Raw Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream Cakes (vegan)
Vegan raw ice cream cakes with a date-almond crust and a chocolate hazelnut filling, topped with chocolate hazelnut spread.
Ingredients
| 8 | dates (Deglet Noor), for crust | |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | canned coconut milk, for crust |
| 1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp | almond flour, for crust | |
| 1/4 tsp | 1.3 ml | salt, for crust |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder), for crust |
| 1/3 cup | 80 ml | coconut palm sugar, for crust |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | hazelnuts, finely chopped and lightly toasted, for crust |
| 2 tbsp | 30 ml | unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped, for crust |
| 1 1/4 cup | 300 ml | hazelnuts, soaked overnight and drained (ice cream filling) |
| 2/3 cup | 160 ml | cashews, soaked overnight and drained (ice cream filling) |
| 1 3/4 cup | 420 ml | almond or coconut milk (ice cream filling) |
| 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp | maple syrup (ice cream filling) | |
| 3 tbsp | 45 ml | raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder) (ice cream filling) |
| 2 tsp | 10 ml | vanilla (ice cream filling) |
| 1/4 tsp | 1.3 ml | salt (ice cream filling) |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | coconut oil, liquified (ice cream filling) |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | cacao butter, liquified (ice cream filling) |
| 1 1/4 cup | 300 ml | hazelnuts, soaked overnight and drained (cheesecake filling) |
| 2/3 cup | 160 ml | cashews, soaked overnight and drained (cheesecake filling) |
| 1 cup | 240 ml | almond or coconut milk (cheesecake filling) |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | maple syrup (cheesecake filling) |
| 2 1/2 tbsp | 38 ml | raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder) (cheesecake filling) |
| 2 tsp | 10 ml | vanilla (cheesecake filling) |
| 1/4 tsp | 1.3 ml | salt (cheesecake filling) |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | coconut oil, liquified (cheesecake filling) |
| 1/4 cup | 60 ml | cacao butter, liquified (cheesecake filling) |
| 1 recipe | homemade chocolate hazelnut spread | |
| 18 | hazelnuts, halved and lightly toasted |
Instructions
- FOR THE CRUST: Soak the dates in the coconut milk for several hours, or overnight, if possible. Place the coconut milk and dates in the bowl of a food processor, along with the almond flour, salt, cacao powder, and coconut palm sugar. Process at a high speed until the dates have broken down completely and the mixture forms a dark, chocolate-y dough that is relatively smooth. Add the hazelnuts and unsweetened chocolate to the processor and process just until they are evenly dispersed throughout the dough.
- Divide the dough between a 6-well mini cheesecake pan with removable bottoms (each well should be about 3" in diameter). Press the dough into each well with the back of a spoon or your fingers until level and smooth. Place in the freezer.
- FOR THE FILLING (ICE CREAM CAKES):
- Place the hazelnuts, cashews, nut milk, maple syrup, cacao powder, vanilla, salt, coconut oil, and cacao butter in a high speed blender (like a Vitamix) and blend on medium/low for 1 minute. Up the speed to a higher setting and blend for several minutes, scraping the sides down as needed, until the mixture becomes completely smooth.
- Remove the mini cheesecake pan from the freezer and divide the mixture evenly between the wells. Drop the pan on the counter a few times to remove air bubbles. Place pan back in the freezer for 4 hours, or until the cakes are completely frozen.
- Remove cakes from the freezer and top each cake with a large spoonful of chocolate hazelnut spread. Spread each spoonful in a swirling motion to the edge of each cake. Top each cake with toasted hazelnuts.
- Place back in the freezer for another hour or two, until the chocolate spread has frozen.
- To remove cakes, run hot water over a wash cloth and wrap the cloth around the sides of a cheesecake well. After a few seconds, you should be able to pop the cake out of the mold. Remove the bottom disc before serving.
- FOR THE FILLING (CHEESECAKE): Follow the instructions for the ice cream cake filling, but use the ingredient amounts listed for the cheesecake filling instead.