- Prep-time: / Ready In:
- Makes 1½ cups
- Serving size: ⅓ cup
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Adzuki red beans (aka aduki or azuki beans), prized for their sweet, nutty flavor, are a staple in Japanese desserts and the star ingredient in one of the country’s most beloved treats, red bean ice cream. This healthy homemade version replaces dairy and refined sugar with nourishing, plant-based ingredients—no ice cream maker needed. Date paste and canned adzuki beans form a naturally sweet base that gets frozen, then blended with frozen blueberries and plant milk. Enjoy this luscious nice cream soft-serve style, or freeze after blending for a firmer scoop. A topping of fresh blueberries adds a burst of brightness, and the rich flavor makes even a small serving deeply satisfying.
Tips
Can I use other beans for this recipe? No. Adzuki beans have a unique sweet flavor. When shopping, keep in mind that they are sometimes labeled as aduki or azuki beans. Eden Foods makes a no-salt-added canned version that can be found at Whole Foods and many other grocery stores. If you can’t find canned, feel free to cook your own using this guide.
How to store adzuki bean puree: You’ll only use half of the frozen adzuki bean puree for one batch of nice cream. Transfer the remainder to a resealable plastic bag for a future batch. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
For more inspiration, check out these tasty ideas:
- Dark Chocolate Almond Nice Cream
- Pumpkin Ice Cream
- Strawberry Nice Cream Sundaes
- Cherry-Almond Nice Cream
By Ellen Boeke,
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz. can no-salt-added adzuki beans, rinsed and drained (1½ cups)
- ⅔ cup Date Paste
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- ¾ to 1 cup unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh blueberries (optional)
Instructions
- In a small food processor or high-power blender combine beans, Date Paste, and salt. Process 2 minutes or until very smooth, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to make a smooth puree. (Add just enough water to blend smoothly but no more than that.)
- Spoon puree into an ice cube tray, or drop heaping tablespoons of puree onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet; freeze at least 3 hours.
- To make nice cream, in a food processor or high-power blender combine half of the frozen aduki bean puree, the frozen blueberries, ¾ cup milk, and the vanilla. Process until smooth, adding more milk as needed. Serve immediately for a soft-serve texture, or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze 1 to 2 hours for a firmer ice cream texture. If you like, serve with fresh blueberries.
Per serving (⅓ cup): 194 calories, 45 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 73 mg sodium, 6 g fiber, 31 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
Comments (1)
(0 from 0 votes)I have yet to find canned adzuki beans but I totally disagree that other beans can't be used. As someone who is not fond of bananas and batch cooks lots of beans in the Instant pot to add anywhere I can, I've been making nice cream from all kinds of beans for years! My white bean "cheesecake ice cream" is a favorite, with dates, hemp hearts, a small amount of lemon juice, homemade oat yogurt, a dash of vanilla, and a small bit of miso paste in place of salt for added umami. If I have any berries on hand I will blend those in too. I also make "almond joy" ice cream from black beans, dates, cocoa, soy milk, coconut flakes and almond extract. Or "sweet potato pie ice cream" blending cooked red lentils, cooked sweet potatoes, dates, pumpkin pie spice, soy milk, and so on. Just a few of endless possibilities! The texture may not be as smooth as using bananas, but for me the taste is more than worth it!