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Dairy-Free Matcha Ninja Creami

June 9, 2025 · Natalie 2 Comments

The ultimate summertime treat for any matcha lover, this dairy-free Matcha Ninja Creami recipe is a healthier alternative to traditional ice cream with all the green tea goodness in a creamy high protein recipe!

Dairy-Free Matcha Ninja Creami (high protein)

How to Make The Perfect Matcha Ninja Creami

Matcha is a delicate flavor, a delicate color, but a dreamy one when you get it right. So this recipe is simple on ingredients to make sure the matcha flavor shines through, with just a little bit of vanilla because it compliments the matcha flavor deliciously well.

Dairy-Free Ingredients Needed For This Protein Ice Cream Recipe

Organic SunButter. Have you ever tried that little trick where you blend water and nut or seed butter to make a quick plant based “milk” without any straining? Well I decided to apply that same trick to this Ninja Creami recipe in place of the almond milk I would typically use, and it worked beautifully! So a couple of tablespoons of my favorite seed butter, SunButter, plus 1 cup of water blends to make the dairy-free base for this ice cream.
Canned coconut milk. To achieve a rich, indulgent, just-like-storebought consistency without any gums or thickeners, you do need a slightly higher fat content ingredient too. And canned full-fat coconut milk is the perfect thing! The flavor of coconut goes really nicely with matcha, and it blends to be super creamy for gorgeous non-icy scoops.
Vanilla protein powder. This is a high-protein ice cream recipe (if you want it to be), so a scoop of your favorite vanilla protein powder is a must. Plant based, grass-fed whey isolate, and grass-fed beef isolate are my favorites. And one scoop of most protein powders will get you to 25-30 grams of protein, which isn’t bad for a pint of delicious matcha ice cream.
Sweetener of choice. Honey or maple syrup are my favorites, but you can skip it if the protein powder alone is sweet enough for you.
Matcha powder. Ceremonial grade ideally, or latte grade if you must. But the higher the quality the more delicious and bold the flavor will be.
Teeny pinch of salt. When it comes to homemade ice cream, it should always be on the list.

Step-By-Step Instructions On How To Make A Matcha Ninja Creami

Step 1: Make the ice cream base. You can do this in the blender, or simply use an electric whisk or even a hand mixer. You just want all of the powders dissolved and the SunButter fully blended with the liquids. I typically choose to use my blender, it’s just fast and easy.

Step 2: Freeze overnight. Freeze the ice cream base in a Ninja Creami pint container for at least 8 hours. So overnight is easy, or make it in the morning to enjoy after dinner.

Step 3: Process into ice cream. Everyone has their own favorite Ninja Creami cycles, but personally I like to start with one cycle of “lite ice cream” followed by one or two cycles of “re-spin” with a splash of milk as needed. Then if I do choose to add toppings, one “mix-in” cycle to evenly distribute those. And dig in!

Tips For Perfecting Your Creami

Don’t skimp on fat. This is ice cream made without dairy, eggs, thickeners, gums, pudding mix, or anything like that. So achieving an ultra creamy consistency is possible, but trickier. And the most important factor is not skimping on fat. So don’t leave out the SunButter or reduce the amount of coconut milk, you really do need both in the amounts listed. The only swap I can approve is real coconut yogurt in place of some or all of the coconut milk.
Soften or microwave before processing. Make life a little bit easier for your Ninja Creami and reduce the number of “re-spin” cycles required by allowing the base to warm up slightly before processing. I like to microwave for about 15 seconds because I am impatient, but you can also just let it sit out on the counter for 10 minutes or so.
Use a high quality matcha. And more of it than you would typically use for a latte. Freezing dulls all flavor, so a little bit more matcha powder than you would use for a warm or even iced drink is necessary to achieve a good matcha flavor.
Use a protein powder you love. Not one you only tolerate hidden in a very busy smoothie. Like I said, matcha is a subtle flavor that isn’t going to hide anything so make sure you like the flavor of your vanilla protein powder with just water or milk.
Add as small a splash of milk as possible. Or none if it’s already creamy-ish after the first cycle. Only if the texture is really powdery do you need the splash of milk. Skipping it will help achieve a true scoop-able ice cream texture instead of a more soft serve experience.

What If I Don’t Have a Ninja Creami?

Don’t worry I got you. Dairy-free high-protein matcha ice cream is still very much possible without this machine, all you will need is a silicone ice cube tray and a good blender or food processor. You are going to blend the exact same ingredients, but instead of freezing in a pint container you are going to fill a silicone ice cube tray with the ice cream base and freeze that for 8 hours. Once frozen, you can pop out the cubes and process them in a food processor with a splash of milk until creamy. It will take some time and require a few stops to scrape down the sides, but I promise super creamy ice cream will happen!

More Matcha Recipes You’ll Love

Dairy-Free Matcha Ninja Creami

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Author: Natalie
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Chilling Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 1 serving 1x
Category: ice cream
Method: frozen
Cuisine: american
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Ingredients

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2 tbsp Organic SunButter
1 cup water
3/4 cup canned coconut milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1–2 tbsp sweetener of choice (optional if your protein powder is sweetened)
2–3 tsps ceremonial grade matcha powder
Pinch of salt

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Instructions

Blend all the ice cream ingredients until smooth.
Pour into a Ninja Creami pint container, and freeze overnight (or at least 8 hours).
Blend on the “lite ice cream” setting. Add a splash of milk. “Re-spin” 1-2 times until creamy.
Add toppings if desired, and enjoy!

Keywords: dairy free, high protein, protein ice cream, snack, dessert, healthy, blender, green tea, vegan

Dairy-Free Matcha Ninja Creami

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Author: Natalie

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Ingredients

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Salted Caramel Ninja Creami (dairy-free)

June 4, 2025 · Natalie Leave a Comment

A delicious dairy-free treat—this homemade high-protein salted caramel Ninja Creami recipe is a healthier alternative to traditional ice cream made with simple ingredients like almond milk, coconut milk, medjool dates, and vanilla protein powder. Topped with the easiest no-cook caramel sauce, it’s ultra decadent but designed for you to eat the whole pint!

Salted Caramel Ninja Creami (dairy-free)

Sun’s out, temps are up, and my Ninja Creami is back to being in daily use. Which called for some fun new recipes to add to the rotation (so I don’t just make the same ol’ chocolate blend every single day, which I am very guilty of), and an ice cream classic like salted caramel seemed like the perfect place to start. It’s one of the most decadent non-chocolate flavors in my opinion—that salty sweet contrast just makes it impossible not to finish the pint. And the easy no-cook caramel sauce we got drizzling on top will definitely take it up a whole new irresistible notch.

Perfect Dairy-Free Salted Caramel Ice Cream in The Ninja Creami

You will need a blender, 6 healthy-ish ingredients, a Ninja Creami pint container, and the patience to wait 8 hours for the most delicious salted caramel protein ice cream. (And don’t worry, I’ll share an option to make it without the Ninja Creami machine later in this post too!)

High-Protein Vegan Ice Cream Ingredients

Almond milk. This can honestly be swapped for almost any type of milk, dairy or not, that you want to use. Cashew or almond is what I typically choose, or a light/carton variety of coconut milk.
Full-fat coconut milk. From a can, but shaken. You don’t need just the cream. You could also swap in greek or coconut yogurt for some of the milk if you want more of a froyo flavor and a slightly higher protein content.
Vanilla protein powder. Everyone has their favorite, but THIS is my favorite plant-based or THIS is my favorite animal based. Or if you want to use unsweetened/unflavored, add more vanilla extract to round out the caramel flavor profile.
Medjool dates. Where all the natural CARAMEL flavor comes from. And the only sweetener you need in this recipe, but due to their not creamy nature you will need to blend the ice cream base before freezing.
Vanilla and salt. Two caramel essentials. Vanilla paste or vanilla bean powder would be extra delicious here!

Step-By-Step Instructions For Making The Creami

Step 1: Blend the ice cream base. With dates in the mix, make sure you do this on high speed until it’s perfect smooth. The dates will also add some nice thickness that makes for extra creamy ice cream.
Step 2: Freeze overnight. Although the overnight part is negotiable, you need at least 8 hours so you can make it early in the a.m. and have ice cream after dinner. That’s what I usually do.
Step 3: Process in the Ninja Creami. My go-to method is one round on “lite ice cream” and then one or two rounds on “re-spin” with a splash more almond milk as needed. If you want to add any mix-ins, they can be added on the second “re-spin” or add an addition “mix-in” cycle to the end.
Step 4: Drizzle with caramel sauce, scoop, and serve. Or, let’s be honest, grab a spoon and finish that whole pint.

Tips For Perfecting The Creami Texture

If you are new to making Ninja Creamis, it does take a little bit of time to perfect the technique and texture. So after a few years and hundreds of Creamis, I do have a few tips to share.

For starters, don’t try to make it dairy-free AND low-fat. It’s not going to work. If you are using a dairy-based shake or milk or pudding mix, you might be able to get away with lower fat content. But if you are using unprocessed ingredients and non-milk proteins, you will need the higher fat content of coconut milk or full-fat coconut yogurt.

Another step that I always do is softening or briefly microwaving (15-20 seconds) the frozen ice cream pint before processing in the Ninja Creami. I actually started doing this because my machine kept getting stuck because the ice cream was too frozen (and digging out the blade by hand is a VERY cold and not fun exercise). But I do think it jump starts the creamy-making process too and might just save you a re-spin cycle.

How To Make The Easy No-Cook Caramel Sauce

This sauce is the easiest and most decadent thing, I don’t know how I existed before it was in my life. I make it all the time to use as a topping or ingredient in recipes like THIS. I will slightly tweak the ratios depending on what I am using it for, or switch up the nut/seed butter I use for subtle flavor variations. But the essential ingredients are: nut/seed butter, coconut oil, sweetener, vanilla, and salt. The nut or seed butter can be any creamy kind you like, my favorites are tahini, SunButter, almond butter, and peanut butter. And the sweetener can be any liquid sweetener you like, honey, agave, and maple syrup all work perfectly. Once you get the ratios right, all you have to do is whisk and you will have the perfect sticky sweet drizzle-perfect caramel that will become your new favorite sweet sauce!

Personally I think caramel sauce is all this delicious salted caramel ice cream needs on top, but you could absolutely add other mix-ins too. Granola, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, sprinkles, cookies, pretzels, fresh fruit—all delicious ideas.

How To Make This Recipe WITHOUT a Ninja Creami

In case you haven’t invested in a two hundred dollar machine that only makes ice cream (understandable!), I wanted to include a method to make this ice cream without the Ninja Creami too. It’s not nearly as effortless, but it does work and is just as delicious.

Start by blending the ice cream base just the same as you would for the Ninja Creami, but then freeze the mixture in an ice cube tray instead of the pint container for the same 8-ish hours. Once they are frozen, pop out the cubes into a food processor, add a splash more milk, and process until you have a creamy soft-serve consistency. You will need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times, it takes some encouragement. I recommend doing this right before serving, if you try to freeze after processing it will become pretty hard and not-creamy again unfortunately.

More Dairy-Free Ninja Creami Recipes For Summer

Salted Caramel Ninja Creami (dairy-free)

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Author: Natalie
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Chilling Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
Yield: 1 serving 1x
Category: ice cream
Method: frozen
Cuisine: american
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup (240ml) almond milk
3/4 cup (180ml) canned coconut milk
1 scoop (30g) vanilla protein powder (or plant based)
2–3 pitted medjool dates
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Caramel sauce

1 tbsp (16g) nut/seed butter (I really like almond butter, tahini, or SunButter)
2 tbsp (40g) maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

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Instructions

Blend all the ice cream ingredients until smooth with no date chunks remaining.
Pour into a Ninja Creami pint container, and freeze overnight (or at least 8 hours).
Blend on the “lite ice cream” setting. Add a splash of milk. Blend on “re-spin” 1-2 times to desired consistency.
Whisk together all the ingredients for the caramel sauce until smooth and drizzle-able.
Drizzle the sauce on top, add toppings if desired, and enjoy.

Keywords: dairy free, healthy, protein, high protein, snack, medjool dates, coconut milk, almond milk, vanilla, ice cream

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Blueberry Monkey Bread

May 27, 2025 · Natalie Leave a Comment

A delicious blueberry twist on monkey bread with a fresh blueberry sauce layered between gluten-free dough balls rolled in cinnamon sugar and topped with a dreamy dairy-free cream cheese glaze. Perfect for a sweet brunch treat or easy heathy-ish dessert!

Blueberry Monkey Bread (vegan + gluten-free)

How To Make Blueberry Monkey Bread

Monkey bread traditionally starts with a yeasted dough, but for the sake of keeping this recipe easy and gluten-free I decided not to go that direction. So this is just a simple one-bowl gluten-free dough recipe utilizing baking powder for rise, and it’s completely vegan too without any eggs or dairy needed.

The Easy Blueberry Sauce

I made the initial test batches of this recipe with store-bought blueberry jam, but the flavor just wasn’t as bright and fresh as I wanted. So I opted to make my own quick stovetop blueberry sauce instead, but you can absolutely use a jar of blueberry jam to save time too.

I prefer to use frozen blueberries for this recipe, but fresh will work too they just don’t break down and get as juicy when heated. Wild frozen blueberries are especially sweet and small and delicious here. You will start by cooking the blueberries with a little bit of sweetener of choice (I used maple syrup, but any kind of liquid or granulated sweetener is fine) until they are bubbling and softening. Then add in a slurry of water, lemon juice, and starch (corn, tapioca, or arrowroot) to thicken up the sauce to just the right spoonable consistency.

I recommend doing this step first so it has plenty of time to cool, because it will thicken significantly as it cools. You can even make it the day before and keep it in the refrigerator overnight.

The Gluten-Free Monkey Bread Dough

This vegan and gluten-free dough comes together quickly in one bowl, but it does need to chill for about 1 hour to make it easy to roll into balls. If you don’t chill they will be too sticky, but if you were to add more flour you would end up with a dry monkey bread after baking. So the 1 hour of chilling is well worth it. The ingredients you will need are:

Unsweetened applesauce. This adds a lot of moisture to the dough, but don’t worry it won’t make for a gummy texture like some gluten-free recipes do. You could substitute with unsweetened dairy-free yogurt.
SunButter. Unlike most monkey bread recipes that contain butter, we are using Natural SunButter instead which keeps the recipe both dairy and nut free but still really rich and tasty. I love the natural variety for baking as it’s just lightly sweetened and salted.
Maple syrup. Or whatever liquid sweetener you prefer, honey or agave work too. There isn’t much sweetness in the dough, most of that comes from the cinnamon sugar coating and blueberry sauce.
Coconut oil. Coconut oil solidifies in the fridge, so this is what helps the dough firm up and become roll-able during that 1 hour chill. It also prevents any gummy-ness from happening with the applesauce or gluten-free flour.
Flax egg. This helps bring some elasticity to the dough so this gluten-free recipe has more of that gluten-ish texture.
Gluten-free flour. A gluten-free mix is best here, I don’t recommend any substitutions.
Baking powder and salt. For rise and flavor.

Assembling The Single-Serving Sized Monkey Breads

Mini bundt pans flip out looking really cute, but ramekins are the easier way to go in my opinion. I haven’t tested this recipe as one full bread, but you could try baking it in a loaf pan altogether. I’d recommend adding 5-10 minutes to the total bake time if you opt for the loaf pan route.

Step 1: Grease the pans or ramekins well. That blueberry sauce is sticky, so especially if you are using mini bundt pans you want to make sure you grease them really well with a nonstick spray or oil.
Step 2: Pinch off pieces of dough, roll into balls, then roll in cinnamon sugar. Place in a single layer in the bottom of the ramekins. I usually have about 6 little balls per layer (5 around the outside, one in the middle) so you can get an idea for sizing.
Step 3: Spoon the blueberry sauce over top of the first layer. About 1 tablespoon total per ramekin, but spread it evenly so each ball of dough is coated. with some dripping down in between the dough balls.
Step 4: Repeat to create a second layer of dough balls.
Step 5: Repeat spooning the blueberry sauce over top of the second layer, and squeeze in a few fresh berries between the dough balls if you wish.

Note! If you are using mini bundt pans, flip this process upside down. So you will start with a layer of blueberry sauce + fresh berries > dough balls > blueberry sauce > dough balls because they will be flipped out and served upside down from how you layer them and you want blueberry sauce on top not bottom. Hopefully that makes sense!

Baking and Serving

The single-serving size does speed up the baking a bit, they will be ready in about 25 minutes. Or you could try the microwave method similar to this recipe if you are really looking for speed. I do recommend cooling briefly – about 15 minutes – before flipping out of the mini bundt pans or glazing and serving in ramekins. The cream cheese glaze is completely optional, there is already lots of gooey goodness going on without it. But it’s pretty simple to whip up and adds some extra sweet sticky goodness!

More Easy Blueberry Treats You’ll Love

Blueberry Monkey Bread

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Author: Natalie
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 25 minute
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: bread
Method: baking
Cuisine: american
Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Ingredients

Scale

Blueberry sauce:

1 cup frozen blueberries
2 tbsp sweetener of choice (I used maple syrup)
3 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp tapioca or corn starch

Dough:

1/2 cup (120g) unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup (65g) Natural SunButter
2 tbsp (40g) maple syrup
1/3 cup (67g) coconut oil, melted
1 flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp warm water)
1 1/2 cups (186g) gluten-free flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

For assembly:

1/3 cup (45g) coconut sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Dairy-free cream cheese glaze:

4oz dairy-free cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1–2 tbsp almond milk

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Instructions

For the blueberry sauce:

Combine the blueberries and sweetener in a saucepan, and heat over medium heat.
In a small bowl, whisk together the water, lemon juice, and tapioca starch.
Once the blueberries are warmed and bubbling, pour in the tapioca starch mixture and stir.
Cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently until it starts to thicken (about 5-8 minutes).
Transfer to a jar, and set aside to cool. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

For the dough:

Prepare the flax egg and set aside to gel.
Use a hand mixer to beat together the applesauce, SunButter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and flax egg.
Add in the dry ingredients and continue mixing to a thick dough.
Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

For assembly:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 3 mini bundt pans or 4 small ramekins well with nonstick spray.
Pinch off about 2 tsps of the chilled dough and roll into a ball. Roll the ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Layer into the ramekins or bundt pans. Once you have a single layer, spoon the blueberry sauce over top of the dough balls.
Repeat to create a second layer of dough balls, then top with more blueberry sauce (if using mini bundt pans, put a layer of blueberry sauce on the bottom since you will be flipping them out and serving upside down). You can add some fresh berries on top between the dough balls too.
Place the ramekins or mini bundt pans on a larger baking sheet.
Bake for 24-25 minutes at 350°F.
Cool for 15 minutes before flipping out (if using mini bundt pans) or glazing.

For the dairy-free cream cheese glaze:

Beat together all the ingredients until creamy and drizzle-able.
Drizzle on top of the warm monkey breads right before serving.

Keywords: gluten free, berry, summer, easy, baking, cinnamon, dairy free, egg free

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Homemade Strawberry Gummies

May 20, 2025 · Natalie Leave a Comment

Looking for a healthier alternative to store-bought fruit snacks? Try making your own easy homemade strawberry gummies with fresh strawberries! This strawberries and cream gummy recipe can be made with gelatin or agar agar powder for a vegan option. The perfect sweet chewy gummy treat for kids and adults!

Homemade Strawberry Gummies (fruit snacks)

When you’re craving gummy candy so you start poking around trying to find a less pure sugar option at the grocery store but quickly become disappointed because even the “healthier” versions still have sugar syrup of some sort as the first ingredient, it’s time to DIY and realize just how EASY homemade fruit snacks can be.

I was on a strong streak of making these orange juice gummies for weeks before I decided it was time to switch things up. So I took my lifelong love of the red gummies in any pack, and combined that with the undebatable deliciousness of strawberries + cream to create homemade strawberries and cream gummies!

Why Make Your Own Healthy Gummies?

There is nothing more upsetting than ripping into a pack of overpriced healthy fruit snacks only to realize one serving is only 5 little fruit-shaped pieces which means you’re definitely going back for a second pack which means the box will be gone in 2.5 days tops. That sad moment can be avoided by making your own, because when you use healthier ingredients like real fruit/juice you can eat half the batch and it’s still just the equivalent of eating a serving of fruit with some extra honey. You also have full control over the ingredients and control over the sweetness level, I’ve made batches with no added sweetener before and they are still delicious. And you can use gelatin for all its great gut and skin benefits, OR opt for agar agar powder to keep your gummies vegan friendly too.

How To Make Your Own Homemade Strawberry Gummies

Making your own homemade strawberry gummies does require a little bit of stovetop stirring, but it’s so quick – less than 5 minutes! If you are using whole fruit like we are in this recipe, you will need a blender and strainer too. If you use fruit juice, you can skip that step. And then the most fun tool you will need is silicone molds in whatever sweet shape you want your gummies to be.

Ingredients You Will Need

There are 4 ingredients for the strawberry layer, and 4 for the cream layer. You don’t have to make both, either are delicious alone, but the textures and flavors are truly so delicious all in one bite.

The strawberry gummy layer
- Strawberries. Fresh or frozen, stems removed and washed.
- Sweetener. I like to use honey or agave, 2 tablespoons will taste more similar to store-bought gummies but 1 tablespoon or none is yummy too.
- Lemon juice. A little tangy balance to the strawberry sweetness.
- Gelatin or agar agar. Whichever fits your lifestyle, but you need one to make the gummies set and give them that chewy texture. Agar is about 3 times as strong as gelatin, so you only need 1/3 the amount.
The cream gummy layer
- Coconut milk. Or coconut cream, either way you want to shake it up before using. This is my favorite brand – smooth and creamy without any gums!
- Vanilla. An essential flavor addition to this creamy layer.
- Sweetener. Adjust to your liking, same as above. But remember, there is no fruit in this layer so less natural sweetness.
- Gelatin or agar agar. And if you opt for the agar agar, make sure you use powder not flakes.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Blend and strain the berries. Preferably in a high-speed blender on high, it should be a beautiful bright red color. Then strain to remove any pulp or chunks or seeds.
Whisk in the remaining ingredients. The sweetener, lemon juice, and gelatin/agar in a small saucepan.
Heat it up. Low to medium heat is plenty, you aren’t trying to get this to a boil just a low bubbly simmer is all you need to dissolve and activate the gelatin/agar. You do want to whisk pretty much constantly during this step. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Cool briefly. Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes or so, just so you aren’t working with hot bubbly fruit juice.
Fill the molds. I just used a spoon, but a squeezable dropper would be great here too. Only fill the halfway, leaving room for the cream to come.
Freeze the strawberry layer. You want it to be partially set before adding the cream layer on top, otherwise they will swirl/mix TOO much.
Repeat with the cream layer. Exact same process, although there is no blending step required for this layer. After it cools for 5 minutes, spoon/squeeze on top of the strawberry layer and let it semi-swirl together.
Refrigerate until set. At least 4 hours in the fridge, then they should pop out easily and be nice and squishy.

Tips and Variations

Using a silicone mold will be easiest and work best. These are the strawberry molds I used, but you can use any shape. Or a silicone ice cube tray will work perfectly if you don’t want to bother with fruity shapes. Or keep it really simple and just pour your gummy mixture into a shallow glass dish, then slice them into squares after they set.

Placing the molds on a sheet pan or other flat stiff surface BEFORE filling them will make it easier to move them to the fridge without tipping or spilling.

Store the gummies in the fridge after they are set, they will last for 2 weeks easily in an airtight container. They will be fine at room temperature for a few hours though if you want to pack them as an on-the-go snack.

There are really endless variations on this recipe with all the different fruits and flavor combinations you could try. Other berries, mango, citrus fruits, etc. Blend them together, or blend separately and layer in the molds. Use fruit juices like orange juice or cranberry juice for more intense sweet flavors. Have fun and experiment!

More Strawberry Recipes You’ll Love

Homemade Strawberry Gummies

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Author: Natalie
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chilling Time: 4 hours
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 36 gummies 1x
Category: candy
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: american
Diet: Low Fat

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Description

Looking for a healthier alternative to store-bought gummy snacks? Try making your own easy fruit snacks with fresh strawberries! This strawberries and cream gummy recipe can be made with gelatin or agar agar powder for a vegan option. The perfect sweet chewy gummy treat for kids and adults!

Ingredients

Scale

Strawberry Layer

2 1/2 cups (350g) strawberries
2 tbsp (40g) honey or agave
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp (36g) grass-fed gelatin or 1 tbsp agar agar powder (not flakes!)

Cream Layer

1 cup (240ml) canned coconut milk or coconut cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp (40g) honey or agave
3 tbsp (36g) grass-fed gelatin or 1 tbsp agar agar powder

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Instructions

Blend the strawberries on high speed with the honey/agave and lemon juice.
Strain to remove any seeds.
Pour into a small saucepan, and whisk in the agar powder.
Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, whisking constantly.
Once the top is covered in small bubbles, remove from the heat and spoon into silicone molds or ice cube trays filling each halfway.
Place in the freezer while you prepare the cream layer.
Rinse the saucepan, then whisk together all of the ingredients for the cream layer in the same saucepan.
Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, whisking constantly.
Once the top is covered in small bubbles, remove from the heat and spoon into the mold on top of the strawberry layer.
Refrigerate 4+ hours until set.
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. They will be fine at room temperature for a few hours, just a bit softer in texture.

Keywords: gummies, fruit snacks, strawberry, berry, healthy, kids, easy, gelatin, vegan, juice, homemade, recipe

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Vegan Key Lime Pie Bars

May 17, 2025 · Natalie Leave a Comment

Creamy vegan key lime pie bars are a healthy-ish spin on key lime pie, with a no-bake coconut crust and sweet-tangy filling made without dairy or eggs. An easy summertime (or anytime) dessert!

How To Make Vegan Key Lime Pie Bars

These easy to make bars start with a no-bake crust made in the food processor with minimal ingredients. Follow that up with a key lime custard that comes together on the stovetop with less than 10 minutes of stirring, and leave the oven off entirely. The fridge does the rest of the work, chilling the bars to a creamy slice-able consistency that’s ready to top with a fluffy swirl (or massive dollop) of coconut whipped cream!

The No-Bake Coconut Crust

With such a tropical filling flavor, I thought it only fitting that we bring some of those beachy vibes into the crust too. That’s why I wanted to use Natural Delight’s Coconut Mini Medjools as the main ingredients in this no-bake crust recipe. A simply delicious combination of sweet sticky Medjool dates rolled in shredded coconut are not only irresistible on their own for snacking (especially from the fridge imo!), but they are the perfect base for a fruit-sweetened crust too. Since key lime pie is traditionally served with a graham cracker crust, I added in a little bit of cinnamon and ginger for extra “cookie” ish flavor. A pinch of salt to balance the sweet, and a little bit of almond flour adds a more crumb-like texture and makes it a little less sticky to work with too.

This crust does come together in just minutes, but the technique is important. You want to use a food processor, not a blender, and you want to pulse not just let it run. If you over blend, the crust will become one big sticky ball. The key is to mix just enough to combine, but not too much. The texture should resemble a streusel almost—large crumbly chunks that stick together when pressed (see photo below).

The Dairy-Free Key Lime Filling

The most citrusy step! With a full cup of fresh squeezed lime juice, you better believe this layer packs a very flavorful punch. The ingredients you will need are:

Key lime juice. Now I realize this is a very seasonal and regional produce item, so if you can’t find them you can substitute 1) bottled key lime juice or 2) regular limes, juiced.
Lime zest. A full tablespoon of it, which is about 1-2 limes worth.
Cane sugar. For color and texture purposes, I did not make the filling fruit sweetened too. Cane sugar works best, or white sugar even. I do not recommend coconut sugar, the flavor profile is not right for this recipe. You could try sweetening with agave or a liquid sweetener, but I haven’t tested that option myself.
Tapioca starch. Since this is a vegan (therefore egg-free) recipe, we need something else to thicken the custard filling. I chose tapioca starch because it’s what I had in my pantry, but arrowroot or cornstarch would work just as well 1-for-1.
Coconut cream. This is what creates the smooth, rich, creamy texture of the dairy-free filling, so don’t try to swap in a lower fat milk in its place. You can use the entire contents of the can though, no need to chill and scrape out just the solid stuff, shake that can up and use it all.

First you want to whisk the dry ingredients into a small amount of the coconut cream just to get rid of any lumps, this is easier with a lower liquid volume. Then once that mixture is smooth, you can add in the remaining ingredients and whisk everything together until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer this citrusy mixture for 5-6 minutes, it will thicken considerably during this time. Make sure you are whisking almost constantly to avoid anything burning on the bottom of the pot. Once it is thickened, remove from the heat and wait a few minutes for it to cool down before pouring on top of the coconut crust.

Serving Suggestions And Topping Options

Personally, I don’t think a slice of key lime pie is complete without some sort of whipped dollop on top. That could be a spoonful of homemade coconut whipped cream, a spoonful of store-bought coconut whipped topping, or a squeeze of any of the of the myriad of canned dairy-free whipped topping options out there these days. A dusting of additional lime zest is a nice touch too for presentation points, but definitely not essential.

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Vegan Key Lime Pie Bars

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Author: Natalie
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Chilling Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 35 minutes
Yield: 16 bars 1x
Category: bars
Method: no bake
Cuisine: american
Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

Creamy vegan key lime pie bars are a healthy-ish spin on key lime pie, with a no-bake coconut crust and sweet-tangy filling made without dairy or eggs. An easy summertime (or anytime) dessert!

Ingredients

Scale

Crust

1 pack (284g) Natural Delights Coconut Mini Medjools
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (56g) almond flour

Filling

1 cup (240ml) key lime juice (or regular lime juice)
1 tbsp lime zest
2/3 cup (140g) cane sugar
1/2 cup (60g) tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
1 13.5oz can (400ml) coconut cream, shaken
Optional: 1/4 tsp matcha powder (for color)

Topping: homemade coconut whipped cream or coconut whipped topping

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Instructions

For the crust:

Line an 8×8″ square pan with parchment paper.
Pulse the Coconut Mini Medjools, spices, and salt in a food processor until broken down and sticky but not one ball.
Add the almond flour. Continue pulsing until the texture is large crumbles.
Press into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

For the filling:

In a medium saucepan with the heat off, combine the cane sugar, tapioca starch, and 1/2 cup of the coconut cream. Whisk until no lumps remain.
Turn the heat on medium, and add the remaining ingredients.
Bring to a boil whisking constantly.
Reduce to a simmer, and continue cooking for 5-6 minutes whisking frequently until thickened.
Remove from the heat, and cool 5 minutes.
Pour on top of the crust, smooth evenly.
Refrigerate overnight.
Slice into 16 squares, top with coconut whipped cream and a sprinkle of lime zest, and enjoy.

Keywords: dairy free, summer, citrus, easy, no bake, healthy, gluten free, coconut

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