This dairy-free cherry cheesecake ice cream is tart, rich, and full of real cherry pieces. Soaked cashews give the base its cheesecake body, while a cooked egg-yolk, honey, and lime custard gives it the tang. Thick homemade coconut cream keeps the finished ice cream creamy without cultured dairy.
Our family approach to GAPS has always been to make a real version of the foods we already loved. Nobody needs a sad substitute sitting beside everyone else’s dessert. This one is a proper frozen dessert, with enough texture and flavor to stand on its own.
Where This Ice Cream Fits on GAPS
This recipe fits Full GAPS after properly prepared nuts, whole fruit, and occasional homemade desserts are introduced and tolerated. It is dairy-free, but it is not nut-free or egg-free.
Use fresh cashews sold as raw, homemade fresh-coconut cream, raw honey, fresh lime juice, and homemade GAPS vanilla extract with no added sugar. This is not an Introduction Diet recipe.
Plan for the Chilling Time
If your ice cream maker uses a freezer insert, freeze it for at least 7 hours before churning. Keeping the insert frozen all the time makes this easier, but the measured minimum is 7 hours.
The coconut cream and cooked custard also need to be completely cold before they enter the machine. A warm base melts the frozen insert before the ice cream can thicken.
Prepare the Cashews Correctly
Cover one cup of fresh whole cashews sold as raw with filtered water and stir in one-half teaspoon natural sea salt. Soak for 1 to 3 hours and never longer than 6 hours. Drain the soaking water, rinse if needed, and chill the cashews while you prepare the rest.
Cashews soften quickly. A long overnight soak can make them slimy and unpleasant. The drained nuts should feel plump and slightly flexible without smelling sour.
Use Thick Homemade Coconut Cream
This recipe needs one and one-quarter cups of thick homemade fresh-coconut cream. It is not the same as canned coconut milk, canned cream of coconut, or sweetened cocktail coconut cream.
Keep the measured cream cold. It should be thick enough to mound softly on a spoon, but still stir into the chilled custard. For a pourable coconut base used in other recipes, see Homemade Coconut Milk for Full GAPS.
Count the Cherries Before You Start
Pit 32 sweet black cherries and cut them in half. Set aside 8 whole cherries, or 16 halves, for the cashew blend. The remaining 24 cherries go into the final base so every scoop has distinct fruit pieces.
Check every cherry after pitting. One missed pit can damage a blender blade and ruin the texture of the finished ice cream.
How to Make Dairy-Free Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream
1. Freeze the Ice Cream Maker Insert
Freeze the clean ice cream maker insert for at least 7 hours. It should feel completely solid, with no liquid sloshing inside when you shake it.
2. Chill the Coconut Cream
Measure one and one-quarter cups thick homemade coconut cream and refrigerate it until thoroughly cold. Keep it covered so it does not pick up refrigerator odors.
3. Soak and Chill the Cashews
Cover one cup fresh cashews sold as raw with filtered water. Stir in one-half teaspoon natural sea salt and soak for 1 to 3 hours, no longer than 6.
Drain off the soaking water completely. Refrigerate the cashews while you make the custard and prepare the cherries.
4. Pit and Divide the Cherries
Pit all 32 cherries and cut each one in half. Put 16 halves aside for blending with the cashews. Keep the remaining 48 halves for folding into the ice cream base.
5. Cook the Lime Custard to 170°F
Put six egg yolks, one-half cup raw honey, and six tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice in a small stainless-steel saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and checking the temperature.
Remove the saucepan as soon as the custard reaches exactly 170°F. Do not wait for a hard simmer. The finished custard should look glossy and slightly thickened, coating the spoon in a thin yellow layer without any scrambled egg bits.
6. Chill the Custard Completely
Transfer the hot custard to a glass or stainless-steel bowl. Place it in the freezer and stir every 10 minutes until it is completely cold.
It should feel cold through the center, not simply cool around the edges. Do not let it freeze solid.
7. Blend the Cherry Cashew Cream
Put the drained chilled cashews and the reserved 8 cherries in a powerful blender. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth.
Stop the blender and scrape down or shake the pitcher as needed. The finished cream should be pale pink and thick with no sandy grit. If the blades cannot pull the mixture down, add filtered water one tablespoon at a time, using no more than two tablespoons.
8. Combine the Cold Base
Pour the cold custard into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the chilled coconut cream, the remaining cherry halves, and one teaspoon homemade vanilla. Fold in the smooth cherry cashew cream.
The finished base should be uniformly pale pink with visible cherry halves throughout. It should pour slowly, not splash like milk.
9. Churn Until Thick
Pour the cold base into the frozen ice cream maker and churn until thickened according to the machine’s action. Stop when the paddle leaves defined tracks and the ice cream holds a soft mound on a spoon.
Serve it soft from the machine, or transfer it to a covered freezer container for a firmer scoop.
What the Finished Ice Cream Should Taste Like
This is not a super-sweet cherry ice cream. Lime and cooked egg yolks give it the tang of cheesecake filling. Cashews make the body dense and creamy, while the cherry halves add juicy bursts in each scoop.
The coconut flavor stays in the background. You should notice tart cherry and lime first, then vanilla, honey, and the richer coconut-cashew finish.
How to Keep the Texture Smooth
Start with a fully frozen machine insert and a completely cold base. Blend the cashews until there is no grit at all. A smooth cashew cream matters more here than extra churning time.
Do not add more than two tablespoons filtered water. Extra water freezes hard and dilutes the fat that keeps the ice cream creamy. If the mixture is too thick for the blender, scrape it down first before adding water.
Custard Troubleshooting
Use medium-low heat and keep the spoon moving across the bottom and into the corners of the saucepan. The mixture can warm slowly at first and then climb the last few degrees quickly. Watch the thermometer instead of waiting for bubbles.
If you see small cooked egg bits, take the pan off the heat immediately and strain the custard through a fine stainless-steel strainer while it is still warm. Do not press rubbery pieces through. A smooth strained custard can still chill and churn well.
If the custard stays very thin at 170°F, remember that this is not a thick pastry cream. It should coat the spoon lightly and become fuller after the cashew cream and coconut cream are folded in.
Know When the Ice Cream Is Ready
At the beginning of churning, the base moves like a thick smoothie. As it freezes, the paddle begins leaving visible ridges and the surface rises into soft folds. Stop when a spoonful holds a rounded mound for several seconds.
Do not keep forcing the machine after the mixture becomes too stiff for the paddle. Transfer it promptly with a flexible spatula. For clean scoops later, pack the ice cream into the container without large air pockets and smooth the top before covering.
Serving and Storage
Serve the ice cream as soon as it reaches soft-serve texture, or freeze it in a shallow covered container. Press parchment directly against the surface before closing the lid to limit icy air exposure.
Let a firmly frozen container stand at room temperature for several minutes before scooping. Return leftovers to the freezer promptly so repeated melting and refreezing do not create large ice crystals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Soak the Cashews Overnight?
No. Cashews need only 1 to 3 hours and should never soak longer than 6 hours. They soften much faster than almonds.
Can I Use Canned Coconut Milk or Coconut Cream?
No. This Full GAPS version uses thick homemade fresh-coconut cream. Canned coconut milk and commercial cream of coconut are not the measured ingredient.
Why Cook the Custard to 170°F?
The yolks, honey, and lime juice make a cooked custard. Stir constantly and remove it at exactly 170°F so the mixture thickens smoothly without scrambling.
Can I Leave Out the Egg Yolks?
No. Six egg yolks are part of this measured cheesecake-style base. An egg-free cherry ice cream needs its own formula.
Why Is My Cashew Cream Grainy?
The cashews may need more blending, more scraping, or a more powerful blender. Continue until the mixture looks completely smooth. Add one tablespoon filtered water only when the blades cannot move the mixture.
Can I Make It Without an Ice Cream Maker?
This formula is built around churning in a freezer-insert machine. A no-churn method would change the freezing process and needs separate testing.
Can I Double the Recipe?
Use the card’s 2x quantities only if your machine can hold the full volume. Most one-quart machines need two separate batches.
Recommended Equipment
- Freezer-insert ice cream maker
- Cherry pitter and paring knife
- Small Le Creuset stainless-steel saucepan
- Instant-read kitchen thermometer
- Glass or stainless-steel chilling bowl
- Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System BN801 blender
- Flexible silicone spatula
- Shallow covered freezer container
Dairy-Free Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream for Full GAPS
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Freeze the clean ice cream maker insert for at least 7 hours, until completely solid with no liquid sloshing inside.
- Measure the thick homemade coconut cream and refrigerate it until thoroughly cold.
- Cover the cashews with filtered water, stir in the sea salt, and soak for 1 to 3 hours and no longer than 6. Drain completely and refrigerate.
- Pit all 32 cherries and cut them in half. Reserve 16 halves, equal to 8 whole cherries, for the cashew blend.
- Put the egg yolks, honey, and lime juice in a small stainless-steel saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat while stirring constantly. Remove immediately at exactly 170°F; the custard should be glossy and lightly coat the spoon without scrambled bits.
- Transfer the custard to a glass or stainless-steel bowl. Freeze and stir every 10 minutes until completely cold but not frozen solid.
- Blend the drained chilled cashews with the reserved 8 cherries until completely smooth and pale pink. Scrape down as needed. Add filtered water one tablespoon at a time only if the blades cannot pull the mixture down, using no more than 2 tablespoons.
- Combine the cold custard, chilled coconut cream, remaining cherry halves, vanilla, and smooth cherry cashew cream. The base should be pale pink, thick, and slow-pouring.
- Pour into the frozen ice cream maker and churn until the paddle leaves defined tracks and the ice cream holds a soft mound. Serve soft or freeze in a covered container for firmer scoops.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!More Frozen GAPS Treats
The planned Frozen Treats Cookbook brings together ice cream, sorbet, popsicles, and other family desserts made with real GAPS ingredients. Visit the WFLI shop for current resources and upcoming releases.
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