I’m so excited for today’s ice cream flavor, I could hardly wait until Sunday to share it. These delicious ice cream bars are centered around two of my most used and loved ingredients – sesame tahini and miso paste. I find myself reaching for one or the other almost daily, and adding them to everything from dressings and sauces, to smoothies, soups, desserts and more. Both miso and tahini are perfect for adding complexity to so many dishes, savory and sweet alike, and are both quite nourishing. These vegan tahini ice cream bars, covered with a generous drizzle of miso caramel and chocolate, very distantly remind me of Snickers ice cream bars, which I used to love, but these particular ones are much more healthful and interesting in flavor.
I find the tahini ice cream base to be evocative of halva, and therefore completely irresistible. Miso caramel is a recent discovery I’m very happy with. With its saltiness and creaminess, miso works perfectly for creating a healthy caramel, that I can imagine being useful in many vegan desserts. Once all the components are joined together, these ice cream bars have it all – smooth and creamy texture, combined with sweet and savory notes, just the right hint of salt from miso, and depth and decadence from chocolate.
Read on for some weekend links and enjoy your Sunday :)
Tips to reduce food waste – many delicious tips for economy in the kitchen (NYT)
How to brew your own kombucha – Sarah has created the most comprehensive kombucha-brewing guide I’ve ever seen. I’ve been making my own for years and still learned some new things and useful tips.
Roald Dahl’s important food inventions – a fun read
How to manage your blood sugar naturally – found this article to be quite enlightening
Pinch of Yum’s Income and Traffic Reports – one website’s honest, month-by-month accounts of how they make a living blogging, full of amazing tips for improving your space on the internet.
A dreamy Sag Harbor home – that sun room!
Blog Love – cauliflower shawarma, gluten-free grilled pizza, tahini stuffed dates, matcha chocolate bark
- 2 cans full fat unsweetened Thai cocout milk
- ⅓ cup sesame tahini (I prefer the unhulled variety here)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or ½ teaspoon xanathan gum (optional)
- 1 can full fat usweetened Thai coconut milk (I prefer this brand)
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon neutral extra virgin coconut oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon sweet miso paste
- dark chocolate or chocolate chips for drizzling
- Blend all the ingredients in an upright blender until smooth. Let the mixture chill well in the refrigerator, preferably overnight. Churn in an ice cream machine for 20 minutes or according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Line an 8" x 8" dish with parchment paper, extending it up the sides. Spoon the ice cream into the dish in an even layer and smooth up the surface with the back of a spoon. Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours, or until firm.
- Combine coconut milk and coconut sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring, until thickened to a caramel consistency.
- Remove from heat and whisk in coconut oil, vanilla extract and miso paste, until smooth and well combined.
- Remove the ice cream from the freezer and take it out of the dish onto a cutting board, lifting it out by the extended ends of parchment paper. Slice into 12 bars.
- Generously drizzle with miso caramel and place back into the freezer.
- Melt about 1 cup dark chocolate or chocolate chips on a double boiler. Take the bars out of the freezer and drizzle with melted chocolate. Place back into the freezer to let the chocolate harden. Keep bars in the freezer, covered and take out 5-10 minutes prior to serving.
valentina | sweet kabocha says
I love miso and I can’t wait to try a dessert with this ingredient! Amazing recipe Anya <3
Anya says
Hi Valentina, miso in dessert is sooo good, I also really love using it in this recipe :)
Natalia says
Mmm, tahini is my favorite add in desserts! Sounds too good, Anya!
Anya says
Thank you Natalia!
Denise says
I adore tahini and love miso – such an interesting combination for a frozen dessert!! Not to mention, a drizzle of chocolate – incredible !! : )
Thank you for sharing this recipe – I look forward to making it.
Denise
Anya says
Thank you Denise :) Hope you enjoy it.
Chelsey Crafts says
Delish!
Julia @ Sprinkles & Saturdays says
Oh my god, this looks insanely good. I never thought to put tahini in a dessert but now that I see it here it’s like, duh!!
http://www.sprinklesandsaturdays.com
Anya says
Hi Julia, thanks so much! Tahini in dessert tastes amazing – sweet + savory + creamy.
Jess @Nourished by Nutrition says
Woah these look incredible! The idea of miso caramel is so intriguing. Thanks for sharing this recipe and the link to some pretty awesome reads!
Anya says
Thank you Jess! Glad you are enjoying the links.
Catherine says
I love tahini in almost everything also! The miso is an interesrting idea to replace the salt in the caramel, and I will add some ginger in it. I think we can lighten up the ice cream a bit by replacing one can of coconut milk with almond milk, since tahini is also fat. I will let you know ;)
Anya says
Looking forward to hearing how it turns out, Catherine :)
Nesrien says
I really want to make this but don’t have an ice cream machine! Ugh:( Looks yummy!
Rita says
You don’t need an ice cream machine. Just put the tahini as it is in the freezer stirring every 1/2 hr. for 3 times. So that of course means you don’t have to refrigerate the sesame mixture over night.
Anya says
Hi Rita,
Yes, that should work!
Rita says
Sunday is the day of the week as you know. Sundae is an ice cream Sundae. Kinda same spelling. I’m surprized no one told you the right spelling.
Anya says
Hi Rita,
Ice Cream Sunday is a feature we had on the blog a few years ago, where we would post an ice cream recipe every Sunday. The spelling is all correct here, but thanks for pointing it out.
Erica says
I can’t wait to try this recipe. It sounds so decadent. Is it wrong to want to build the ice cream on top of some kind of crust or cone…graham crackers or pecans come to mind. Do you think that would be too much? How do you serve/eat the bars? With a spoon?
Anya says
I think a crust would be delicious! You can eat it with a spoon/fork or we do handheld (wrapped in a piece of parchment paper). Hope you enjoy it!