This Vegan Cashew Ice Cream is dairy free and made with 3 simple ingredients – cashews, almond milk and 100% pure maple syrup for a super easy vegan recipe!

I keep wishing the holidays could rewind so we could enjoy them a little longer. It felt great to spend more time with family and friends, and now it’s back to full work weeks. Still, there’s a reason to celebrate here: today is Regan Jones’s 40th birthday, and about 40 bloggers joined together for a surprise virtual birthday party in her honor.

Regan and I met through blogging when Love & Zest began nearly four years ago. She was one of my first readers after my mom, and she quickly taught me that blogging is as much about community as it is about content. We connected through blog comments, Twitter, and collaborations. We finally met in person at FNCE in 2011 and quickly became friends.

After that first in-person meeting we shared dinners, conferences, and projects. Regan invited me to contribute a monthly column, “Athlete Eats,” on HealthyAperture.com, and we’ve stayed connected through events like the Cabot Fit Team race in Vermont, the California Almonds Orchard Tour, Blog Brûlée, and FNCE. I’m grateful for her friendship and mentorship over the years.

Regan, Happy Birthday!!

Your friendship means a lot to me. You believed in me when I was a new blogger and dietitian, and you helped ignite my passion early on. Thank you for your guidance and support — I hope 2015 brings more opportunities for us to travel and work together.

About this Vegan Cashew Ice Cream

• Perfectly sweet

• Refreshing

• Healthy

• Only 3 ingredients

How to make vegan ice cream?

Vegan ice cream can be made with any non-dairy milk. This recipe uses unsweetened vanilla almond milk for a mild, creamy base. Coconut milk or oat milk are also excellent alternatives if you prefer a richer or slightly different flavor profile.

How to make homemade ice cream?

An ice cream maker makes homemade ice cream fast and easy; my Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt/Ice Cream Maker makes a batch in 20 minutes or less. If you regularly make frozen desserts, an ice cream maker is a worthwhile kitchen tool and yields the creamiest results.

Is almond milk vegan?

Yes. Almond milk is made from almonds and water. Some commercial brands add gums like acacia, guar gum, or xanthan gum to improve texture. If you prefer less sugar, choose unsweetened varieties.

This ice cream is simple and delicious — made with just three ingredients — and definitely worth making right away. Ice cream is a year-round treat, and this dairy-free version is light, naturally sweet, and satisfying.

More tasty birthday sweets:

• Coffee Cashew Ice Cream

• Fudgy Vegan Birthday Cake Brownies

• Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream

• Toasted Marshmallow S’mores Ice Cream Bars

• Brown Butter Banana Ice Cream with Nutella Swirl