Blueberry Lemon Ice Cream Bars {Paleo, Vegan}

I love that there is no special ice cream machine needed! No churning, no hassle. Thanks to the wonders of cashew cream, you simply blend it up and freeze!

Definitely not your conventional ice cream recipe –It’s free from dairy, eggs, and refined sugar. Just a few whole-foods blended together: mostly just cashews, blueberries, and coconut milk.

These bars are remix of my most popular recipe, Blueberry Lime Cheesecake. With over a quarter of a MILLION views (omg!), y’all just can’t get enough of that purple cake (me either!) I hope you love these ice cream bars just as much. 🙂

How sweet it IS!
Most homemade ice creams use gobs of white sugar. Amazingly, there’s just 2 1/2 *Tablespoons* of sweetener added to this ENTIRE recipe. (Wow!) The sweetness comes naturally from blueberries! (which makes me so happy as a mom, to serve ice cream to my kids that isn’t a giant sugar bomb, haha.)

Put the lime in the coconut?
If you tried the Blueberry Lime Cheesecake, you know what a stellar combo lime is with blueberries. Loved it? Stick with it. Wanna try something equally as delish? Switch it up. Lemon is amazing, too! You get to choose!

I’ve had a ton of requests for recipes without coconut, due to allergies, or people simply hating coconut (say whaaa?? crazy! lol) You coconut haters can absolutely adapt this recipe to be coconut-free. Just swap the coconut oil for palm shortening/oil (or grassfed butter or ghee, or even avocado oil) and swap coconut milk for cashew milk or almond milk. It will be more icy than creamy, though. (Or you can use heavy cream if you consume dairy.)

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
1 1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup canned coconut milk
1 Tbs maple syrup
1 Tbs coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
Pinch of pink salt
Ice Cream:
1 1/3 cup cashew pieces soaked
1 cup blueberries divided
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 Tbs coconut cream (or coconut milk)
1 1/2 Tbs maple syrup to taste
Zest of 2 small lemons divided
Dash of pink salt

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the crust:
Line a standard size loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang (to make it easy to lift out the bars)
Whisk together almond flour and salt in a medium sized bowl.
In a small bowl, mix together the remaining "wet" ingredients. Pour the wet over the dry and stir until completely mixed.
Press the dough into the bottom of the loaf pan, spreading it evenly all the way to the edges. (tip: fold over the parchment and use a flat measuring cup to press firmly)
To make the ice cream:
Soak cashews in a bowl of water overnight (or in boiling water for 2 hours)
Drain and rinse cashews, shaking off excess water. Place cashews and 2/3 cup blueberries in a food processor or high speed blender and blend for several minutes until very finely ground.
Scrape down the sides and add the remaining ingredients (saving 1/3 cup of blueberries and 1 tsp zest). Blend again. Taste and adjust. Stir in a handful of blueberries.
Spread the ice cream over the crust and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle a few blueberries and extra lemon zest on top.
Cover loaf pan with foil and freeze for 2-3 hours until set.
Allow the bars to soften at room temperature to desired texture (see notes).
Lift parchment out of pan and use a large knife to slice into 8 bars.