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Peanut Butter Ice Cream is made with just 4 ingredients and has a rich peanut butter flavor. I love how easy it is to prepare, without using any refined sugar. Try it with Peanut Butter Magic Shell for the ultimate peanut butter sundae!
In fact, you don’t even need to use milk in this recipe! Just like almond milk is made by blending together almonds an water, the peanut butter in this recipe will make a “creamy” texture when blended with water.
You can use your favorite milk, if you want to, but it’s not necessary, in this case.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in peanut butter ice cream? Here’s what you’ll need:
- Peanut Butter
- Maple syrup
- Vanilla
- Water or milk
It doesn’t get much easier than that, right? The peanut butter adds flavor and creaminess, and the maple syrup adds sweetness and a little more dimension to the overall taste.
If you prefer a peanut butter & honey flavor, you can definitely swap honey for the maple syrup, if you don’t need a vegan recipe.
How to Make Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Be sure to freeze the bowl of your ice cream machine for at least 24 hours in advance, if your machine requires it. (Not all of them do, but mine does.)
1. Blend. Add the 4 ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste the mixture, and add a little more maple syrup or salt, if you feel like the flavor needs a boost.
2. Process. Pour the blended mixture into the frozen bowl of your ice cream machine, and process until it’s thick and creamy, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Don’t have an ice cream maker? Pour the mixture into an airtight container and freeze it for 8 hours, or until firm. Try to stir it every hour or so, to help incorporate air into the ice cream. This will help make it creamier!
3. Enjoy! You can enjoy this peanut butter ice cream straight from the ice cream machine for a soft serve consistency, or transfer it to an airtight container and freeze for 2 to 4 hours, for a more firm, scoop-able consistency.
This ice cream will keep well in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months, but it does start to get a little icier over time. Since this recipe makes roughly 3 cups total, it doesn’t last long in our house, anyway!
Helpful Tips
Which peanut butter works best? I use all-natural peanut butter, so the only ingredients on the label are peanuts and salt. I’m not sure how peanut butters with added oil or sugar will act in this recipe.
Can I swap the sweetener? I think peanut butter + honey are a delicious combination, if you don’t need a vegan recipe. If you need to use a granulated sugar, I’d start with a 1/2 cup and add more to taste, if needed.
How to make a peanut butter chocolate ice cream? Once the ice cream thickens, drizzle magic shell into ice cream while it’s still running. You’ll get crunchy chocolate ribbons throughout the ice cream this way! You can also just add cacao powder to this recipe, but you might want to balance it out with an extra tablespoon or two of maple syrup, since chocolate is more bitter in flavor.
Want to use another nut butter? You can use almond butter, hazelnut butter, pistachio butter, or even sunflower seed butter for a different flavor. The ice cream will taste like whichever ingredient you use!
Make a PB&J Sundae: Add some chia seed jam on top for a naturally-sweet, peanut butter & jelly flavor.
More Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipes
- Almond Milk Ice Cream
- Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream
- Vegan Mint Chip Ice Cream
- Pistachio Ice Cream
- Avocado Ice Cream
- Coffee Ice Cream
- Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream
- Peach Ice Cream
- Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Be sure to freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker at least 24 hours in advance, if your ice cream machine requires it. In a blender, combine the water, peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla, and blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the frozen bowl of the ice cream maker, and process until thick and creamy, about 30 to 35 minutes.
- You can enjoy the ice cream right away for a soft serve consistency, or transfer it to an airtight container and freeze for 2 to 4 hours more, for a more firm, scoop-able consistency. Leftover ice cream can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this Peanut Butter Ice Cream, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it!
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Reader Feedback: Which ice cream flavor would you like to see next?
Hi there, I just stumbled across this recipe and am excited to try it. Could you use coconut milk instead of water to give it some fat? Thanks!
Sure, there’s already plenty of fat in the peanut butter, but if you want to add more I think coconut milk would work, too.
Proof that ice cream is easy to make and doesn’t need a lot of ingredients! This is so good. We nearly ate it all straight from the ice cream machine. Love topping it with dairy free dark chocolate chips.
The most amazing ice cream I have ever made. Highly recommend and can’t wait to make with other but butters!
In love with this easy recipe! I haven’t had any dairy and was craving some creamy rich ice cream!! Added some of my favorite four sigmatic peanut butter protein to it, and wow, got the creamiest rich ice cream consistency and extra protein!!!