Author: Discover the magic of these Vegan Ice Cream Bars, made with just 7 ingredients, and a few minutes of prep (plus a touch of patience while they freeze). These bars are budget-friendly, easy to make and so much tastier than store-bought! The filling is a mixture of plant-based yogurt, peanut butter, agave, and crunchy roasted salted peanuts, all coated in a chocolate shell.
Imagine the creaminess of your favorite Magnum or Klondike ice cream bar, but in a healthier, plant-powered version! Mixing vegan yogurt with peanut butter, a drizzle of agave for sweetness, and a sprinkle of salted roasted peanuts, we've achieved an irresistible combo that's nothing short of legendary. Pop these babies in the freezer, and once they're nice and frozen, dive into a melted dark chocolate dip that'll leave you shouting "YUM!" from the rooftops! So easy, and so quick to prepare, you will want to make these all the time.
Why These Vegan Ice Cream Bars Are a Total Win
- Ultra creamy texture: The yogurt and peanut butter create a rich, smooth filling that creamy with just a bit of a tang.
- Total crowd-pleaser: Birthdays, movie nights, or simply a "just because" treat, these ice cream bars have you covered. Brace yourself for endless "Wow, you made these?!" comments!
- Budget-friendly: My homemade version is way more affordable than store-bought vegan ice cream bars. (And much more delicious too!)
- Customizable: Swap out the nut butter, try some fun add-ins, or use a different ice cream flavor to make them your own.
Ingredients for Vegan Ice Cream Bars
Filling
- Vegan yogurt: Use plain, unsweetened yogurt for best control over sweetness. Almond, soy, oat, or coconut all work.
- Peanut butter: For peanut butter flavor, but also richness and creaminess.
- Agave or maple syrup: Optional, depending on how sweet your yogurt is.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the overall flavor.
- Roasted salted peanuts: For crunch and a salty contrast.
Chocolate Coating
- Refined coconut oil: This creates a smooth chocolate shell.
- Vegan chocolate chips: Use good-quality chocolate for the best flavor.
How to Make Vegan Ice Cream Bars
- Make the Filling: In a medium bowl, mix together the vegan yogurt, peanut butter, and vanilla. Taste and add agave or maple syrup if needed. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop about ⅓ cup of the mixture into circles about ½ inch thick. Insert a popsicle stick into each and smooth the mixture over the stick. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts over each bar and gently press them in.
- Freeze and Dip: Freeze until completely solid, about 4 hours or overnight. Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between each, or use a double boiler. Dip or spoon the melted chocolate over each frozen bar. Return to the parchment-lined tray. Freeze again for a few minutes until the chocolate hardens.
Tips and Variations
- Adjust sweetness: If you're using sweetened yogurt, you may not need additional sweetener. But remember that freezing does dull sweetness, so if you're on the fence, err on the side of adding a little extra.
- Try different nut butters: Almond, cashew, or sunflower seed butter all work well if you don't like or have an allergy to peanuts.
- No popsicle sticks? Use wooden skewers, chopsticks, or skip the stick and make Klondike-style handheld bars using parchment paper to hold them.
- Work quickly when dipping: The bars soften fast, so dip them straight from the freezer. If the bars are getting soft before you've finished dipping them, return them to the freezer for a bit and reheat the chocolate when they're nicely chilled again.
Storage
Store these vegan ice cream bars in an airtight container in the freezer. Separate layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. They'll keep well for up to a couple of weeks.
If you try this homemade ice cream bar recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Ice Cream Bars (Peanut Butter & Chocolate!)
Discover the magic of these Vegan Ice Cream Bars, made with just 7 ingredients, and a few minutes of prep (plus a touch of patience while they freeze). These bars are budget-friendly, easy to make and so much tastier than store-bought! The filling is a mixture of plant-based yogurt, peanut butter, agave, and crunchy roasted salted peanuts, all coated in a chocolate shell.
Servings: large ice cream bars (or you can make 6 medium bars)
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Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 cup plain vegan yogurt, (such as soy, almond, oat, or coconut)
- ½ cup natural peanut butter
- 1 - 4 tablespoons agave or maple syrup, (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, (optional)
- ¼ cup roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped
For the chocolate coating:
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips, (or 9oz/ 255g vegan chocolate, roughly chopped)
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the vegan yogurt, peanut butter, and vanilla. If you are using unsweetened yogurt or want your mixture sweeter, add agave or maple syrup to taste. (I used unsweetened yogurt and added 3 tablespoons of agave).
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop roughly ⅓ cup of the filling onto the parchment paper into a circle about ½ inch thick. Repeat to make 4 circles evenly spaced out. Press a popsicle stick into the filling, using a spoon to push the filling over the stick so that it is completely covered. Sprinkle the peanuts over the top of each circle and gently press the peanuts into the filling. Place the tray in the freezer and freeze until solid, about 4 hours or overnight.
- When ready to coat the frozen bars, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave in 20-second increments, stopping to stir, and being careful to not burn the chocolate. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
- Dip or use a spoon to drizzle each bar in the melted chocolate and return to the parchment paper. Freeze again until the chocolate is set (it should take just a few minutes). Enjoy right away or store in the freezer in an air-tight container, separated by squares of parchment paper so that they do not stick to each other.
Notes
Vegan Yogurt Options: you can use any brand of vegan yogurt you like. I used Silk Almond Unsweetened Yogurt. If you use a sweetened yogurt, you can omit or use less sweetener to taste.
Peanut Butter Substitutes: feel free to substitute peanut butter with any nut or seed butter such as cashew butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter. You can also omit or sub the peanuts with another roasted nut or seed.
Popsicle Stick Substitutes: If you do not have popsicle sticks, you could try using strong wood skewers, bamboo chopsticks, or strong reusable straws. You can also omit the stick altogether and make a hand-held version, when eating a bar use a small square of parchment paper to hold the bar so it doesn't melt on your fingers.
Nutrition
Serving: 1large ice cream bar (recipe makes 4) | Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 382mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 1mg
Zosia says
I had a bumper crop of homemade oat-cashew yogurt so when this recipe popped up, it was meant to be. I made it even easier and just poured the batter into a popsicle mould and added choc chips instead of the coating. I experimented and found that adding toppings to the batter is better than putting them at the bottom of the mould. It was super easy and surprisingly tasty. I found it very thick and rich tasting, but I think that depends on your yogurt. Mine was pretty thick to start, so I think I’d water it down more. I also added small frozen berries to some instead of the choc chips and liked that lighter flavour, kinda like PB&J. The recipe seems quite adaptable and much easier if you’re like me and don’t have a high-speed blender or food processor typically used in nice cream recipes. It's a hit! Thanks Sam 🙂
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
That's excellent - thanks for sharing your experience!
Debra says
I just left a comment but forgot rate the recipe.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thank you 🙂
Debra says
After spending a small fortune on a box of non dairy dilly bars at DQ, I made these following the recipe and it was difficult to get the circles to hold their shape but I was able to fashion them into a circle sorta with my spatula after they froze a bit. they were delicious nonetheless. The second time I subbed pb2 for the peanut butter and since my vanilla yogurt already had sugar added, I didn't add any more sweeteners or flavors. I just added a bit of water to the yogurt and PB2 mixture because it seemed to need it. I then used my 1/2 measure to dump 7 circular dollops onto my silicon covered cookie sheet. I thought the first one were a bit large for my husband and I. Maybe perfect for kids but who would waste these on children?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha, so happy you enjoyed them Debra! You can always make mini versions if you prefer 🙂
Linda Christensen says
Amazing! I made a couple of changes - used honey, what I have on hand.. I mixed the peanuts right into the "ice cream". I used a silicon sheet in the freezer. I can't believe how good these are!!! Thank you!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoy them Linda! 🙂
Devon says
Really simple and tasty! Even though I've never found a yogurt I like enough to eat on its own, it still makes a delicious base for this ice cream with the peanut butter!
TofuAnnie says
Devon, I like Kite Hill unflavored non-dairy yogurt. The best tasting I've found.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you loved the recipe Devon! Thank you for your review 🙂
DiegoGal says
So good! I didn't have popsicle sticks, which made for messy eating, but who cares?? Next time I will make them into bite size bon bon portions.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Yum! Great idea!
Patricia says
This looks great. I wish you post some recipes without using oil as many plant based eaters do not use it.
Thanks!
Sarah says
The oil is optional in my opinion. The chocolate I use definitely doesn't need any. It melts smoothly as-is, and it hardens better without the oil too.
Sam Turnbull says
Yes you can omit the oil if you prefer. It just helps thin the chocolate. I also have an oil-free section here on the blog.
Steve says
Respectfully “it’s easier to wear slippers than to carpet the world”. It’s our responsibility to tweak recipes to our own tastes, rather than to ask people to cater to every preference.