### Vegan Nutella Ice Cream: A Whimsical Indulgence
Friends! The lightest, most delightful dessert for Nutella enthusiasts has arrived: vegan ice cream crafted with chocolate and hazelnuts. It’s rich, dreamy, incredibly tasty, and quite simply perfection! Especially when you’re in the mood for a sweet indulgence on a balmy summer afternoon.
#### Ingredients
Only **6 ingredients** are needed for this (should we say) MASTERPIECE. It’s destined to be made repeatedly in our ice cream maker throughout the season. Grab your cones. Let’s whip up some Nutella ice cream!
1. **1 cup raw hazelnuts**
2. **1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks**
3. **2 (14-oz.) cans light coconut milk**
4. **1/4 cup cane sugar**
5. **1 tsp vanilla extract**
6. **1/8 tsp sea salt**
#### Instructions
1. **Prepare the Ice Cream Maker**: The day before you plan to use it, place your ice cream churning bowl in the freezer to achieve a proper chill.
2. **Toast the Hazelnuts**: Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) and spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a bare baking sheet. If they are raw, roast for about 10-12 minutes. If already roasted, toast them for 8-10 minutes just to warm the natural oils and loosen the skins. Take them out of the oven and let them cool a bit. Then, transfer to a large kitchen towel and use your hands to roll the nuts around to take off most of the skins.
3. **Blend the Hazelnuts**: Move the hazelnuts (skins removed) to a high-speed blender and start blending on low, gradually increasing to high, breaking down the hazelnuts as finely as possible until they resemble small crumbs.
4. **Melt the Chocolate**: In a small saucepan set over low heat, melt the chocolate while stirring continuously, until about half of the chocolate chips have melted (~1 minute). Remove from heat and stir until entirely melted.
5. **Create Nutella**: Pour the melted chocolate into the blender with the hazelnuts. Blend on low, then gradually increase to high until the hazelnut butter is completely smooth and well combined (around 3 minutes). Set aside 3 tablespoons of the mixture for later use.
6. **Incorporate Remaining Ingredients**: To the blender with the rest of the Nutella, add the light coconut milk, cane sugar, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
7. **Chill the Mixture**: Pour the mixture into an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
8. **Churn the Ice Cream**: Add the slightly chilled mixture to your ice cream maker and churn as per the manufacturer’s guidelines (approximately 30 minutes). Drizzle the reserved Nutella on top of the ice cream and gently fold it in to form a swirl.
9. **Freeze or Serve**: You can enjoy your ice cream immediately for a softer consistency, or transfer it to a large freezer-safe container, smooth it with a spoon, cover with parchment paper, and freeze for at least 1 hour or until firm.
10. **Serving**: Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving to soften slightly. Keep well-covered in the freezer for up to 1 month.
#### Nutritional Information (per 1/2-cup serving)
– **Calories**: 277
– **Carbohydrates**: 21.5 g
– **Protein**: 3.6 g
– **Fat**: 21.2 g
– **Saturated Fat**: 9.4 g
– **Cholesterol**: 0 mg
– **Sodium**: 31 mg
– **Potassium**: 103 mg
– **Fiber**: 2.8 g
– **Sugar**: 17 g
– **Calcium**: 44 mg
– **Iron**: 2.2 mg
This ice cream is the ideal dessert for anyone who adores Nutella or is dairy-free/vegan and enjoys ice cream! Relish this creamy, chocolaty, nutty, fluffy, perfectly sweet, light yet fulfilling treat all summer long!