Raw Vegan Reese’s Pieces Caramel Ice Cream Bowl
Today we are making a Raw Vegan Reese’s Pieces Caramel Ice Cream Bowl! This delicious dessert like a mouthful, but this is the most decadent, raw vegan ice cream bowl ever! It’s a rich and creamy chocolate peanut butter ice cream (made of frozen banana base as the main ingredient, so all fruit-base!)
Then we make raw chocolate peanut butter energy balls (yes, like a raw Reese’s Pieces cookie dough all throughout this sweet treat) and a peanut butter date vegan caramel. Medjool dates (literally my favorite thing ever) provide the perfect softness and caramel-like texture to blend and make a caramel flavor for this recipe. This entire recipe is made in a blender, so no ice cream maker needed either!
There’s also tons of chocolate and peanut butter flavor when you combine all of these components of the recipe together. It’s the ultimate ice cream bowl (especially if you’re a peanut butter lover – it’s like PB cups but inside out so like chocolate PB smoothie bowls) and the perfect whole foods dessert for when you want a decadent recipe, don’t want to cook but also want to get in tons of nutrients, vitamins and minerals using real food, healthier alternatives to make this next level as compared to anything you can find in a grocery store!
Why You’ll Love This Raw Vegan Reese’s Pieces Caramel Ice Cream Bowl
Multiple Layers: This ice cream bowl has multiple components and layers to it. A raw peanut butter date caramel, chocolate peanut butter energy balls and a Reese’s ice cream base to serve it all up in! All of these ingredients are raw, or can be made fully raw, such as using raw peanuts instead of roasted ones. This frozen treat is chock-full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and good-for-you, simple ingredients, but also tastes very rich due to all the healthy fats and natural sugars from the dates, so no need to add maple syrup or additional sweetener. It’s the perfect treat to make with kids, or make as dessert for after dinner!
Substitutions: Nuts & Nut Butter
Peanut Butter: Use natural, creamy peanut butter. Natural peanut butter only contains one ingredient on the label – roasted peanuts! It should not have additional oils or sugars. To keep it fully raw, you will have to make your own peanut butter at home using raw peanuts, not roasted peanuts as in the store-bought versions. Do not substitute the peanut butter with another nut butter – the Reese’s flavor only comes through with peanut butter, not almond butter or another nut or seed butter.
Peanuts: Use roasted, salted peanuts for this recipe. To keep it fully raw, use just raw peanuts instead of roasted and salted, as they contain oils and have been subject to heat, a certain temperature above which is not suitable for fully raw diets.
Walnuts: Use blanched almonds, regular almonds or pecans instead. For a nut-free option, try oat flour or shredded coconut.
Substitutions: Chocolate
Raw Cacao Powder: Cacao is the raw, unprocessed version of cocoa powder, which is the bitter chocolate powder commonly used in baking. You can also use cocoa instead of cacao, although it won’t have as many health aspects to it as raw cacao.
Vegan Chocolate Chips: Check the ingredient list to make sure there are no added milk products in the chocolate chips (so they are vegan). For best results, use semisweet chocolate chips. For a slightly more bitter (and lower in sugar) option, use dark chocolate chips. You can even find refined sugar-free chocolate chips in the natural foods aisle of some grocery stores for a refined sugar-free option. For a fully raw option, use cacao nibs.
Substitutions: Other
Plant Milk: Substitute with another neutral, unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice. Full-fat coconut milk can work, but will lend a coconutty taste. Same goes for other plant milks – try the milk cold, straight form the fridge before using in this recipe. If you enjoy the taste straight from a cup, then it should be good to use here. You can also use half coconut cream, half plant milk for a super rich and creamy texture, albeit having a very strong coconut flavor.
Bananas: Buy a bag of frozen bananas, or freeze your own bananas that are starting to get spotty. If they are partly spotty, not too dark and not too yellow, then they’re perfect to chop up. You can put them into a Ziploc bag or freezer-safe container, and freeze for this recipe! Do not use room temperature bananas, as they will not have the same consistency for a milkshake!
Vanilla Extract: Choose a high-quality vanilla extract, without additional caramel color or dyes. You can also use pure vanilla flavor, which is non-alcoholic so can’t have the “extract” label.
Raw Vegan Reese’s Pieces Caramel Ice Cream Bowl Recipe Notes
- To make this ice cream bowl even more decadent, top with vegan whipped cream! Gay Lea brand makes delicious coconut-based whipped cream that comes from an aerosol can, similar to dairy-based whip.
- Drizzle vegan melted chocolate over this ice cream bowl for an extra decadent recipe before eating!
More Raw Vegan Desserts & Ice Cream Recipes You’ll Love
Chocolate Coconut Banana Ice Cream
If you make this Raw Vegan Reese’s Pieces Caramel Ice Cream Bowl, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
Raw Vegan Reese’s Pieces Caramel Ice Cream Bowl
Equipment
- High-speed blender or food processor
Ingredients
For the Energy Balls
- 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup Medjool dates pitted
- ⅓ cup raw walnuts
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp pink salt
For the Peanut Butter Caramel
- ½ cup Medjool dates pitted
- 1 tbsp roasted peanuts
- 1 tbsp creamy peanut butter
For the Ice Cream
- 1 medium frozen banana
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- splash plant-based milk as needed, for blending
Instructions
For the Peanut Butter Caramel
- Blend together all caramel ingredients until smooth. Empty the blender cup and set aside.
For the Energy Balls
- In the same blender cup, blend together all energy ball ingredients until a dough forms. Empty the cup, shape the dough into a few balls and set aside.
For the Ice Cream
- In the same cup, blend all ice cream ingredients together in a high-speed blender or food processor, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, until an ice cream consistency forms.
- Pour the ice cream out into a bowl.
- Drop spoonfuls of the caramel over the ice cream, using a knife to swirl it around the bowl.
- Add in the energy balls over top to complete the bowl. Enjoy it cold!
