Raw Strawberry Homemade Ice Cream

When moving forward on the path to eating and feeling better, it can be helpful to have some ideas for delicious and healthy treats handy in order to prevent yourself from pigging out on something processed. This recipe for ice cream is decadent and rich, yet does not contain any dairy, gluten or harmful processed sugars. It makes about 3-4 servings, depending on how much you want to eat.

To get started, you'll need:

A Blender
Clean Water
1/2 Cup Raw Cashews, soaked and rinsed ***
1 Cup Extra Virgin Coconut oil, liquid
1-2 Tablespoons Pineapple Pulp (optional)
4-6 Tablespoons Raw Honey or Raw Agave Nectar
1 Cup Organic Strawberries, chopped
1 Pinch Sea Salt

Begin by placing your cashews in the blender with an equal or slightly lesser amount of water. If you are making this recipe in the winter and your coconut oil is solidified, you will want to use slightly warm (not hot or boiling) water in order to melt the oil and help everything blend together. If your coconut oil is already liquid, use room temperature water.

Blend until the cashews and water are creamy and smooth. Add more water if needed. You want to end up with a consistency that most closely matches that of whole milk.

Blend in the coconut oil, sea salt, pineapple pulp, and your sweetener, adding a little bit of sweetener at a time and tasting as you go. I used to always use agave nectar for this recipe, and I will admit that it makes the ice cream delicious. But, I've been reading some not-so-great things about agave lately, and now recommend raw honey instead. In my opinion, the agave produces a yummier taste that more closely matches that if regular ice cream, but the honey feels much healthier to my body. The choice is yours, and I'm sure either is far better for you than any recipe that contains processed sugar.

Blend everything to a perfect cream and then add in your strawberries and blend again. If you like a smoother ice cream, you will want to add all your strawberries in at once. If you prefer your ice cream with chunks or swirls of color, try blending half your strawberries first and then doing a quick blend with the second half, stopping before they mix in completely.

Once you get it blended to your liking, and have tasted it to make sure it's sweet enough for you, put it in a container and leave it to cool in the fridge. As soon as the coconut oil solidifies, you will have a cool and yummy treat that is rich and creamy, just like regular ice cream or even gelato! Drizzle a bit of honey or Agave Nectar on top as a finishing touch, and enjoy! I hope you love this recipe as much as my friends and family do.

***Note: There is some debate within the raw food community over whether or not "raw" cashews are legitimately raw. I am not 100% raw or anywhere close to it, so I've never bothered to really look into this. But if you are 100% raw and strict about it, this may be something you want to research for yourself.

For more information on health, beauty, and yummy foods, check out my blog: The Circle Dance.