Enter, the graham cracker. For most of my life, I've enjoyed slathering a graham cracker square with vanilla frosting, topping it with another square for a sandwich cookie style, or simply eating it open-faced. However, my healthy conscience often gets the best of me, so I have modified this indulgence to a more healthful treat, so that it can be enjoyed several times a week, and without having to make a batch of frosting!

I've included below two "recipes" for my more nutritious frosted graham treats, plus one no-bake cookie-style recipe, also using dairy-free graham crackers …

Please keep in mind that some brands of graham crackers do contain dairy. I go with the New Morning Organic Graham Crackers. For gluten-free, I highly recommend the Smoreables from Kinnikinnick. I trialed them at a conferences, and they were absolutely scrumptious. For strictly vegan, Health Valley offers some good honey-free graham options…

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To add indulgence to the indulgence, I swirl "Peanut Butter Chunks" into the ice cream. They are a thicker and softer version of the Peanut Butter “Chips” from my book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook. The “Chips” are fairly firm and would probably be teeth-breakers in ice cream, so I altered the original recipe to still be relatively firm yet forgiving in the ice cream. You can see the chunks throughout the ice cream in the photo below … I went overboard just a bit, but boy was it goooood!

Amazingly, this recipe is not only dairy-free, but it is also soy-free, vegan, gluten-free, and free of refined sugars! Lets just call it healthy too, so that you can enjoy it for breakfast, shall we?

I use my $15 ice cream maker to make batches of this ice cream, but if you don't have one of these handy appliances, simply check out my article on Tips for Making Homemade Dairy-Free Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Maker. Then, come back and make this recipe …

Uber-Rich, Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Recipe adapted from Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook.

This recipe is Vegan / Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, and optionally Free of Refined Sugars, but definitely NOT Fat-Free

• 1 14-oz Can Whole or Light Coconut Milk (I used whole – whoa rich! Light would tone it down a bit and mellow the coconut flavor)
• 1/3 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter (or to taste, I used lightly salted)
• 1/3 cup Agave Nectar, Maple Syrup, Brown Sugar, or Honey* (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Batch Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Chunks (recipe below)

Combine the coconut milk, peanut butter, agave (see note below for honey), and vanilla in your blender, and blend until smooth. Place the mixture in your refrigerator and allow it to thoroughly chill before proceeding. Use this time to make sure the canister of your ice cream maker has been thoroughly chilled in the freezer, and that the container you will pack the ice cream in for keeping is also chilled.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions (this recipe is rich enough, that you may have success….

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So what makes this great Back to School recipe different from your ordinary Snap, Crackle, and Pop version? Let's see … no refined sugars, in fact pretty low in sugar overall; multiple whole grain cereals (if you choose) for the price of one; coconut oil instead of butter or margarine; a little flax seed and nut butter for good measure; out with the processed marshmallows; and, well, chocolate is a health food now, right? Plus, it is naturally dairy-free (lactose-free, casein-free, whey-free, etc.) and can be made vegan and gluten-free in a pinch. I admit, I haven't technically received an award for this deliciously easy recipe, but a great deal of praise indeed. It has sent many kind messages of enjoyment flying into my inbox and Attune Foods has not only featured it on their website, but they also created recipe and coupon cards to hand out at events with this recipe and photo! I was honored.

To note, these treats store really well in the refrigerator, where the coconut oil helps to keep them firm and crisp, but they will travel well (just a wee bit softer) and pack nicely into lunch boxes. And, if you aren’t in a chocolate mood, you can substitute raisins (and maybe some cinnamon) or other dried fruit for the chocolate chips / nibs…

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