Vegan Magnum Ice Creams

August is coming to an end but summer is still in full swing here in Barcelona, luckily though the heat wave's gone and nights are a bit more bearable when you are in bed. A great way to end the month (and use those silicone molds I bought last year and haven't used them since then) is making these extra delicious vegan Magnum-style ice creams.

I tested this recipe two times and didn't need a third one because the first batch came out almost perfect, but I wanted the vanilla ice cream filling to be very creamy...honestly, some Magnum recipes that I've seen on the 'net look rather like rock solid popsicles...and that's not what we want, amiright!? So after a few tweaks here and there I can finally share with you these homemade, dairy-free Magnum ice creams that, let me tell you one thing: they taste as good (or even better) than the original ones. You'll enjoy them a lot if you are a true dark chocolate lover like myself. I'm not very fond of milk chocolate to be honest, and the sweet vanilla ice cream filling pairs so well with the intense flavor of the dark chocolate+chopped almonds shell. This one is truly a must-try recipe, you won't regret it.

I was meaning to publish another ice cream recipe this month but as some of you may already know I've been busy being a proud kitten mom (sorry guys, I'm officially a member of the"Crazy Cat Lady Club") and simply enjoying some quiet time at home. Also some sleepless nights too because the little furball loves to play when the clock strikes midnight. But I'm slowly learning some tricks to train her so she let us sleep during the night; she's a super smart, adorable and sweet kitten and learns very quick! To those who follow me on Instagram, I'm sorry for all the kitty spam but my Paquita Steele (yup, that's her name) mealts my heart.

¡Receta en español aquí!

Vegan Magnum Ice Creams

(4 servings)

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight.

2/3 cups water.

1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk.

1/4 cup agave syrup.

1/4 cup unrefined cane sugar.

2 tablespoons vegan vanilla protein powder.

1/4 teaspoon guar gum.

The seeds from one vanilla pod.

A small pinch of pink Himalayan salt.

- For the chocolate shell:

300 g (10 oz) dark chocolate (70 % cocoa).

1/3 cup approximately of chopped almonds.

Directions

Don't forget to soak the cashews in water with a small pinch of pink Himalayan salt overnight. The day after, drain them well and place inside the jar of your high-speed blender or food processor, add in the water and pulse until a creamy mixture forms. You might need to stop a few times and scrape down the sides of the container to make sure you get a really smooth cream.

Add in the rest of the ingredients, minus the guar gum, and pulse until creamy and smooth; finally add in the guar gum, on low speed, until fully incorporated.

Pour the cashew-coconut cream into the molds, add wooden sticks and freeze until solid. It's very important that you wait until the pops are very firm cause they'll be covered in hot melted chocolate, I recommend to let them sit in the freezer overnight.

Melt dark chocolate in a double boiler, transfer to a tall mug wide enough to fit the Magnums, and set aside.

Press the chopped almonds against the surface of the pops making sure they stick to the vanilla cream and immediately dip the pops in the melted chocolate. Wait a few seconds so the excess chocolate drips off, holding the pops almost upright but being careful the wooden sticks don't get covered in chocolate too. Carefully transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let it harden in the freezer until ready to use.

Notes:

- You may think the chocolate quantity is excessive but I've tried several methods to cover the ice creams and the one that works best is by dipping them in a tall and wide mug. The chocolate shell looks better and you make sure the Magnums are fully covered.

There will be plenty leftover chocolate, obviously do not throw it away! I make chocolate chips or use it for peanut butter cups. ;-)

- Look for a brand of full-fat coconut milk that doesn't contain any thickener since we already add 1/4 teaspoon of guar gum to the vanilla ice cream.
- Just in case you are curious to know the type of molds I used, you can find them here. (This is NOT an affiliate link, btw).