It’s so hot outside that if we could eat air conditioning, we totally would. But we can’t (and shouldn’t), so naturally we’re turning to the most wonderful frozen food in the world for comfort — ice cream. But if you’re viciously vegan or positively paleo, you might not be able to just pop into the local parlor for a cone. Fear not, though, ice cream can still be on the menu with these 23 amazing recipes. Some of these hacks are vegan and some are paleo, but we assure you they’re all delicious!
1. Fudgy Cocoa Avocado Ice Cream: Avocado is one of our favorite healthy substitutes in dessert recipes. This blogger clearly agrees. (via The Iron You)
2. Vegan Coconut Chunk Ice Cream: Vegan ice creams basically give you an excuse to eat a ton of delicious coconut. Don’t fight it. Embrace it. (via Two Peas In Their Pod)
3. Tarragon + Mint Ice Cream: Blogger Anya Kassoff was inspired by the mountains of fresh herbs she always saw at Russian markets near her mother’s home when she created this recipe. We would’ve never thought to add tarragon to ice cream, but her gorgeous imagery makes it an obvious choice by the end of her little culinary story. (via Golubka Kitchen)
4. Five-Minute Chocolate Mint Ice Cream: Mint isn’t the only green ingredient in this vegan dessert — avocado snuck in there, too! (via The Humble Plate)
5. Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: This recipe should be on your speed dial… or the recipe equivalent of your speed dial. (via Minimalist Baker)
6. White Chocolate Strawberry Basil Ice Cream: BRB, we have a few scoops to house before we finish this roundup. (via Food Mouth)
7. Caramelized Banana Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: Roasted bananas, whole vanilla beans and coconut milk create an addictive ice cream without any of those mystery ingredients. (via GI 365)
8. Lavender-Infused Cherry Ice Cream: The calming nature of lavender makes this ice cream the perfect midnight snack. (via Pure + Simple Nourishment)
9. Paleo Espresso Stracciatella Gelato, Salted Caramel + Honey Roasted Almonds: We can’t even. This blogger is 15-years-old and cooks/eats at least seven times better than we do now. (via The Foodie Teen)
10. Roasted Peach + Lemon Thyme Paleo Ice Cream: Fresh lemon thyme adds a gourmet edge to this frozen bowl of peachy goodness. (via Paleo Spirit)
11. Easy Vegan Magical Shell Topping: If you’re missing that wizardry that is a dipped cone, this recipe will deliver just the crackable shell you need. (via Healthy Happy Life)
12. Vegan Cherry Garcia: Ben and Jerry’s inspired pints are still on the menu with this fresh and delicious hack. (via Everything Needs Salt)
13. Paleo Toasted Coconut Fried Ice Cream: OMG. NOM. (via The Healthy Foodie)
14. Instant Skinny Hazelnut Latte Ice Cream: Get your coffee buzz, your ice cream buzz and your Nutella buzz all at once with this simple and rich dessert. (via Taming Twins)
15. Strawberry Grapefruit Ice Cream: Bright and citrusy grapefruit pairs beautifully with fresh seasonal strawberries. (via Jessi’s Kitchen)
16. DQ-Style Vegan Ice Cream Cake: This layered Dairy Queen hack is so good you won’t even miss the weird neon gel frosting that always spelled your name wrong. (via One Green Planet)
17. Pistachio Ice Cream: So many of the vegan and paleo ice creams are made with coconut milk, but this one actually uses homemade pistachio milk. You can make it using the same recipe as our homemade almond milk. (via Nutrition Stripped)
18. Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream With Coconut Cream + Roasted Almonds: Vegan or otherwise, we’re eating all of this. You’ll have to make your own. (via A Tasty Love Story)
19. Paleo Lemon Blueberry Ice Cream: One excellent thing about ice cream of the vegan, paleo and lactose-free variety is that it can be whipped up in just 20 minutes. Oh, and blueberries. (via My Whole Food Life)
20. Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream: Lose the sugar and sweeten your ice cream up with a bit of natural date mash. It’s surprisingly effective. (via Cook It Lean)
21. Vegan Thin Mint Ice Cream: Leftover Girl Scout cookies? Yeah right, leftover Girl Scout cookies is not a thing… but if you do happen to have an extra box, you should consider throwing them in this minty fresh treat. (via Seitan Beats Your Meat)
22. Vegan Grilled Mango Chipotle Lime Ice Cream: This blogger shares a trick for keeping this dairy-free ice cream creamy without the eggs. It starts with “v” and it rhymes with “podka.” (via Bare Root)
23. Vegan Coconut Rum Hot Fudge Sundae With Sugared Pecans: There are so many things about this recipe that seem too good to be true. Are we dreaming? Nope, it’s just a really great, guilt-free sundae. (via The Pretty Bee)
Any ice cream recipes in your arsenal that you’re willing to share? Do so in the comments below so we can indulge, too!