How does cashew ice cream get so creamy?

The secret is soaking the cashews overnight and using a high-performance blender. Blend the mixture until there are no crumbs left at all – then the ice cream turns wonderfully smooth and creamy, entirely without dairy.

Can I make this dessert without an ice cream machine?

Yes. Just pour the mixture into a container and place it in the freezer. After about 3 to 4 hours, once it has thickened, layer it with apple compote and almonds in small bowls and freeze until set.

Can I prepare the dessert ahead?

Yes, the ice cream, compote and almonds can all be made a few days in advance. I only bake the apples fresh in the evening and turn the ice cream out onto them just before serving.

How do I replace the Baileys in the ice cream?

The vegan Baileys is optional. For an alcohol-free dessert simply leave it out and add a little more cream if needed. Cinnamon and the caramelized almonds already provide plenty of flavor.

What can I use instead of cinnamon?

If you don't like cinnamon, tonka bean or vanilla work beautifully with the cashew ice cream too. Both pair finely with the baked apple and the sweet almonds.

15 DECEMBER 2018

Christmas menu Part IV – baked apple with cashew cinnamon ice cream

By Verena Frei

Jump to recipe Print Rate

This post is also available in: deutsch

Jump to recipe

Last updated 9 July 2026

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 40 min

Hello lovelies, after we have already feasted through 3 courses, I’m looking forward to the grand finale: Christmas menu Part 4 – baked apple with cashew cinnamon ice cream. This dessert will surprise your family/guests, because it’s a mixture of various classical desserts such as baked apple, roasted almonds, stewed apples and also ice cream. Combined to the best of all worlds – what more can you ask for?

The cashew ice cream is very creamy and the slight taste of cinnamon perfectly matches apple and sweet almonds. After enjoying 3 courses already, the dessert doesn’t need to be so heavy and so the mixture of fruit and ice cream is a good choice. I think this dessert looks really pretty. You can easily prepare it, even a few days in advance. Only the apples should be prepared fresh and served right away.

Two servings of fried apple with ice cream and apples on a table, plated

And here is the recipe for baked apple with cashew cinnamon ice cream

If you don’t have suitable small bowls at home, you can of course freeze the ice cream in a larger bowl and then scoop it onto the apples.

Fried apple with cashew-cinnamon ice cream on a blue plate, served

Fried apple with ice cream, walnuts and mint from above, close-up

I’m always astonished to see how creamy ice cream or cheese made out of cashews turn out. It’s just very important to have a high-performance mixer and that you blend the mass until there are absolutely no crumbs left. The caramelized almonds give a delicate sweetness and also some bite. Apple, cinnamon and nuts are one of my favorite combinations anyway, not only for Christmas. In case you don’t like cinnamon, you can alternatively use tonka beans or vanilla. The addition of (vegan) Baileys is only optional. If you prefer your dessert without alcohol then just drop it and simply add a little more cream if necessary.

Fried apple with cashew-cinnamon ice cream and compote on a plate, served

I’m very pleased that my idea of a combination between baked apple as a base and delicious ice cream worked so well. I believe this dessert is a worthy closing for this year’s Christmas menu.

Fried apple with ice cream and apple compote at an angle, plated

Ok so these were my 4 recipes for my Christmas menu 2018. A delicious beetroot soup with ginger and orange as the starter. Sweet potato hummus and beetroot walnut dip on a pretty colorful platter as the 2ndcourse. The yummy potato packages with walnut truffle filling as the main course and the baked apple with cashew cinnamon ice cream as the dessert. I can assure you that my family and I liked the rehearsal dinner very much.

You can also find ideas for a festive table decoration and an alternative for a classical Christmas tree here.

And in case you’re looking for more ideas, then feel free to have a look at last year’s Christmas menu here. It was so delicious and maybe you want to mix and match between this year’s and last year’s menu.

This baked apple is the sweet finale. Here are the other three courses of my vegan Christmas menu:

Part I – starter: beetroot soup with ginger and orange
Part II – dips: sweet potato hummus & beetroot walnut dip
Part III – main course: potato packages with mushroom walnut truffle filling

Yours, Verena

TIPS

Verena's notes

Tip from my kitchen: soak the cashews overnight and blend patiently until the mixture is completely smooth – that is the key to creamy ice cream. If you don't have suitable small bowls, freeze the ice cream in a large container and scoop it onto the apples later. The baked apples should be soft but still hold their shape. A drizzle of date syrup and a few extra nuts at the end make the dessert nice and festive.