The Gluten-Free Homemaker

I went dairy free for four weeks in June, then did a challenge.  I actually felt better after going back on dairy, so I never had the incentive to go off it again.  I continued to use almond milk and restrict how much cheese I ate, but I’ve been enjoying homemade ice cream this summer.  However, after speaking with a naturopath last week, I’m back to dairy free again (that’s a separate post). 

It has been a record hot summer here, and I sure do enjoy eating cold ice cream when it’s hot.  I know many people have blogged about coconut milk ice cream, but I love this stuff and just have to put in my two cents.  I also thought I would give you a recipe that is maybe a little different than others you’ve seen.  It’s probably not as healthy, but ice cream is a treat, and this recipe is easy and delicious.

The problem with using many dairy substitutes in ice cream is that they just aren’t creamy enough.  They don’t contain enough fat.  That’s okay if ice milk is what you want and expect, but sometimes it’s nice to have something that’s creamy.  Coconut milk naturally has fat which you will see on top of a can of coconut milk.  I have seen coconut milk in cartons which does not have as much fat.  I have also heard that there are low fat versions of the canned milk, but I haven’t seen it. I recommend going with full fat for this.

About the Ingredients:

• Coconut milk - It does taste like coconut.  There’s no getting around that, and if you don’t like coconut, I’m really sorry.
  
  
• Instant pudding – This is the not so healthy part I was referring to earlier.  It does make flavoring your ice cream easy.  Experiment with different flavors if you like it.  Some pudding contains milk ingredients and some might contain gluten, so be sure to check the label.  I used Jello-O brand.
  
  
• Agave nectar – You can use regular sugar if you like.  Agave seems to make a softer ice cream which can help if you have any ice cream left over that you put in the freezer, although this one is still pretty hard.  Mine is always soft when it’s first made, as you can see from the picture. 

Coconut Chocolate Ice Cream (Gluten-Free & Dairy Free)

• 2 cans (14 oz.) coconut milk (full fat)
• 1 small box instant chocolate pudding
• 1/4 c. agave nectar

Empty the cans of coconut milk into a bowl, use a spatula to get all the fat off the lid and can sides.  Whisk the pudding into the milk for about a minute.  Add the agave (or sugar) and whisk/stir until combined.  Turn on your ice cream maker and add the mixture.  Churn for about 20 minutes.

Note:  I have a 1 1/2 quart ice cream maker.  If yours is smaller you may need to cut the recipe in half.

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Labels: dessert recipes