I don’t know why I was so slow to warm up to cashew cream. It’s so versatile! Add some lemon juice and a pinch of salt and voila — sour cream. Add some vanilla and a little sweetener and voila — vanilla cream (the filling for my Hazelnut Tarts)! Mmmm….vanilla cream….
While indulging in my new-found love for cashew cream, I accidentally created cookie dough dip. Then I scooped it into balls, froze it, and created cookie dough balls. I love happy accidents!
It seems like all the blogs I read have at least one recipe for cookie dough dip, and I’m always drawn to it because it looks and sounds delicious. But, then I think, “What will I dip in it?” So, I’ve never made any. Until I accidentally did. Ha!
My goal was to create some kind of non-chocolate dessert. My parameters were pretty wide: raw (or as raw as possible considering I can’t consume agave) and vanilla flavored. Pretty easy, right? Right.
1/2 c cashews, soaked
1T vanilla
1T maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
1T almond milk (or water)
1/4 c almond meal
pinch salt
1T Sun Warrior vanilla protein powder (optional)
1/4 c cacao nibs (optional)
Blend cashews, vanilla, maple syrup, and almond milk/water until smooth and creamy. (I used a Magic Bullet for this because the batch of cashew cream was too small to make the Vitamix happy.) Scoop cashew cream into medium bowl and add almond meal and protein powder (if using). Stir to combine. Fold in cacao nibs (if using). Dough should be thick and tacky. Scoop mixture onto parchment lined cookie sheet with a cookie scoop or melon baller and freeze until firm. Store in an airtight container in the freezer and enjoy!
Notes
If your cashew cream isn’t as creamy as it should be, add additional almond milk/water by the teaspoon until thick and creamy.
If you’d like a sweeter cashew cream, add additional sweetener: 1T maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener), or 1/4 tsp stevia powder.
For a sugar free option, start with 10 drops of liquid stevia and increase as necessary. You may also need to increase almond milk/water.
If your cookie dough dip is too thin to form into balls, add additional almond meal.
Make your own almond meal by grinding frozen almonds into dust in a food processor (stop before it turns into butter – frozen almonds will help). Or, dehydrate left-over almond pulp (from homemade almond milk), dehydrate, and grind for a finer texture.
If you choose to use the protein powder, the flavor will become more apparent as the balls age. It may also affect the texture/mouth feel of the cookie dough balls. I didn’t mind the flavor change, but if you think it will be a problem, don’t include the protein powder.
If you want chocolate chocolate chip cookie dough balls, add 1T raw cacao powder to the dough before rolling and freezing.
**********************************
I’m sharing this recipe with the readers of…
Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
Allergy Free Wednesdays @ Gluten Free Pantry
Wellness Weekends @ Diet Dessert & Dogs
Allergy Friendly Fridays @ Cybele Pascal
Veggie V's Vegan Adventure 
Gluten-free cookie dough balls! This really is a happy accident. I used to love cookie dough – that may have been the real reason I baked cookies. I mean, really, it is tedious, all that scooping, moving to a rack to cool, careful not to break . . . brownies are so much easier! One more step back to what used to be normal!
Gretchen: I think we all have a new normal 😉 Enjoy!
Pingback: Allergy Free Recipes | Allergy Free Foods
I want to make these for my son, but he is allergic to almonds. What can I use in place of almond meal? Do these have an “ice creamy” taste? My son recently learned he is allergic to dairy and misses his ice cream.
Laurie: Is he allergic to all tree nuts or just almonds? You can try making nut meal from any nut or seed. The meal is basically one step before a nut or seed turns into butter. My trick to ward off the oils from releasing prematurely is to use frozen nuts or seeds. I’m sure cashew meal would work. Or macadamia nut meal. Or sunflower seed meal. I’m thinking other nuts/seeds might change the flavor, but if you don’t mind that, try something else 🙂
If you’re looking for an ice cream like flavor, try making a larger batch of cashew cream with added coconut oil. Start with 1c soaked cashews, add a splash of vanilla, splash of water, and 1/4+ c liquid sweetener plus 1/4+ c coconut oil (no need to melt if in solid state) – blend until smooth and creamy. Add whatever flavor you want to the ice cream…blend in peppermint oil or fresh mint then fold in chocolate chips or cacao nibs for mint chocolate chip; fold in vanilla bean; blend in cocoa powered or raw cacao (I’d start with a couple TBSP and adjust to taste – if too thick, add more coconut oil). After you decide on a flavor, freeze the mixture in a shallow dish for a firmer ice cream or in a deeper dish for a softer ice cream. TIP: Use room temperature ingredients so the coconut oil doesn’t clump up and refuse to blend.
Hope that helps! There are tons of recipes online for non-dairy ice cream, but most of them require an ice cream maker, which I don’t have (and can’t justify purchasing…yet). Don’t forget banana soft-serve, too! I have a recipe for vanilla and one for chocolate on my recipes page.
Feel free to email me if you want/need some more advice/info <> You can also post questions on the Veggie V Facebook page 🙂
What great creations! I am so in love with all things cashews since making my own cashew milk etc. I am surely going to try these beauties! Ooh yeah! 🙂
I love cashew cream too! It’s so versatile! I just wish cashews were less expensive 😦
Pingback: Top 7 Posts of 2012 | Veggie V's Vegan Adventure