Step 1

Wash and cut the peaches, removing the stones.

Step 2

Add all of the peaches in a large pan along with the sugar and a vanilla pod - first slice it in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and then optionally add the entire pod, too.

Step 3

Heat the mixture over medium heat just for about 10-15 minutes to soften the fruit and dissolve the sugar. Then set aside to cool, removing the vanilla pod (it can be washed, dried, and re-used).

Step 4

If you haven’t already, prepare the cashew cream. To do this, first, soak the cashew nuts. You can do this for 30 minutes in boiling water or several hours (or overnight) in room temperature water. I tend to do this the night before, so they’re ready to go.

Step 5

Blend the soaked cashews with water (or the leftover liquid from the can of coconut milk after removing the thick cream).

Step 6

Add all of the peach ice cream ingredients to your food blender and blend into a smooth puree. It will have a few small specs from the peach skins but should be nice and smooth.You can have a smoother mixture if you peel the peaches first, but the vegan peach ice cream color will be lighter.

Step 7

When it’s fully blended, give the mixture a taste and adjust the sweetness.

Step 8

There are a couple of ways you can go about finishing off the peach ice cream.Ice tray method: pour the blended peach ice cream mixture into a silicone ice-cube tray (easier to remove) and transfer it to the freezer until solid. This will take several hours but can be left up to a day in the freezer.Large container method: this method is a little more hands-on as it required you to manually agitate (mix) the ice cream several times during the freezing process - as I did with this caramel ice cream.If you use the second method, then you can ignore the following steps.

Step 9

Transfer the frozen peach ice-cream cubes to your food processor and blend into a soft, smooth consistency.Serve immediately or, if it’s a little soft, place it in an ice-cream container in the freezer for a further 30-60 minutes and then top with your toppings of choice and enjoy!

Step 10

I recommend enjoying this homemade peach ice cream within two weeks for the best flavor, though it should be fine for up to one month. Make sure to store it tightly covered to avoid the formation of ice crystals.Remove it from the freezer for 5-10 minutes before serving to scoop it out more easily.