I think I?ve mentioned before that strawberries were an important part of my childhood. I actually don?t have that many specific memories of being a kid, but the taste and smell of fresh strawberries is a vivid one. We had a strawberry patch in my backyard and I remember helping my mom pick the ripe ones. She?d hull the strawberries over the sink and make strawberry shortcake for dessert on hot, humid, summer nights. As a lover of strawberry desserts, I had to try my hand at making vegan strawberry ice cream. I am so pleased with the result! This strawberry basil ice cream contains a whole pound of ripe strawberries and it tastes just like summer in a dish.

Making vegan ice cream is somewhat of a science. The reason dairy-based ice cream is so smooth and creamy is because of its high fat content. Coconut milk is the closest in fat to dairy milk, but I know not everyone enjoys the taste. I made this strawberry basil ice cream with almond milk and a whole cup of cashews to achieve a rich texture without coconut and I think it makes a pretty great alternative.
Almond milk is watery compared to other non-dairy milks, so this ice cream freezes pretty quickly. After a spin in the ice cream maker, transfer it to a loaf pan or container with a lid and set it in the freezer to firm up for a few hours. I added some strawberry chunks in towards the end and I highly recommend it. There?s nothing like taking a bite of ice cream and getting an extra burst of strawberry flav...