September 3, 2010
Dairy-Free Coconut Chocolate Ice Cream
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:
Note: I have a 1 1/2 quart ice cream maker. If yours is smaller you may need to cut the recipe in half.
View Printable Recipe
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
Note: I have a 1 1/2 quart ice cream maker. If yours is smaller you may need to cut the recipe in half.
View Printable Recipe
Labels: dessert recipes
Comments:
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Linda, I'm glad you are getting into making dairy-free ice cream with coconut milk. I make mine using the full-fat coconut milk, too. After a while you don't really notice the coconut flavoring and depending on other ingredients, you might not taste it much even the first time. Just FYI, it's super easy to make chocolate ice cream by adding cocoa powder. You just add a little and then taste, and keep going until you get it the way you like. You'd probably need to use slightly more sweetener, because there's sugar in the pudding. After years of using the puddings, I kind of stay away from them now because of the other ingredients in them. Anyway, your ice cream looks delicious! I bet you'll be making many more variations and having fun with them. :-)
Shirley
Shirley
Linda, this sounds tasty! I love using coconut milk for making dairy-free ice cream. SO easy - especially if you already have a can in the fridge, ready to go!
I started making this yesterday only to realize that my ice cream maker was not in the freezer so I had to wait till today to finish it. It was well worth the wait. I didn't have any agave so I just left it out and it was plenty sweet without it. Easy and very yummy - my favorite kind of recipe.
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