Vegan Watermelon Ice Cream Bars
Veganized from Watermelon.org's Watermelon Bars, these smooth and creamy bars are the perfect treat on a hot day. Sweet with a bit of tart from lime juice, these bars will having you reaching for seconds for sure.
Servings: 9 bars
Equipment
- blender
- hand mixer or stand mixer
- food processor (optional, but helpful)
Ingredients
Watermelon Curd
- ¾ cup watermelon juice
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- ½ cup light agave nectar or maple syrup
- pinch of salt
- 6 tbsp aquafaba
- ⅛ tsp cream of tartar optional
- ½ cup vegan butter cut into small cubes (I used Earth Balance)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- ½ tsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
Crust
- 8 graham crackers crushed
- 2 tbsp light agave nectar or maple syrup
- 4 tbsp vegan butter melted and cooled
- pinch of salt
Garnish
- mint leaves optional
Instructions
- Whip the aquafaba with the cream of tartar until fluffy using a hand or stand mixer. When you pull away the "beaters" the aquafaba on the beaters should form stiff peaks when you flip it over(like you're looking at a "v"). If it doesn't maintain the "v" shape, you'll need to continue whipping it.
- Once the aquafaba is fully beaten, make the watermelon curd by combining the watermelon juice, lime juice, agave syrup, and salt in a large pot. Combine those ingredients, then fold in the aquafaba. Add a small amount at first to incorporate it into the mixture. Once it's been incorporated, add the rest.
- Place the pot over medium heat and cook, adding the cubed butter to it and stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken over time, until it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it through a fine mesh sieve. All the mixture to cool completely in your fridge. While it is cooling, make the crust.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Add the graham crackers to a food processor and pulse until rough crumbs form. Add the agave, salt, and melted butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper, then press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Bake the crust for about 10 minutes, or until it just begins to brown. Allow it to cool completely.
- When both the crust and curd are cooled completely, whip the coconut milk with the hand or stand mixer using the cornstarch and cream of tartar. It will get thick and creamy, and less stiff peaks will form than with the aquafaba (basically like a droopy "v").
- In the bowl containing the curd, push the curd to one side. Add the whipped coconut milk to the other, and fold the cream and curd together gently with a rubber spatula until the color is even throughout.
- Pour the mixture over the graham cracker crust. Place the pan in the freezer and let it freeze completely, 4-6 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, loosen the sides by pulling at the parchment paper gently. The bars should pull away from the side easily (otherwise it's not frozen fully). You can remove the bars from the pan completely before cutting or keep them in the pan and cut 9 bars through to the bottom. Add a mint leaf to the top of each bar and serve frozen!