This luscious creamy vibrant blueberry cheesecake ice cream is 100% dairy-free! It’s made with fresh blueberries, coconut cream, lemon juice, maple syrup, and a secret ingredient….see below.
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This creamy tangy blueberry cheesecake frozen dessert was developed for the fabulous Ninja Creami ice cream maker. You can certainly make it in another ice cream maker/machine (see the suggested directions below), but there is nothing like the Ninja Creami for smooth, creamy, indulgent vegan ice cream!
I first fell in love with blueberry cheesecake ice cream, unfortunately around the same time my soon-to-be husband informed me that he hated blueberries! Which, honesty, 37 years later I still don’t understand!
Luckily, when I had kids, they did not share their dad’s opinion on this lovely blue sweet/tart fruit. So don’t feel sorry for me – we’ve enjoyed lots of blueberry desserts over the years, including this fabulous vegan blueberry cheesecake ice cream which is perfect for a summer day when you are craving an icy, creamy, slightly tangy, blueberry burst of flavor!
So when that urge for homemade ice cream hits! I hope you’ll consider this vegan blueberry decadent ice cream. It is..
- rich
- creamy
- slightly tangy
- sweet
- bursting with blueberry goodness
- easy to make – especially if you are lucky enough to have a Ninja Creami
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Ingredients needed to make this luscious creamy blueberry cheesecake ice cream:
This delicious ice cream is vegan which means it’s dairy-free. I’ve recommended some tried and true substitute ingredients so that you too can enjoy your dairy-free cheesecake ice cream too!
- coconut cream – Instead of using heavy cream in this recipe, we will be skimming the cream from a can of coconut milk or coconut cream. You can use full-fat or lite coconut milk. Today I am using full-fat. The full fat will be a little creamier and the lite will have fewer calories. Do not use coconut milk from a carton. You will not be able to skim the cream from a carton of coconut milk.
- maple syrup – Real maple syrup, please!
- vegan mayonnaise – Really! It lends a slight tang and a little extra creaminess. If you are not vegan then you can use any mayo you’d like as I believe mayonnaise is dairy-free.
- vanilla extract
- lemon juice – Adds to the tangy flavor. You can use bottled unsweetened lemon juice, or fresh squeezed.
- blueberries – Fresh is always best, but frozen will work too. Just make sure you use high-quality frozen berries.
- small banana – You might not use the whole banana. Don’t go over the 2-cup fill line (see below).
- graham cracker crumbs – what’s cheesecake without the graham cracker crust?!? Using graham cracker crumbs will have you almost believe you are eating a frozen cheesecake.
- And I highly recommend and hope you will consider the Ninja Creami ice cream machine for the creamiest, dreamiest, frozen vegan desserts ever! See below for suggestions if you are using another ice cream freezer.
The step-by-step directions for making this vegan blueberry cheesecake ice cream recipe
You will find the measurements and more concise and abbreviated directions along with the nutritional information in the recipe card below. Read this section for tips you won’t want to miss.
Step 1: Prepare the ingredients
- Wash and pat dry the blueberries. I also make sure any little stem pieces and removed. Remember that the flavor of your blueberries will directly impact the flavor of your ice cream. I try to find nice sweet blueberries. If the blueberries are too tart, then consider adding in a little extra sweetener.
- Prepare the canned coconut milk. Make sure your can is stored upright and undisturbed overnight before opening it. This will cause the cream to rise to the top. If you have just purchased the canned coconut milk the day of, set it in the refrigerator and it should separate in a couple of hours. OR, if you don’t have the patience for that then take your chances and skim the cream the best you can…
- Crush the graham crackers. Place the graham crackers, one at a time, in a plastic baggie and roll over the top with a rolling pin. Or, if you don’t have a baggie, then place one at a time between paper towels and roll. You will need two sheets of graham crackers.
Step 2: Skim the coconut cream
Skim the coconut cream from the top of a can of coconut milk or coconut cream. You can use lite or full-fat coconut milk, or a can of coconut cream. The directions and flavor will be the same for each. The fuller fat can will obviously give you a slightly richer creamier texture. Today I used full fat coconut milk.
I measure the ingredients directly into a two-cup liquid mearing cup, making sure that I do not exceed the two-cup mark. The Ninja Creami containers have a max line that you should not exceed or you might ruin your creami ice cream maker.
This is also why I add the bananas last (see below). Bananas come in different sizes and I want to make sure I’m not going past the max level.
Step 3: Measure the rest of the ingredients into a two-cup measuring cup
Measure and add the other ingredients: maple syrup, vegan mayonnaise, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Stir well. Add the blueberries and slice in the banana, ensuring you do NOT go over the 2-cup mark on your measuring cup.
Important note about the banana if you are processing in a different ice cream maker!!
If you are using a different type of ice cream maker other than the Ninja Creami, you will need to blend everything together before the freezing process.
With the Ninja, you freeze the ingredients and then the machine blends the ingredients together as it processes them. If you are using a different ice cream maker, then blend everything together before following your ice cream machine’s instructions. This might mean placing the blended ingredients in the freezer or freezing your processing bowl/container. Please just follow your directions.
Step 4: Freeze in the Ninja Pint (inner) Container
You will be freezing in the same container you use for processing. Pour everything in, again, ensuring you don’t go past the max line. Put the lid on and place in the freezer in an upright position for 24 hours. This is indeed the one and only disadvantage I see with the Ninja Creami. You do have to plan ahead of time and not be impatient!
I place a piece of tape on the top and label it with the recipe name, date, and time I place it in the freezer. I sometimes have more than a few Ninja pints waiting to process and this takes the guesswork out of it! The tape easily peels off and can be discarded when you are finished with a recipe.
You can order extra pint containers on Amazon or through Ninja directly. That way you can make up a few ahead of time and always have homemade dessert in your freezer ready to go!
Step 5: It’s process time!
Making ice cream is a fun and delicious dessert adventure. Especially with the Ninja Creami, you do need a little patience. Time to process your delicious blueberry cheesecake ice cream recipe! Are you excited yet?
It is very important that you understand and follow the directions that came with your ice cream machine. The following is my experience but not a substitute for the manufacturer’s directions.
After 24 hours remove the frozen pint container from the freezer and remove the lid. If you see a little lump in the center that is perfectly normal.
Place the frozen pint container in the processing bowl. Insert the paddle on the lid and lock the lid onto the processing container.
Plug in the machine and place the enclosed processing container onto the base pad. Twist-up until it locks into place.
Turn on the machine. If you have inserted everything correctly, the panel lights will all be lit. If you have not if will indicate with a blinking light under “install”.
Process using the “lite ice cream” function.
If you can still see the frozen blueberries on the side of the container after processing, then carefully run a butter knife around the edges loosening the frozen fruit. It should *mostly* blend in during the mix-in process after you add the graham cracker crumbs.
By the way, I am a member of several Ninja Creami Facebook groups, and this is a very common phenomemon. It might mean that your freezer is really cold. But it’s nothing you did wrong and doesn’t mean something is wrong with your ice cream machine.
Make a hole or “well” in the center of your frozen ice cream. Add in the graham cracker crumbs, re-insert and process on “mix-in”
Congratulations! You’ve just made the most delicious decadent vegan blueberry cheesecake homemade ice cream ever!
For some other delicious vegan ice creams and frozen desserts, try:
- Haagen Daz Coffee Ice Cream Copycat
- Lemon Coconut Ice Cream
- Watermelon Sorbet
- Lemony Peach Popsicles
- Pineapple Sorbet with mint-lime white balsamic glaze
The printable recipe card
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Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, Vegan
Equipment
- NInja Creami
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup coconut cream
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon vegan mayonnaise
- ½ Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ Tablespoon lemon juice
- 6 ounces blueberries
- 1 small banana don't go over the 2 cup fill line
- ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
Instructions
- Skim the coconut cream from the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream. Wash the blueberries. Crumble the graham crackers and set them aside. You will not be using them until after you process the ice cream the next day.
- To a 2 cup measuring cup, add the coconut cream, maple syrup, vegan mayonnaise (see notes), vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Stir well. Add the blueberries and slice the banana, ensuring you do NOT go over the 2-cup mark on your measuring cup.
- Add the to Ninja Creami pint container, put the lid on, and freeze upright for 24 hours. You must freeze for a minimum of 24 hours!
- Take out of the freezer and process according to the manufacturer’s directions on "lite ice cream".
- If the ice cream is still powdery then do a respin. If there is frozen fruit on the sides then run the sides under hot water for a minute and carefully run around the edges with a plastic knife before doing the respin.
- Crumble the graham crackers if you haven't already. I like to leave some tiny bits along with the crumbs (see photo in blog post for suggestion). Made a one and a half -nch hole or tunnel in the middle of your frozen ice cream going all the way to the bottom. Add the graham cracker crumbs and process on "mix in". Enjoy!
