Vegan bounty ice cream bites

These luscious, chocolatey vegan bounty ice cream bites are reminiscent of the bounty bar we all know and love, but without the dairy! Made with dairy-free chocolate and coconut ice cream it's sure to satisfy those chocolaty ice cream cravings.

I have been on a bit of a coconut kick lately. Who doesn't love the winning combination of chocolate and coconut? If that's you, you may want to check out some of my other ice cream recipes.

When I was developing this recipe with a coconut base it just made sense to use dairy-free chocolate, making these a dairy-free and vegan treat. If dairy-free chocolate isn't your thing you can of course make this with regular milk or dark chocolate.

Tips and tricks

• Blend well to ensure the mix is nice a smooth. No one wants gritty ice cream.
• Freeze the bites well. You want to make sure they are as cold as possible before dipping them in chocolate
• Work fast and return the bites to the freezer as soon as possible after dipping them in chocolate

Ingredients

Coconut cream - is commonly available in supermarkets and Asian stores. I do not recommend substituting coconut cream with coconut milk. The fat content isn't high enough and your ice cream will be icier.

Coconut sugar - is commonly available in supermarkets and Asian stores. The sugar gives the bites a more natural creamy color instead of the bright white of traditional bounty bars. You can substitute the coconut sugar with the same amount of castor sugar if you prefer.

Dairy-free chocolate - available from supermarkets and health food stores. You can substitute it with regular milk or dark chocolate.

Roasted cashews - help give the ice cream a lovely creamy texture. I use roasted cashews here for extra flavor. You can use raw cashews if you prefer. I have not tried this recipe with different types of nuts. Cashews make some of the most creamy non-dairy ice creams, so if you use another type of nut it's likely your ice cream won't be as creamy.

Coconut oil - I have used unrefined coconut oil here for extra coconutty flavor. You can use refined coconut oil too. Both will help thin the chocolate and make it easier to dip the bites and have a smoother, less waxy mouth feel when eating after the bites have been frozen.

Optional extras

Desiccated coconut - is finely grated coconut, commonly used in baking. It helps give the ice cream some texture and an extra coconut bite. Be sure it add the desiccated coconut towards the end of churning the ice cream, so as not to clog the paddle of the churner.

Xanthan gum - sometimes called vegetable gum, is a fermented by-product. It's used commonly in gluten-free baking and a huge variety of other products to thicken and stabilize food. It's often used by vegans and those with egg allergies as an egg substitute.

You only need a tiny amount, just one gram. It's better to measure this with a pair of digital kitchen scales that go down to .1 grams. If you don't have scales measure out one-quarter of a teaspoon and make sure it's a flat quarter teaspoon at that.

You can leave it out if you prefer. Your ice cream may be icier, but will still taste delicious!

How to make the vegan bounty ice cream bites

First, make the cashew butter. If you've made my blueberry cashew ice cream or coconut blueberry ice cream you'll already know how easy this is.

To make the cashew butter

Put the roast cashews into the bowl of the chopping bowl of an immersion blender or food processor. Blend until the mix starts to resemble bread crumbs, then add the coconut oil. Blend blend blend until you have a smooth butter and it's not gritty any more.

To make the coconut ice cream

In a large bowl, you can use an immersion blender in, add the coconut cream, coconut sugar, salt, and vanilla. Whilst the blender is running carefully sprinkle in the xanthan gum if using. Continue to blend for one minute to ensure the xanthan gum is well mixed in.

Hot tip: shake up the coconut cream first, to try and blend in the solids. Even then you may need to scrap the tin lid and insides to get all that creamy coconut goodness out.

Chill the mix well for at least four hours, ideally overnight. If using a self-churning machine, turn it on about ten minutes before you churn your ice cream. Otherwise, take the churning bowl out of the freezer right before churning. While the ice cream churner is chilling, put the mini muffin molds in the freezer to chill.

Churn the ice cream. It will be the consistency of soft serve when done.

Working quickly mix in the desiccated coconut. Fill mini muffin molds to about two-thirds full and smooth out the tops. Return to freezer to harden u.

Hot tip: If you have any left over ice cream after filling the moulds, or making individual bites is just to hard you can make this in a container. Melt some with a teaspoon of coconut oil. As you are filling your chilled container with ice cream, drizzle spoonfuls of chocolate and some extra desiccated coconut if desired. Continue, laying ice cream and drizzled melted chocolate until all the ice cream is used up. Put into freezer to firm up.

Line a baking tray with paper. Remove from molds and trim if needed. Return to the freezer to firm up. You want them to be very cold before dipping them in chocolate!

To assemble the ice cream bites

Cut up the chocolate into small pieces and melt. This can be done in a microwave in short 30-second bursts, checking in between, or you can use a double boiler. Mix in the coconut oil.

Working very quickly remove the ice cream from molds and dip it into chocolate and put it onto parchment paper. Sprinkle with shredded coconut. Do not wait until the end to sprinkle the coconut as the chocolate will set too quickly and the coconut won't stick. Put the bites into the freezer as soon as done to firm up the ice cream.

To serve

Remove from the freezer, eat and enjoy!

Storage

These vegan bounty bites can be stored in an airtight container lined and layered with baking paper in between for up to a week. They will still taste good after this but the ice cream may start to go a little icy in the freezer.

Looking for more allergy-friendly recipes? Try my Eggless Carrot Cake or Coffee Aquafaba Meringues

Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it when in the comment below and tag me so I can see your delicious creations! @KCAEIC or #KCAEIC

Vegan Bounty ice cream bites

Author: Sarah Brooks

These luscious, chocolatey vegan bounty ice cream bites are reminiscent of the chocolate bar we all know and love, but with out the dairy! 

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 1 hr

Freezing time 4 hrs

Total Time 5 hrs

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Australian

Servings 24 bites

Calories 110 kcal

Equipment

• ice cream churner
• immersion blender with chopping bowl attachment or food processor
• small silicon muffin moulds or similar

Ingredients

Cashew butter

• 1 cup (150gms) roasted cashews
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Ice cream mix

• 2 cans (13.5oz or 400mls) coconut cream
• ½ cup (65 gms) coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 blocks (3.5 oz or 100 gms each) dairy free chocolate
• shreaded coconut, for decoration

Optional

• ½ cup (65gms) desiccated coconut
• ¼ flat teaspoon (1gm) xanthan gum

Instructions

 

Make the cashew butter and the coconut ice cream first, then assemble the bites

To make the cashew butter

• Add cashews to the chopping bowl of an immersion blender or food processor. Process until breadcrumbs form and mix starts creeping up sides.
• Add coconut oil. Continue to blend until cashew butter is smooth and no longer gritty.

To make the coconut ice cream

• Shake the cans of coconut cream well before opening. Add coconut cream, coconut sugar, cashew butter, vanilla and salt to a deep bowl you can use an immersion blender in. Scrap coconut cans if needed. Blend well.
• Optional: If using, have the xanthan gum measured and by the bowl. While the blender is running slowly sprinkle in the xanthan gum. Continue to blend for one minute.
• Cover and chill well in fridge, for at least four hours, ideally overnight.
• Put moulds in the freezer to chill. If using a self churning machine turn it on ten minutes before churning, other wise take the bowl out of the freezer just before churning.
• Churn the ice cream. Add the desiccated coconut towards the end as the mix is coming together, if using. The ice cream will be the consistency of soft serve when done.
• Working quickly fill the silicon mounds ⅔ full and smooth out tops. Put into freezer and freeze until very firm.
• Once frozen firm, carefully remove from moulds and trim tops if needed to smooth out. Return to freezer to firm up if needed before assembling the bites.

To assemble the bites

• It is strongly recommend to do the bites in two batches, a dozen at a time or half of however many you have.
• Line two trays with baking or grease proof paper. Set up your work area with space for ice cream, bowl of melted chocolate, trays for dipped bites and coconut for decorating.
• Chop and melt half the chocolate, either in a microwave proof bowl in the microwave or in a double boiler.
• Add coconut oil and mix in well.
• Remove ice cream bites from freezer. Working very quickly using two forks to dip and coat each bite in melted chocolate, putting them onto the prepared trays and sprinkling with coconut immediately. Continue until all bites are done. Put in freezer to firm up.
• Repeat for second batch.
• When ready to eat remove from freezer and enjoy!

Notes

These bounty bites are made with dairy free milk chocolate so are dairy free and vegan

You can substitute the chocolate with vegan dark chocolate if you prefer, or regular milk chocolate for a non dairy free/non vegan version.   

Xanthan gum is available from supermarkets and health food stores.  Its a fermenting byproduct, using commonly in vegan and gluten free baking.  You can make the bites without it.  Your ice cream may be a little icy without it, but will still taste delicious!

Nutrition

Calories: 110kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 5mgPotassium: 83mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.

Keywords: bounty bar, Chocolate, dairy free, egg free, ice cream machine, plant based, vegan

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