-fat items are so nice, creamy and rich-tasting. But I wasn’t sure if there was such a thing as Sour Cream Ice Cream. However, it sounded possible, so I looked it up. And, yes, there is such a thing as Sour Cream Ice Cream. The two recipes I found were egg-free, which is a good start for a vegan interpretation. One contained sour cream, whole milk yogurt and whole milk. The other contained sourcream, 1/2 and 1/2, and heavy cream.
So, with some skepticism, I used my “sweet crema” (I’ll post the recipe another time) and the leftover Tofu Sour Cream (recipe here) with some soymilk. But it turned out to be absolutely delicious! Topped with dribbles of the easy Brown Sugar Sauce (recipe below)…mmm, mmm!
NOTE: There’s no need to make two additional recipes in order to make the ice cream recipe. To create a “from scratch” recipe (see below), I combined the ingredients for my “sweet crema” and 1/3 of my Tofu Sour Cream recipe, along with all of the additional ingredients.
BRYANNA’S VEGAN “SOUR CREAM” ICE CREAM
Servings: 8
16 oz extra-firm silken tofu (1+1/3 MoriNu 12 oz. shelf-stable cartons)
1 cup creamy original soymilk (I use Silk Organic Original), or other creamy non-dairy milk (NOT full-fat coconut milk)
(NOTE: If you prefer, you can use your favorite commercial vegan creamer, such as So Delicious Original Coconut Creamer)
3/4 cup light-colored unbleached organic granulated sugar
4 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp Instant Clear Jel or UltraGel (OR 1/2 tsp guar gum or xanthan gum)
(NOTE: the above ingredients help keep the ice cream from getting icy)
1 tsp lemon oil or 2 tsp. finely-grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/8 tsp salt
Crumble the tofu into a blender and add all other ingredients. Blend until VERY smooth. Chill mixture until it is very cold.
Freeze according to the directions for your ice cream maker. I use a Cuisinart ICE-30BC 2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream Maker and this recipe took about 20 minutes freezing time.
Spread the mixture into a 2 quart rectangular glass or ceramic baking pan or a rectangular 2 qt. freezer container. Cover and freeze for several hours before serving– preferably overnight.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 119 calories, 11 calories from fat, 1.6g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 136.5mg sodium, 140.8mg potassium, 21.7g carbohydrates, less than 1g fiber, 20.3g sugar, 5.1g protein, 3.3 points.
BRYANNA’S QUICK & EASY BROWN SUGAR “CARAMEL” SYRUP
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
This isn’t a real caramel sauce. In that type of recipe, you must actually caramelize white sugar. But, believe me, this short-cut version is delish!
1 cup brown sugar (light brown or regular– your pick)
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup creamy non-daiiry milk (I use Silk Organic Original) OR vegan creamer such as So Delicious Original Coconut Creamer
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
Whisk together all of the ingredients in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Keep whisking gently for about 5 minutes, or until it thicken. Remove from heat. Serve warm or refrigerate. The warm sauce will harden a bit when dribbled over ice cream.
To reheat, microwave briefly at low power.
Nutrition (per 1 Tbsp serving): 55 calories, 17 calories from fat, 1.9g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 25.7mg sodium, 39.4mg potassium, 9.2g carbohydrates, less than 1g fiber, 9g sugar, less than 1g protein, 1.6 points.
Enjoy!
