Healthy Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
• 2 tbsp butter (melted; or vegan butter substitute)
• 0.5 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup almond flour
• 0.25 tsp baking powder
• salt (Pinch)
• 0.5 cup freeze dried strawberries (crushed into crumbs)
• 0.5 tbsp butter (melted; or vegan butter substitute)
• 0.25 cup raw cashews
• 0.75 cup oat milk
• 0.75 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen; about 200 g)
• 2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
• 1 tsp vanilla (vanilla bean paste recommended)
• salt (Pinch)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.

2. 2

   In a medium bowl, use a spoon to mix together the maple syrup (or honey), melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.

3. 3

   Add in the almond flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Mix until a dough forms. The dough should be smooth and just slightly sticky.

4. 4

   Pinch 1/2 tsp-sized balls from the cookie dough, and space them out on the baking sheet. You should be able to make about a dozen small cookies.

5. 5

   Press the cookies down so the tops are flat. The cookies will not spread much.

6. 6

   Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. The cookies will be soft when they leave the oven but will firm up as they sit on the baking sheet.

7. 7

   Cool completely before crushing into crumbs, which is easiest if you use a food processor.

8. 8

   Place the raw cashews in a heat-proof bowl, and cover them with boiling water. Let sit for at least 15 minutes to soften.

9. 9

   Drain the cashews and add them to a blender along with the oat milk, strawberries, honey (or maple syrup), vanilla, and salt. Blend until completely smooth.

10. 10

    Place the silicone popsicle molds onto a lined baking sheet or large freezer-safe plate.

11. 11

    Insert a popsicle stick into each mold. Carefully pour the ice cream mixture into the popsicle molds, and freeze for 1 hour.

12. 12

    On a medium plate, mix together the vanilla cookie crumbs along with the crushed freeze dried strawberries.

13. 13

    Pour the melted butter on top, and lightly pinch it into the cookie and strawberry crumbs to create little clumps.

14. 14

    Dip each ice cream bar into the mixture of crumbs, using your hands to press it into the bars so that it sticks to all sides. This is easiest if you allow the outsides of the popsicles to melt slightly first.

15. 15

    Place the coated ice cream bars back on the baking sheet, and repeat until all of the bars are coated.

16. 16

    Freeze for at least 15 minutes before enjoying!

Notes

Storage: Wrap ice cream bars in parchment paper and place in a large airtight bag. Enjoy within 1–2 weeks. If the bars are too hard, thaw at room temperature for a couple of minutes before eating. For the best flavor, use vanilla bean paste in the ice cream.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• frozen
• strawberry
• dairy-free
• gluten-free
• vegan
• summer
• healthy