EST. 2011 BY LIZ RUEVEN
3 DIY Toppings for your Favorite Ice Creams
Photo: Liz Rueven

3 DIY Toppings for your Favorite Ice Creams

Katy Morris

Top-notch ice cream flavors can certainly stand on their own, but sometimes ice cream screams for a playful textural contrast or a melt-in-your-mouth gooeyness. Ice cream toppings like these bump our favorite frozen indulgences over the top. And the fact that they’re dairy-free and vegan makes them all the more appealing.

We’ve snagged some tempting homemade toppings straight from one of our favorite dairy-free frozen dessert masterminds, Pamela Aflalo of Nutty Bunny. These toppings are sure to liven up a lonely scoop or enrich your next summer sundae social.

Trust us, these simple toppings simply can’t be topped.

Photo: Liz Rueven
Photo: Liz Rueven

Note: Pamela makes more than toppings. We’re crazy about her nut based, vegan ice creams, too. She practically swept the frozen dessert category in this year’s CT. Specialty Food Association competition by winning both first and third places for her orange blossom and chocolate flavors. For CT readers, you can find Nutty Bunny at the Westport Farmers’ Market every Thursday, 10-2, as well as in several other restaurants and shops around town.

For readers across the country, we’ll be sure to let you know when Nutty Bunny distributes nationally so you can taste this remarkably delicious frozen treat for yourselves.

 

The Classic Hot Fudge

Photo: Liz Rueven
Photo: Liz Rueven

A drizzle, a dollop, or a deluge…totally up to you! This timeless topping incorporates dare we say “healthy” raw cacao powder and maple syrup (you did stock up, didn’t you?) to effortlessly create an irresistible finish atop your bowl. Grab some ice cold dairy-free Nutty Bunny or NadaMoo! ice cream, pour this rich warm sauce over, garnish with a cherry, and call it a vegan sun-dae.

Prep time:  10 minutes

Yield: approximately 1 3/4 cups

vegan/pareve/dairy free

 

Ingredients:

3/4 cups raw cacao powder

3/4 cups maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon hazelnut extract

2 tablespoons coconut oil, warmed

1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Blend all ingredients together until smooth

Store in glass jar in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks

To serve, heat over low heat until melted

 

 

Naturally Sweet Salted Caramel Sauce

Photo: Liz Rueven
Photo: Liz Rueven

No need to decide between salty or sweet in this sophisticated, buttery liquid gold-like sauce. Pair it with some homemade vegan cheesecake ice cream or farm fresh Ronnybrook vanilla for the ultimate indulgence.

 

Prep and cook time:  15 minutes

Yield: approximately 1 cup

vegan/pareve/dairy free

 

Ingredients:

1 packed cup pitted and chopped Medjool dates

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon brown rice syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Procedure:

Blend all ingredients together until smooth

Cook over low heat in a small saucepan until it just starts to boil

Cook for about 5 minutes while stirring constantly until it thickens

Remove from heat and let cool

Store in glass jar in refrigerator for 5 to 7 days

To serve, heat over low heat until melted

(confession from Liz: mea culpa! This sauce should be warmed before serving so it becomes loose and gooey. It was a HOT day when I shot these and I guess, subconsciously, I didn’t want to warm anything. Go for the goo!) 

 

Vegan Whipped Cream

Prep and cook time: 10 minutes Yield: approximately 4 – 5 cups

vegan/dairy free/pareve

Ingredients:

1 – 15.5 oz can of garbanzo bean liquid
Pinch cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar or coconut sugar (see notes below) or more to taste 1 tablespoon extract of choice (vanilla, hazelnut or almond)

Procedure:

1. Strain can of chickpeas over mixing bowl, making sure to get all the liquid. Set aside the chickpeas for another use.
2. Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and whip on high speed for about 5 minutes.

Be patient! It does take time to thicken, but I assure you, it will have stiff peaks just

like real whipped cream.
3. Taste first and add more sugar if desired. Whip again until thoroughly incorporated.

Dollup onto your favorite ice cream sundae or on some fresh berries. Enjoy!

Notes:

• The cream will be a light brown if you use coconut sugar, but it will still taste delicious. • You must use the whip cream within a few hours or it will return to liquid form.

However, you can rewhip it back to whipped cream.

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