Two-ingredient maple caramel sauce…
Yesterday was the birthday of a close friend, and when she asked me to make my Chocolate Zucchini Brownies, I came over with the works: frosted brownies, ice cream, and caramel sauce for a small gathering of friends.
Maybe “gathering of friends” is the wrong phrase. It sounds so formal… like we were there for tea or something. A caramel brownie sundae is obviously NOT tea! We sat on the floor, stuffing out faces with brownies and licking the plates completely clean. Our sundaes looked just as beautiful as the ones in the photos… for about 2 seconds before we demolished them!
To go with the brownies, I made up a funny new version of my favorite egg-free healthy ice cream recipe… the flavor can be best described as “Pancake Batter Ice Cream.”
It seriously will remind you of eating pancake batter!
2 Ingredient Maple Caramel
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (agave also works)
- 1 tbsp arrowroot (cornstarch also works)
Combine ingredients in a small pot and whisk together. Turn stove to medium and bring to a boil. As soon as it starts to bubble, stir constantly for 3-4 minutes, then remove from heat. Fridge 1 hour to set. This gets thicker as it cools, and if you let it sit long enough it will get completely hard. (Technically you can make this maple caramel in the microwave; but watch it carefully, as it bubbles up quickly.) I’m not listing a nutrition link, as the nutrition facts will just be pretty similar to the numbers on your jar of maple syrup.
Pancake Batter Ice Cream
- 1 cup raw cashews or macadamia halves (120g)
- 1 1/3 cup milk of choice (320g)
- scant 1/4 tsp salt
- 10 drops maple extract
- 3 tbsp sugar of choice or xylitol (30g)
- 1/16 tsp pure stevia, or 2 extra tbsp sugar of choice
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Cover the nuts with water in a cereal bowl. Let soak 4-8 hours, then drain and pat dry very well with a paper towel. Now combine all of the ingredients in a blender, and blend until the mixture is completely smooth. If you have a Vita-Mix: Pour the blended mixture into 2 ice-cube trays, and freeze until solid. When frozen, pop ice cubes into the Vita-Mix by pushing a knife down one side of each piece. Blend on high, using the tamper, until a smooth soft-serve texture is achieved. Quickly scoop into individual bowls, using an ice cream scoop for authentic presentation. Eat immediately or freeze each bowl up to an hour for a perfect ice-cream texture and consistency. Although the best texture is achieved with a Vita-Mix, you can still get good results with an ice cream maker. (If you don’t have an ice cream maker or Vitamix, you can either turn the blended mixture into really delicious popsicles, or: a few readers say they’ve had success with a food processor by thawing the ice cubes a little more for a soft-serve treat.) Ice cream maker ice cream: Pour the blended mixture into one large container, and freeze 30 minutes or refrigerate 4 hours or more. Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Once a smooth texture is reached, scoop into individual bowls, using an ice-cream scoop for authentic presentation. Eat immediately, or freeze up to an hour for a firmer texture.
Any of the following milks works well in the ice cream recipe: Silk Almondmilk, canned full-fat coconut milk, homemade cashew cream (the milk version), Alpro soy cream, Earth Balance soymilk… many other milks will surely work; I just haven’t tried them. (It is probably best to use a milk with some fat.) Due to the lack of stabilizers and preservatives, as well as the lower sugar content in this all-natural ice cream, it tastes best the day you make it. However you definitely can freeze for up to a month: portion out the ice cream into individual bowls before freezing, then remove a bowl from the freezer 20 or so minutes before eating. The hard ice cream will thaw back into a smooth treat.
Hollie says
I’ve never heard of even thought of pancake flavored ice cream. That sounds really good. If that was to be in my house, you can better believe it would not stay frozen for more then a hot second LOL.
Katie Hayes says
I think I am in love! I have been following your blog for years, and I have to say, you ALWAYS have something unique and refreshing to offer! Thank you for the continuous inspiration!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Thank you, Katie 🙂
Consuelo @ Honey & Figs says
What a genius idea, Katie!! Pancake flavoured ice-cream?? I’m sure it tastes lovely, I’m dying to try it, thanks for the idea! And I’m definitely voting for you right now, yours is one of the best healthy blogs out there! I love all your recipes and how creative you are, keep up the great work, dear! 😉
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Thank you so much!
Ali @ Peaches and Football says
That pancake batter ice cream sounds pretty amazing and what could be easier than 2 ingredient caramel? I love homemade caramel. We also were really into peanut butter sauce as a topping for ice cream. Definitely NOT healthy but oh-so-delicious. Sometimes you just have to splurge on the real deal. 🙂
Andie says
OH MY GOSH!!! This is literally so exciting, I am vegan and haven’t had legit ice cream in so long (I don’t like the taste of the nondairy stuff in stores.) can all of your ice cream recipes be made in a vitamix like this one?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Many of them have the option written right in, but the others will work that way as well :).
emily says
Katie this looks so good!!!!! i want it for MY birthday (tomorrow!)
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says
I love maple flavoring so much! Sounds really good!
Lauren says
Haha isn’t pancake and waffle batter gross? Well I guess it’s just the mixes 🙂
I made the original ice cream using maple syrup (and cinnamon and cooked apples). Turned out good the second time 🙂
Michelle says
I voted for you since I’ve always loved your blog and made things sometimes immediately
KonaGirl says
Yummy! Question: In general, can you sub peanut butter for oil in a recipe? I just discovered Earth Balance’s coconut and peanut spread–and I’m obsessed with it. Can I use this in place of coconut oil?
Voted for you!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I think it depends on the recipe. The textures are very different.
Susan says
I hope the veggie awards counts a vote for you even if I didn’t vote for enough things to qualify for a prize. I think you definitely deserve an award for your blog. 🙂
chocolate-covered katie says
Thanks, Susan 🙂
Erica says
voted 4 u!!
Lisa @bitesforbabies says
How can something SO simple look SO delicious!! YUM!
Melody kincaid says
Hey kaite!!!! Just wanted to let you know i voted for you!!!!
Sara Hagedorn says
Wow, so delicious! I have voted for you, but damn, so many good blogs out there! I wish I could vote for more, as Oh She Glows and Healthy, Happy Life are some of my absolut favorites too.. I hope you win, though 😀
Rosene Salmo says
Now I cant wait for the weekend so I make these!!
BakeMeABallerina says
YUM! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!! <3
Tanner says
I voted for you 😉
Katy @ Katy's Kitchen says
Wow that is the perfect scoop of ice cream! I love the idea for a simple maple caramel sauce, I’m definitely going to try this soon. Pinned!
Melissa says
Yum! Sounds so good, I love anything and everything with maple!
Alexandra says
Hi Katie! 🙂
Firstly, I love your site really much. All of the recipes are so yummy! Can’t wait to try them. ALL. It’s amazing how you can make such incredibly delicious treats healthy and vegan! You have a gift…
Now, I have to ask you something… I have been wondering : in your recipes you have ingredients like nutella, chocolate, oreos, protein powder and yogurts. I know you might use soy yogurts, but I don’t think the others are vegan, are they? As I know you are vegan, this confused me a bit 😛
Go on with being awesome! Kisses from Portugal 😉
kate says
Believe it or not they all can be began 😉
kate says
*vegan…can’t even blame autocorrect for that one lol
Maxine says
Well you can get heaps of dairy-free chocolate these days, especially dark chocolate, the nutella recipe that IS vegan can be found on this very blog, you can get vegan protein powders such as sun warrior and rice protein, and I don’t know about the oreos actually (sorry for the rant, but I hope this helps explain the matter)…..
Karen w. says
Oreos surprisingly happen to be vegan. There is also a recipe for homemade Oreos on this blog.
Eating 4 Balance says
Pancake batter I think is an acquired taste much like beer and coffee. One too many licks of the pancake bowl though and i have to say I’ve acquired it! 🙂 Pancake batter-flavored ice cream? Sounds incredible. Are we talking aunt jemima-tasting pancake batter or more like bread/muffin batter…?
chocolate-covered katie says
Muffin batter would be good as well… I was thinking more like homemade pancakes.
Stacy Sears says
I voted for you. I hope you win. I love your recipes, Thank You.
Katty says
I voted for you, Katie! I am not even vegan (I am not vegetarian either) but your recipes are so delicious and healthy that it’s impossible not try them! Usually your blog is my first reading in the morning. Thank you so much for sharing your genius creations! By the way, I think I’ll love this caramel recipe, I’ll try it soon!
chocolate-covered katie says
Aw thanks! 🙂
flo says
You got my vote Katie! I think your recipes are awesome, you’ve got amazing taste buds, so I hope you win one of the prizes!
mochi says
So beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
Abbie @ Needs Salt says
Oh my goodness! Your sundaes are PERFECT. I so envy your ice-cream-scooping abilities. seriously.
I just recently made these brownies, and they are so. darn. good.
I love the caramel sauce!! I must try that. Soon. 🙂 Pinning this!
Rosa says
Hey!
So, just because of all of your recipes I have been thinking about purchasing a food processor. As almost all of your recipes call for a vitamix, could you tell me if a food processor can handle the job? I know in some recipes you do say if it can be used, but in others you don’t. As I should not spend sooo much money I can’t afford a vitamix (they don’t sell it in here anyways). The food processor I am considering has 750 watts, would it be enough for, let’s say, coconut butter? Or other stuff? Altnough you do mention it, I’m afraid it is not powerful enough so my desserts will be bad and my ice creams won’t be ice-creamy but icy 🙁
Please if any of you is able to answer, I’d appreciate it very much. There are other options, like 1100watts for 3 or 4 times the price, and It has been torture to look at the recipes without being able to make it!
Thank you VERY much!
chocolate-covered katie says
Hi Rosa,
In all of the recipes that require a vita-mix, I will list options in the post’s recipe for people who don’t have one (or in rare cases I will say there’s no alternative).
If you’re looking for a high-quality food processor, I would go with a Cuisinart 7-cup. They last for years and years and do a very good job.
McCall says
Of course I voted for you Katie!!!! You have the best blog ever, when I was in New York I remembered a time that you blogged about your trip to new york and I went to all of the restaurants and I had an amazing time!
chocolate-covered katie says
🙂
Maxine says
I’ll be saving this recipe for the New Zealand summer! It’s too cold/stormy for ice-cream here.
I voted for you because I have fun reading your blog and expanding my knowledge of vegan recipes. After all, your blog gave the the motivation to go vegan.
chocolate-covered katie says
Thank you so much!
Mafalda says
Hey! 😀
Here whe I live there ain’t no mori nu tofu and, although it is not related to this very post, A little peace of me is falling away each freaking time I see a cheesecake/mousse/whatsoever with that ingredient. Should I buy natural tofu instead? Any tips of which one to buy? Or substituitons?
Thank ya buds, I will own ya my life!
chocolate-covered katie says
Sorry, I really don’t know. Texture-wise, any other firm tofu will work when Mori-Nu is called for, but I can’t vouch for the taste.
Karen w. says
I’ve used natural tofu in the ultimate chocolate fudge pie and it came out amazingly! There was no tofu taste at all. I think this would be the case for any recipe calling for morinu tofu.
Amila says
nice article .I voted for you since I’ve always loved your blog and made things sometimes immediately
Michael says
awh… the ice cream looks and sounds great. I just printed you recipe so I can give it a try. I assume your recipe will work in an ice cream churn? Crused around your site, love all the recipes, found a few others I plan to try.
Looks like you also mkae alot of ice cream! I have a woodshop and make alot of different things, including an ice cream scoop, end grain cutting boards (great for cutting chocolate, etc.)… check it out.
thank you for the recipe.
Michael
Olivia @healthylivy says
Your posts never fail to make my mouth water (;
Kammie @ Sensual Appeal says
Are you kidding me? This is just too freaking amazing. Everything about this is screaming my name! Pancake batter ice cream? How creative! 🙂
Jen says
Wow. If only I had your food-arranging skills. Those photos are BOSS.
By the way, I recently made your frozen hot cocoa ice cream, and I thought it was delicious and super chocolatey, not at all like “frozen ice milk”. Reminded me of Italian ice, but more on the creamy side. Don’t sell those ice cream recipes short!
Meanwhile, I shall be making enormous batches of instant vegan caramel *mwahahah*
Joanne says
Hi! 😀
I have to say I love your blog and voted for you (even though I can’t really vote for other matters such as vegan restaurants, for I live in a country where many of those don’t exist…)
For all of the posts I have read, as well as for the comments, you are very sweet. I fell in love with your blog and intend to but a food processor soon thanks to gou 🙂
I am writting to compliment your job, but also to ask you something (I hope I am not misunderstood – you just said “feel free to ask” in a post and, as I believe you are a nice girl, I want to know the truth about all of the rumours): is it true that you once asked a forteen/fifteen years old girl to write a post for you to publish and, as you got more famous, you refused to publish it?
And that once one recipe blog girl linked back to a recipe from you because she’d made it, saying that she liked it but she believed in an eating real unhealthy desserts once in a while lifestyle, and you answered in a rude way, saying she was the meanest person ever and a shame for her parents (WOWW sorry katie this does sound dumb, I bet it was some kind of troll pretending it was you, I just read it online but it’s too strange!)
I am truly sorry for asking, I just wanted to clear thing up once I do not want to believe in that kind of stuff so easily, and I find it better this way (instead of posting in a blog anonimously complaining…)
Oh and go on with the great texts, photos, recipes and all… For as much as one does, there will always be haters! I was searching for your blog on google and “cck anorexic” showed up, so I clicked just out of curiosity to see if there were further problems with you and all of a bunch of people cricticizing showed up ! Glad the amount fans overcomes the number of haters! 😉
Thank you very much 🙂
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Hi Joanne,
Thanks for taking me up on my asking offer… I really did mean it! I’d rather people ask for the truth than speculate and come up with all sorts of weird conspiracy theories ;).
The email thing you asked… haha no definitely not! Even if I saw a mean post and wanted to respond by screaming at someone in an email, I’m certainly not stupid enough to put something like that in writing lol.
About the other thing… I think maybe you mean a guest post by someone called Little Bookworm? I actually DID post that guest post, and it stayed up for many years. I just recently took the post down because I noticed that Little Bookworm no longer had a blog, and so her links on my page were “dead” links that got 404 errors.
Joanne says
Thank you very much for answering 🙂 I do believe that most of the stuff they say about you is not true really… You seem a very healthy person 😀
Besides, I just made your hot chocolate… How could a person who brought that up be mean in anyway? Haha
The guest post wasn’t that one, but I think it’s kind of a coincidence that the person who claims that has a mean gossip blog for criticizing people!
I think you do fine about not reading critical stuff – I’d probably freak out too, I bet it’s annoying!
Thank you again… and I look forward to drool over your posts (too creepy? Hope not haha!)
Ps: different email – 😛 I no longer the other one (just in case you notice
BakeMeABallerina says
Is it possible to get the carmel to melt after it hardens?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Hmmm… I don’t actually know. Maybe if you let it sit out of the fridge and soften? Or maybe gently heating?
Lara says
Voted for you! I love a lot of vegan blogs, and ThugKitchen is really funny, but I’ve made more of your recipes than I have from any other blog, so you got my vote. 🙂
Really love your blog!!
Taylor @ FoodFaithFitness says
Pancake flavored ice-cream? What! This needs to get in my belly now! Thank you for all your creative recipes!!
Allie says
This is the best ice cream I have EVER had! It was so easy to make too!
Stephanie says
Great pictures. I am now hungry for ice cream and its not even noon yet. LOL. About the yummy cooking caramel when would you advise someone make this if they were serving it after dinner? Is this something that can be made ahead of time or does it get too hard to even pour over things after a couple hrs? Any suggestions would be great.
I made your banana breakfast pops I found on pintrest. I wrote about it in my blog, linking it back to yours to acknowlege credit where credit is due. Delish – my 4 yr old son had so much fun eating breakfast on a stick. Huge smiles all morning long! Thanks you are so creative!! http://noreservations4lunchdinner.blogspot.com/2013/08/5-ingredient-easy-healthy-banana.html
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Aw thank you so much for trying them… I loved your post 🙂
Nicole D. says
Katie, let me just say…
I just discovered your blog today, and while I haven’t tried any of your recipes for myself yet – you have already made me a very, very happy woman.
That’s right. Just looking at all of these amazing recipes is a complete joy! I am the token baker in my inner circle and I pride myself on cooking everything I make with healthy, whole foods ingredients – I can’t tell you how many times I have edited recipes and experimented to make foods suitable for friends with dietary restrictions: gluten free, sundry allergies (peanuts, chocolate, latex), low carb, the list goes on… but almost inevitably, I end up investing all this time and energy in foods that do not support my own needs. I am miserably lactose intolerant and prefer vegan baking by and large, though this often seems to translate into desserts that require long lists of absurdly expensive or difficult to acquire ingredients, using processed substitutes I’d rather say “no” to or investing more time than I am reasonably able into baking up treats that should be enjoyable to make and to eat – not stressful.
Enter this blog. My *absolute favorite* part is reading the lists of ingredients: short, sweet (literally :D) and most of them are items I already have in my pantry.
… the ingredients list is usually the part where I roll my eyes at recipes, asking myself if I really need to shell out eight bucks for another item I will only use once – good heavens, I have every kind of oil, flour, starch and sugar known to humankind in my kitchen as it is, do I really need another one? – or if I’m willing to spend three hours on a multi-step nightmare of a task.
But I don’t see any of that here, thus the dilemma ends! So thank you for creating a blog that is friendly to the down-to-earth kitchen enthusiast who does not live within 300 miles of a Whole Foods. I really appreciate the time and effort you’ve put into all of your recipes – and generously sharing them with the rest of the sweet tooth-afflicted world. <3
Katerina Seigel says
You’re perfect and my total inspiration! I literally tell everyone about your blog hahah. I aspire to one day have something like this, I just love what you’ve done and the large audience that you’ve captured with your awesome treats. Thanks so much for always sharing wonderful recipes!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
This kind of made my day 🙂
Jacqui says
I absolutely love this website. I visit it everyday. Thanks so much for making healthy eating fun and easy!! 🙂
Cassie says
Pancake batter ice cream, mm good! 😀
Random. says
Pancake batter is gross! but this looks good!