Raspberry Ice Cream with Coconut Milk and Oreo Cookies

It is getting hot!!! Summer is merely 30 days away and boy, can we feel it! 

Last week, my son and I were out and about in the middle of the day and the heat was taking its toll on both of us, we needed to cool off a bit and ice cream sounded like the perfect solution. 

We went to a couple of local shops but sadly we weren't able to find any vegan-friendly options, since it was so hot we gave up quickly and ended up getting fruit smoothies instead. They did the trick at the moment but the idea of ice-cream stuck to my mind like bubble gum to the bottom of a shoe!

I had promised my little one some ice cream and I was determined to deliver. I decided to take matters into my own hands and I came up with this recipe so we could stock up on ice cream for those scorching days ahead of us. 

This is a super simple recipe that you can make with the kids and have loads of fun doing so, they especially love making the cookie crumbles. Yes, that's not a typo, there are cookies involved. Oreo cookies to be precise.

Did you know Oreo cookies are vegan?! 

Since I discovered this I want to add them to everything, even to stir fry! Maybe that's going too far, I won't, I promise…but Oreo cookies and ice cream, that is for sure happening. 

So lets get to it.

You will only need 5 ingredients, coconut milk, raspberries, dates and Oreo cookies, and about 10 minutes of your time, maybe less if you have some handy helpers around.

For the first part, put all the ingredients (except the cookies) in a bowl, use an immersion blender to make a nice smooth mixture. While you are working on this let the kids have fun with the cookies, put them in a sealed bag so they can break them into little pieces, the goal is to make crumbles but it doesn't matter if you get bigger chunks as long as they fit in the molds.

Once you have everything ready just pour the mixture in ice cream molds, top off with the cookie crumbles, even them up so it looks pretty, toss them in the freezer, and now, the hardest part of the recipe, we wait. Let them sit about 12 hours until frozen, I usually make them in the evening to minimise the waiting part and make it less painful, they'll freeze while we sleep. 

I really like how it turned out, the raspberries and coconut milk give them a fruity tropical taste, perfect for those summer vibes, dates add a bit of sweetness enhancing the overall flavour and the cookies put that extra touch of chocolate and crunch to make a super fun mouthwatering treat.

We are gonna be making loads of them in the upcoming months, no more ice cream hunting for us!