Now that summer is right around the corner, it’s officially ice cream season! While creating the African inspired tutorials (find them here and here, with more coming soon) I started thinking about African cuisine. Immediately, my mind went to African peanut soup. But with temperatures around 75 degrees, soup didn’t sound appealing. This Spicy Peanut Butter Ice Cream was inspired by flavors found in African peanut soup. As a bonus, my Dad LOVES Peanut Butter ice cream and Peanut Butter Pie so it’s the perfect Father’s Day treat.
My amazing Dad
Made with coconut milk, peanut butter and a dash of cayenne pepper, this vegan ice cream is incredibly creamy and delicious. The spice from cayenne pepper doesn’t kick in until the end of each bite. At first it’s like eating regular peanut butter ice cream, with a little kick! If you’re not a fan of spice, you can certainly leave it out or reduce the amount. I chose to use natural, un-sweetened peanut butter so I could add just the right amount of sugar. I also added unsalted peanuts for added crunch. To make this recipe extra creamy, I used “full fat” coconut milk, but you could certainly use light coconut milk as well.
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you could try placing the ice cream “batter” into the freezer, although the texture may not be as creamy and smooth. An ice cream maker is definitely a luxury kitchen appliance, but I love having mine during the summer. It’s great for creating frozen yogurt and sherbet. If you’re looking for more frozen treats, check out this Blackberry, Basil and Lemon Sorbet recipe.