I have but one question for you today. What would you do-oo-oo for a vegan-version, "Klondike-inspired" Chocolate Coated Ice Cream Bar? Well you don't have to shimmy or shake or hop on one foot. You just have to get in the kitchen and make it. Easy. No, really, it is! Chocolate Coated Ice Cream Bar bliss awaits you..
It seems the 80's and 90's are back in style. I mean seriously, have you been to Urban Outfitters lately? Or any trendy store, really. Whitewashed jeans, floral everything, neon, crop tops, patterns, shapes and stripes that remind me of the intro to "Saved by the Bell" and I even (gasp!) saw a few bodysuits on the racks. Lets NOT bring back that trend ladies.
And one treat from my 80's + 90's childhood was The Klondike Bar!
Klondike Bars. I used to adore those foil-wrapped ice cream bars. The silky white cream, covered in a thin shell of crispy dark chocolate, all melty and amazing. I think we actually always had them in our freezer, back in the day. Is that normal? Looking back.... Probably not.
Now to veganize this treat via an easy recipe I did a few tweaks and, well, upgrades to the original concept bar.
So. Here they are. Klondike Bars. Veganized. And kinda even more amazing than ever. If you ask me.
Watch my how-to video then get the recipe below!
(psst.. I used the raw option of the chocolate coating in the video, but the chocolate chip option in the photos. Both were delish!)
Seven steps:
1) Blend up the vegan ice cream. Totally homemade in your blender. (Side step: Prep any ice cream add-ins - optional. (Caramel and nut butter swirls can be fun to add like in this recipe.)
2) Chill the ice cream in a square dish - I use a bread loaf pan.
3) Mix up the chocolate.
4) Remove ice cream block. Slice the bars.
5) Dip bars. Double dip.
6) This one is easy --> eat the bars. (Oh, and for complete flashback fun, wrap the bars in some foil.)
7) Freeze leftovers for future blissfulness.
Got it? Easy. You can totally do this.
The recipe below uses vanilla bean "ice cream" but you can do chocolate, swirled or really any version vegan blender ice cream you want.
Chocolate Dipped Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Bars
By
Published 05/14/2014
tools: blender, metal bread pan or brownie tin, chilled - spatula, knife, parchment paper
Ingredients
- Banana blender ice cream:
- 2-3 large ripe frozen bananas
- vanilla bean flavoring (1 whole vanilla bean - seeds scraped, pinch vanilla bean flakes or β teaspoon vanilla extract)
- Β½ cup + 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk (almond or soy milk advised. Use coconut milk for extra richness!)
- Choose one option for coating:
- Chocolate Chip Version: β cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + ΒΌ cup coconut oil
- Raw Version: 2 tablespoon cacao powder + β cup coconut oil + pinch of salt
Instructions
- Place the metal brownie or loaf pan in the freezer before getting started. Having a chilled pan helps the ice cream freeze more quickly.
- Add the ice cream ingredients to a high speed blender, start blending until the bananas become thick and creamy like a very thick shake or smoothie. The thicker the better. Pour the mixture into the chilled bread loaf pan. Optional: fold in any ice cream add-ins like nuts or chocolate chips. Place the pan in the freezer to chill and harden for at least two hours. The ice cream needs to be rock hard when you remove it from the pan.
- Bar prep time! First you will prepare the chocolate coating. For the chocolate chips option, simply melt the chips and oil in the microwave in thirty second increments, stirring well at each stopping point, until the mixture is silky and melted. For the raw version, you want to melt your coconut oil using a hot water bath (or you could warm in the microwave too) and then simply stir the cacao powder into the melted oil. For both methods, allow the chocolate to cool for at least two minutes before you start dipping the squares.
- Grab your ice cream dish from the freezer. Loosen the edges with a butter knife. When the edges are slightly melting and obviously loosened, flip over the pan, onto some parchment paper or a large flat plate. You want to ice cream out in one large piece. It will still be quite hard. Next you start slicing the ice cream into squares and rectangles.
- Now for the fun part! Lay out some parchment paper on a large tray and one by one start coating your bars in chocolate. Using your fingers, dip the cold bar into the chocolate, flip quickly to coat all sides and then place on the parchment paper. The technique takes some practice so start with your smaller or less desirable ice cream squares. Repeat until all the bars are done. You can then do a double dipping session for the bars if you'd like. You can eat the bars right away or place this tray in the freezer. You could also double dip the bars after freezing for a few minutes if they are getting too melted during the dipping process.
- That is it! You are done! Now you can dive into a bar or store them in a sealed container in the fridge to enjoy later. Foil-wrapping optional!
Yield: 7-8 bars
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.
Tags: vegan,dessert,chocolate,ice cream,bars
Get creative! Add nuts, popped rice cereal anything you'd like!
simi says
Does it still tastes like banana when you add the vanilla or just like vanilla??
Giselle and Cody says
Ohh my......we have been away from home for quite some time. Can't wait to try these when we head home next week!!
Kathy Patalsky says
You will love them! π
Celina T says
wow! is there any way to make the chocolate coating fat free? (replace coco oil with dates or something?)
Kathy Patalsky says
Not that I can think of. The fat is what solidifies when it hits the ice cream. There is probably some way if you rely on the freezer to solidify everything... Date cacao purΓ©e could work maybe!
obxmaureen says
AWWW, your kittie looks like my kittie Milo and my foster kittie Starr. Black cats are the best! And, your chocolate bars look amazing! Thanks for the great video and for introducing us to Mr White
Sophie says
Waw! Another fabulous creation! I made chocolate banana ice-cream & coated it into chocolate with chopped nuts! Divine! x
Cheryl W. says
Made these and blended in some vanilla protein powder to the bananas--and WOW. What a ridiculously decadent no-sugar-added treat! You're amazing--and adorable. LOVE the videos, love to see you spunky and smiley again. π
Julia Ralston says
Whoot, get to play in chocolate, what fun. Kathy, I love your videos, they are so real and natural. Thanks for having Mr. White make an appearance, he is a-dor-able.
Kathy Patalsky says
Thank you Julia!
RockMyVeganSocks says
Oh I am totally psyched about these!!!! I really like vegan ice cream bars but they are so pricey and sometimes have weird ingredients I can't pronounce. These sound awesome and easy to make =)
Raquel @ My California Roots says
I loved seeing your video! It's always really neat to actually see the real person behind these blogs in action. And these bars look amazing! I've yet to try any of your banana ice creams, but I've got a few bananas in the freezer just calling my name!
Kathy Patalsky says
Thank you Raquel!
LIndsey at TheGreenPenn says
That video! haha! I love your notes at the bottom. Drinking game? LOL! Anyway, I'm working on "veganizing" my mom while she's staying with me (just came out of a bad relationship with a self-proclaimed "carnivore"), so I think we'll be making these this weekend. And PS, Mr White is so handsome.
Kathy Patalsky says
Thank you Lindsey! He is such a handsome boy π
Vegan Richa says
i want all of those square rectangle bars! the video is super fun, that tee super cute and mr white is super cute!
janet @ the taste space says
Who would not want this? Your video is too cute, too. π
Marfigs says
OH MY GOODNESS!! I don't even know how to comprehend this awesomeness, and then there are all these links to MOAR ice-cream?! *brain spasm* <3
Kristina says
These look divine! And I love your cute kitty. π
Courtney says
Very good video Kathy! And trust me, you're a lot better at making videos than I am π
P.S. you should do a video just with your cats in it! I could watch them all day long and never get tired of them π
Claire Elizabeth says
I love the videos! They really help to grasp the recipe instructions for me. Also, I didn't know you called it "ca-KAY-oh" too! My grandma calls it that as well! I always thought it was "ca-KOW" maybe I'm saying it wrong! Whoops! Heheh! However it's pronounced, it's awesome stuff! I love to blend frozen pitted cherries with raw cacao powder and raw sprouted chia meal for a Black Forest Cherry icecream! It's dreamy! All I do is add a tiny splash of water and my VitaMix does the rest! Mmm! Imagine THAT as the base of one of your vegan klondikes! Hmmm! Heheh! π yummy! God bless you Kathy!!! π
Kathy Patalsky says
Thanks Claire! I always switch back and forth. Cocoa .. cacao .. it is really the same thing, except I think cacao powder mostly always refers to unsweetened, when sometimes cocoa powder can get confused with sweetened "hot" cocoa powder. And CA-KAY-oh sounds a bit fancier π
Claire Elizabeth says
It does sound fancy! Enjoy the icecream bars! π
brittany says
YAY more videos, please! You are adorable π I seriously re-watch the you-and-gena series every couple months just to stay inspired to make kale salads and pack healthy lunches!! More 10 tips for _____ videos!!
Kathy Patalsky says
Aw that is so fun! Thank you Brittany! I love that you re-watch them π I love videos because it is where I can really talk to you guys and show you how much fun I have in my kitchen .. er .. living room haha. And hopefully show everyone how truly EASY delicious vegan meals can be. More to come. More to come! π
The Vegan Cookie Fairy says
I like the video! Great for when I'm a bit lazy to read π Or just multi-tasking.
Kathy Patalsky says
Oh good! Yes recipe videos are great for lazy days I agree! π
The vegan 8 says
Omg, it must be the week for vegan Klondike Bars! I just saw some yesterday on Dextonista site but yours look easier and healthier! Score! I'm embarassed to admit I've never even tried one of them. I was always an ice cream sandwich kind of girl or a tub of ice cream, haha! They look amazing Kathy!
Kathy Patalsky says
Oh cool I will have to check her Klondike bars out! (Cool ... No pun intended!) π and ahhhh I loved the ice cream sandwich too. The Neapolitan flavor. And the way the cookie part stuck to the wrapper. Hmmm next dessert post?? π
realfoodbydad says
You seriously make vegan food fun! That's not always easy but you nail it. Love this one big time!
Kathy Patalsky says
Aw, thank you! That is my goal!! π
marlies says
I love this video! The little comments about the squares are too funny, and I loved your cat's guest appearance at the end! π The klondike bars look sooo good! Totally making this soon π
Kathy Patalsky says
Hehe thanks Marlies! I am ALWAYs excited to bring my kitties on camera. π
Lindsey Farr says
What would you do for a Klondike Bar? Is it crazy that I still remember the jingle?! These look great and WAAAY better than the original. Kind of like bodysuits, I think the fake tasting chocolaty coating should stay in the 80's, but your version looks delicious and healthier!
Kathy Patalsky says
I have had the jingle stuck in my head the past two day from this post! Haha π