granola ice cream w/ blackberry chia sauce | dolly and oatmeal

i often try to post a good ratio of savory dishes and sweets on the blog. so when i was going through the summer blog roll i realized that i had only posted a recipe for 1 sweet (!!!) and while it was one of my favorite recipes, it was a recipe that required you to turn your oven on : / i've been going on and on all summer about my mission to only prepare quick and simple meals, but this dessert is not one of them. it's a 2-parter, and depending on whether you want to make your own granola (which, yes, would require you to turn on the oven) it would be a 3-parter. but i refuse to let this summer pass before i share this recipe.

first, there's the blackberry chia sauce (based on my favorite childhood raspberry sauce) that's slightly thickened with mighty chia seeds, and lightly sweetened with maple syrup. the ice cream is a standard vegan ice cream with a coconut milk base. it's creamy and delightful, and we can all thank arrowroot powder's rich, creamy, and thickening properties for that! just before the ice cream is finished churning in goes the granola, providing the essential crunchy bits that (in my opinion) all ice creams must have. essentially, i like to call this "breakfast meets dessert", and if you're into sweet breakfasts this isn't the worst thing you could have ;)

happy september, all! xo

granola ice cream w/ blackberry chia sauce (v + gf)

i used my nut and seed granola recipe from last year for the granola add-in, however, you can use whatever granola you have on hand, but i would stay away from any granola that's flavored or contains dried fruit. also, if you're wanting a larger yield of ice cream, this recipe can easily be doubled.

| serves 3-4 |

blackberry chia sauce

1 pint blackberries
2 tablespoons water
1-2 tablespoons grade B maple syrup
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

granola ice cream

1 can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk (preferably with a BPA-free liner)
1/4 cup grade B maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of fine sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
1/4 cup granola, plus more for topping

method

blackberry sauce

add blackberries, water, and syrup to a small saucepan over medium heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon (if berries are bubbling and splattering turn heat down to medium-low). use the spoon to break berries down, and simmer the sauce until it has thickened a bit, about 10 minutes. turn heat off and stir in the chia seeds and vanilla. pour sauce into a lidded jar and let cool completely before storing in the refrigerator. chia sauce will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

granola ice cream

prepare an ice bath and set aside.
place coconut milk, syrup, vanilla, and salt in a saucepan and whisk. place arrowroot powder in a small bowl, whisk in a 1/4 cup of the coconut mixture until smooth. once combined, pour back into saucepan and heat over medium. continue to whisk until mixture is steaming (if your mixture is simmering turn down to low) and thickens a bit, about 10-12 minutes.
remove from heat and pour into a large bowl; place the bowl in the prepared ice bath and stir ice cream mixture until cooled. once cooled place in lidded container and store in the refrigerator until chilled all the way through, or overnight.
freeze mixture in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions; in the last five minutes of freezing, add the granola.
place ice cream into a lidded container and place in the freezer for at least 3 hours before serving. (if using a non-lidded container, press a piece of parchment paper on the surface of the ice cream and freeze.)
remove blackberry chia sauce from the fridge, (you can either heat it up a little bit, or serve it chilled) and serve over top of the granola ice cream. top with extra granola and serve.

enjoy!