Chocolate Fudgesicle Power Ice Cream: A Healthier Dairy-Free Treat

This summer, Bob’s Red Mill challenged me to come up with a recipe that defines how I “fuel awesome”. I often gravitate toward no bake snack recipes. But this year is especially hot, and seems to be calling for delicious ways to cool off. Naturally, dairy-free ice cream came to mind. I wanted it to be a treat, but energizing and nutritious, too. It needed to be POWER ice cream.

This fudgesicle power ice cream is rewarding and fulfilling, but it also has a snack-worthy nutrient balance. It includes fruit for natural sugars, potassium, and other great micro-nutrients. I add some nut or seed butter to provide healthy fats, fiber, and protein, and to amplify the rich, creamy consistency. Plus, your choice of milk beverage can add a dose of calcium and vitamin D to your day.

But my favorite sneaky ingredient in this super-chocolaty power ice cream is the Protein Powder from Bob’s Red Mill. It is made with plant-based pea protein for a creamier finish, and seamlessly packs in a big nutritional boost. It contains just six ingredients, but is loaded with fiber, omega-rich chia seeds, probiotics, and of course, protein. In fact, those 2 scoops add 20 grams of dairy-free protein!

The pure indulgence factor in this recipe comes from melted dairy-free chocolate. Most healthy chocolate ice cream recipes use just cocoa powder. But the cocoa butter in chocolate creates a naturally creamy finish that doesn’t taste like coconut! I often use semi-sweet chocolate for a classically sweet treat, which is still much lower in added sugars than a typical yogurt. However, you can use dark chocolate to lower the added sugars by up to 5 grams per serving.

You might be wondering why I didn’t use the Chocolate Protein Powder from Bob’s Red Mill in this fudgesicle power ice cream. It would be delicious, but we love the underlying flavor notes of the other two varieties. In my book, Vanilla heightens and compliments the chocolate experience. And the Chai adds this unique but delicious spice. Tony said it tasted like a fudgesicle, but with this “neat cinnamon flavor”.

Special Diet Notes: Chocolate Fudgesicle Power Ice Cream

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, coconut-free, egg-free, gluten-free, optionally nut-free, optionally peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.

Alisa Fleming

Chocolate Fudgesicle Power Ice Cream

5 from 5 votes

Instead of coconut, this unique dairy-free ice cream has a rich chocolate base. It's also infused with nutritious plant-based ingredients. The hands-on Prep time for this recipe is minimal. But allow time for freezing the ice cream maker insert and churning the ice cream.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 minute min

Total Time 11 minutes mins

Servings: 1 quart

Calories: 216.8

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• ¾ cup dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 ½ cups unsweetened dairy-free milk beverage divided
• 3 tablespoons salted peanut butter sunflower seed butter, or almond butter
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons about 2 scoops Bob's Red Mill Chai or Vanilla Protein Powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ to 2 cups frozen banana chunks about 2 large bananas; see Banana-Free Option below

Method

 

1. Melt the chocolate with about half of the milk beverage (3/4 cup) in your microwave, on the stove top, or in a double broiler.
2. Place the remaining 3/4 cup milk beverage, nut or seed butter, protein powder, and salt in your blender. Add the melted chocolate mixture and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Add the frozen banana chunks and blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Churn the mixture in your prepared ice cream maker, or use one of these methods if you don't have an ice cream maker.
5. Enjoy as soft serve or pack the soft ice cream into a freezer-safe container and freeze until solid, about 3 hours. This fudgesicle ice cream is not icy, but very rich, so it sets up firmly. If needed, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before scooping.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/2 cupCalories: 216.8kcalCarbohydrates: 25.3gProtein: 5.7gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5.6gSodium: 78mgFiber: 4.6gSugar: 15.5g

Notes

Banana-Free Option: Blend 4 large, soft, pitted medjool dates with about 1 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk beverage until smooth. Use this in place of the banana.

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This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill, but the opinions, recipe, and photos are all my own. For more delicious ways to fuel awesome, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And to make your own power ice cream, purchase the Nutritional Booster Protein Powders on Amazon.