In my honest opinion, peanut butter and chocolate is the best combination of flavors in the world. So, I was looking in one of my mom’s cookbooks recently to veganize a Chinese Chicken Salad recipe, and found a recipe for peanut ice cream. It calls for egg yolks (which I veganized with aquafaba) and cream and all kinds of non vegan stuff, so I adapted it quite a bit. It came out quite good. Here’s the recipe:

Peanut butter ice cream sundaes

(Adapted from a non-vegan recipe in the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook)

Ingredients:

For peanut butter ice cream:

• 1 can full fat regular coconut milk
• 1 can Trader Joe’s coconut cream (you can use another can of coconut milk if you don’t have a nearby trader Joe’s, it may not come out as creamy but it will still be good.)
• 1 15 oz can’s worth of drained chickpea liquid (also referred to as aquafaba)
• ½ cup vegan sugar
• 2/3 cup powdered peanut butter
• 1/3 cup smooth natural peanut butter

For fudge sauce:

• ¾ stick Earth Balance (6 tbsp)
• ¼ pound block of dark chocolate, chopped
• 2/3 cup vegan sugar
• 1 tbsp instant coffee
• 1 cup coconut milk from a can
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

For ice cream:

1. Drain the chickpeas and set aside the liquid. Place in a small saucepan and heat on low until fizzy and reduced to 1/3 cup. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Place the chickpea liquid into a ceramic mixing bowl along with the sugar. With an electric mixer, beat for about 5 minutes until peaks form and ribbons fall off the beaters.
3. Pour the coconut milk and coconut cream into a large saucepan. Whisk a bit by hand until the clumps come out of the coconut cream and it is smooth. Heat on the stove until hot but not boiling.
4. Take off the heat and add in the chickpea liquid/sugar mixture and whisk by hand until combined.
5. Place on heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. It is ready to go when the liquid coats the back of the spoon.
6. Allow to cool for at least a half hour off the heat. Add in the peanut butter and peanut butter powder and transfer to a blender. Blend until combined.
7. Place in a container and refrigerate overnight.
8. Follow your ice creamer maker directions and then stick in the freezer after it’s ready for at least another hour before serving.

For fudge sauce:

1. Melt the Earth Balance in a medium sized saucepan.
2. Shut off the heat once melted, and add all ingredients except vanilla.
3. Heat over medium heat until boiling while stirring constantly.
4. When boiling, turn to low and stir for an additional 5-10 minutes until smooth and thick.
5. Take the pan off the heat and add in the vanilla extract.
6. Allow to cool briefly and serve while still warm on top of ice cream. You will need to refrigerate and reheat (try steaming with a double boiler) when using again.

What the chickpea liquid and sugar should look like before you add it to the coconut

The ice cream when done

The chocolate sauce when done

Top your ice cream and fudge with peanuts and coconut whipped cream (that is if you can master it! I haven’t been able to for some reason…go figure).