Dairy-free Brownie Ice Cream Pie

Brownie. Ice Cream. Pie. Can you imagine those three words combined into one delicious, dairy-free dessert!? It’s true, this dairy-free brownie ice cream pie is the perfect dessert for any occasion and is sure to satisfy your ice cream cravings. Not only is this beautiful, delicious pie dairy-free, but it is also super fun and easy to make. I love pie, and I love ice cream, so this dessert could not make me happier! And I think you’ll quickly fall in love with it too!

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Modern Pioneer Recipe

Well, this recipe is not quite a modern pioneer recipe. While I know that making ice cream from scratch was a special treat for many early homesteaders, I know the early pioneers did not have access to the supplies or the time to make ice cream. Never mind making an ice cream pie!

However, as modern pioneer, I am so glad I have the privilege to enjoy some of my favorite desserts all combined into one delicious pie! That’s not to say that this recipe is not healthy though! Yes, it is a dessert, but as far as desserts are concerned, I think this one is pretty healthy, or at least it’s allergy friendly.

When you think of ice cream, you might immediately think of dairy. I don’t though! My mind goes directly to coconuts… because dairy-free coconut milk ice cream is the best! And it’s dairy-free! Well, this ice cream pie uses dairy-free ice cream, but it is also free from other common allergens too:

• grain-free
• gluten-free
• dairy-free
• tree nut free
• corn free
• peanut free option

Choosing Ice Cream

Welcome to the world of dairy-free ice cream! When I first went on an anti-inflammatory diet, I thought for sure I was going to have to give up my beloved ice cream. However, thanks to some amazing dairy-free ice cream alternatives, I now prefer coconut milk ice cream over regular ice cream any day! Over the years I have tried three main name brands of coconut milk ice cream:

• SoDelicious coconut milk ice cream
• NadaMoo coconut milk ice cream
• Coconut Bliss dairy-free ice cream

Each brand is slightly different but they all offer a wide range of flavors. SoDelicious brand even makes other dairy-free ice cream alternatives including an almond milk ice cream, oat milk ice cream, and soy milk ice cream.

Let’s review each brand and I will tell you my preferences. For the ingredients, I have listed the basic ingredients in each flavor, but the ingredients may vary slightly depending on the flavor.

#1. SoDelicious Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Ingredients: organic coconut milk (water, organic coconut cream), organic dried cane syrup, inulin, carob bean gum, guar gum

When I first started going dairy-free, SoDelicious was the first ice cream I found that I could have. Not only was I looking for a dairy-free ice cream, I also did not want it to be choked full of sugar. One ingredient that I do not care for in the SoDelicious ice cream is the cane sugar. The sugar content is approximately 15g in a 1/2 cup serving (may vary depending on the flavor).

However, SoDelicious does offer a ‘no sugar added’ option of some of their coconut milk ice cream flavors. The ‘no sugar added’ option contains erythritol which can set off some people’s blood sugars. The sugar content of the ‘no sugar added’ option is 1g plus 5g alcohol sugar per 1/2 cup serving.

One other aspect of the SoDelicious coconut milk ice cream is that it is a very firm ice cream. It can be hard to scoop out of the container and is not as creamy as traditional ice cream. I often set it in the fridge for a few minutes before I serve it or even set it on the counter if I wanted it to soften faster!

#2. NadaMoo Ice Cream

Ingredients: organic coconut milk, water, organic agave nectar, organic inulin, organic tapioca syrup solids, organic guar gum, sea salt, organic locust bean gum

NadaMoo was the next dairy-free ice cream brand I stumbled across. I fell in love with the first bite! I like that this ice cream does not contain as much cane sugar as the SoDelicious ice cream. It still does contain some cane sugar in certain flavors, but the amount is significantly decreased compared to SoDelicious ice cream. NadaMoo only contains approximately 10g of sugar per 1/2 cup serving (depending on the flavor).

The other thing that I LOVE about NadaMoo ice cream is its soft, creamy texture. It pretty much resembles regular ice cream when it comes to texture. You don’t have to set this carton out on the counter to get it softened! This is pretty much melt in your mouth ice cream!

P.S. My favorite NadaMoo ice cream flavor is salted caramel! It’s the best!

#3. Coconut Bliss Ice Cream

Ingredients: organic coconut milk (organic coconut, water, organic guar gum), organic agave syrup, organic coconut cream, organic vanilla extract

Coconut Bliss is the third dairy-free ice cream brand that I have tried. It is very similar to NadaMoo in both ingredients and texture. I do like that Coconut Bliss contains only a little cane sugar in some of their flavors (like the mint variety). However, it does have an overall higher sugar content, containing about 14g of sugar per 1/2 cup serving (may depend on the flavor).

The flavor and texture of this ice cream is fantastic! The texture is pretty much the same as NadaMoo, nice and smooth and creamy.

Making the Choice

So, if I had to choose a favorite dairy-free ice cream brand from the three brands I mentioned above, I would probably choose NadaMoo. I prefer their ice cream because it contains minimal cane sugar, is the lowest in sugar of the three brands, and has a smooth, creamy texture.

However, you can feel free to use whatever brand suits your needs the best for this pie! You can even use other dairy-free ice cream alternatives in this recipe. Almond milk based ice cream will work, as will oat milk, or even try making your own homemade ice cream to use in this pie!

While this brownie pie is based off of cookie and cream flavors, you can really make it into whatever flavor your want. Another popular option that I like to make is a mint version. I add mint extract to the brownies and use mint ice cream for the pie. You can even make thin mints and crumble them on top of the pie or use candy canes to bring the mint flavor even further!

I would love to know what flavor you like best! Also, make sure you check out these ice cream cookie sandwiches when you are done making this pie. They are super good too and allergy friendly as well!

Allergy-Friendly Options

Now that you have some dairy-free ice cream alternatives, I want to discuss some of the other allergy friendly ingredients that you use to make this pie.

Let’s start with the brownie base. The brownie recipe that I have included in the printable recipe works great and tastes great with the pie, however, I now have a different brownie recipe that can also be used. These grain-free cake brownies work great for this pie as well. Plus they are peanut free, dairy-free, and gluten-free as well.

For the coconut cream topping, you also have several options. I made my own whipped coconut cream to spread on top, but you can also buy SoDelicious CocoWhip to use as dairy-free whipped cream option. Alternatively, just use more ice cream for the topping!

Now for the cookie crumbs! Pretty much the options are endless for what cookies you want to crumble for the topping! When going with a cookies and crème version, my go-to cookies are Kinnikinnick Kini-Toos chocolate sandwich cookies. These are my absolute favorite store-bought cookie and they are allergy friendly too! Kini-Toos are gluten-free, dairy-free, nut free, and corn free!

However, if you need some grain-free options, I’ve got plenty of those too! Check out these recipes that you can easily whip up and then crumble for topping the pie with!

• Grain-free double chocolate cookies (this is a very versatile recipe!)
• Grain-free mint chocolate cookies
• Gluten-free s’more cookies
• Grain-free snickerdoodles

Recipe Tips

Now, making an ice cream pie can be kind of tricky (just ask Anna, who has to make one every year for my birthday). However, I enjoy working in the kitchen and have a few tips tucked up my sleeve that help make assembling this ice cream pie easy and fun! Here are some recipe tips:

• Bake your brownie and let it cool completely (refrigeration helps at this point) before slicing it in half.
• Turning the brownie up onto an edge and then slicing it like a bagel works best for getting an even cut all the way through.
• If you don’t want to go through the hassle of cutting the brownie in half, you can also just layer the ice cream on top of the brownie instead of making a giant ice cream sandwich with the brownie.
• Freeze the brownie halves before proceeding with adding the ice cream. Also, put the pie plate that you are going to assemble the pie in into the freezer as well.
• NadaMoo Ice Cream: let unthaw at room temperature for 2-3 minutes
• SoDelicious Ice Cream: let unthaw at room temperature for 10-15 minutes
• Coconut Bliss Ice Cream: let unthaw at room temperature for 2-3 minutes
• I used a stainless steel spoon and rubber spatula to spread the ice cream onto the brownie.
• After assembling, let the pie re-freeze completely before adding the coconut cream topping and cookie crumbs.

Making an ice cream pie is actually quite easy as long as you keep in mind the principle of keeping everything super cold for assembly! This dairy-free brownie ice cream pie is super fun to make and tastes absolutely amazing! I love making both a cookies and crème version as well as mint chip version!

Where to Find the Ingredients:

• Navitas cacao powder
• Nutiva coconut sugar
• Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
• Bob’s Red Mill arrowroot flour
• Great Lakes unflavored gelatin
• Nutiva coconut oil
• Simply Organic vanilla extract
• Supplies: 9″ glass pie plate, parchment paper

This dairy-free brownie ice cream is one of my go-to desserts when I need to bring an allergy-friendly option to family gatherings and birthday parties. It goes over great and usually everyone wants to try a sliver even if they don’t have dietary restrictions! Then again, how could you resist a giant brownie ice cream sandwich with crushed Oreo cookie crumbs on top!? Of course, this pie can customized to whatever flavor suits the occasion, and, now that you have a few tips and tricks under your belt, making an ice cream pie should be a breeze!

I know this is a modern pioneer recipe, but if you want to check out some traditional pioneer recipes, then make sure you check out the Pioneer Cookbook you get when you join our weekly modern pioneer newsletter! There’s recipes you won’t want to miss, plus you’ll get a new recipe to try every week!

by Alexa