Vegan Protein Ice Cream (With Silken Tofu)

overhead of a single serving of vegan protein ice cream in a silver dish with a spoon.

Vegan Protein Ice Cream (With Silken Tofu)

Prep Time 15

Churn/freeze time 3

Total Time 3 15

Servings:8 servings

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

This Vegan Protein Ice Cream recipe is everything you want in a frozen dessert and more! Perfectly sweet, creamy, and decadent, it also packs serious protein thanks to silken tofu and nut butter. You can even make it nut-free with a simple swap! See the recipe notes for other flavor ideas.

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

28 oz. silken tofu, drained - see Note 1
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter, salted
¾ cup sugar
4 Tablespoons powdered peanut butter, unsweetened, or a vegan protein powder - I used PB2 Pure; see Note 2
1 to 2 Tablespoons maple syrup, optional
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup melted refined coconut oil, optional - see Note 3

Instructions

If using an ice cream maker with a removable canister, be sure to freeze the canister for at least 24 hours before making ice cream.
In a blender combine all ingredients except the oil. Blend on high speed until completely smooth. With the blender running, drizzle in the melted oil.
Churn the mixture according to the instructions for your ice cream maker. At this point the ice cream will be similar to soft serve. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for 3 to 4 hours. Note that once the protein ice cream has been in the freezer overnight, it is too firm to scoop straight from the freezer. Let it soften at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Note 1: The silken tofu I buy comes in 16 oz. packages, so I used 1 ¾ packages (I tested one batch with the full 2 lbs, and it was too much volume with all of the other ingredients). Save the extra silken tofu for a tofu smoothie.

Note 2: Flavor variations - instead of peanut butter, you can use sunbutter, cashew butter, or almond butter. And for the PB2 powder, use a similar product OR your favorite vegan protein powder.

Note 3: I rarely use coconut oil in my recipes and understand many people choose to avoid it due the saturated fat content. While my other ice cream recipes are oil-free (most are coconut-free, too), this recipe doesn't include oats AND has a higher water content due to the tofu. Technically, you can omit the oil, but for the best consistency and flavor, I recommend using it. Without the oil the ice cream is low in fat and will freeze even more solidly. If you don't mind the taste of coconut, you can use a combination of coconut butter and refined (flavorless) coconut oil.

Nutrition