July 19th is National Ice Cream Day (but this works for any day that you like), and the perfect way to celebrate safely might just be teaching yourself to make ice cream at home. If that sounds a little intimidating, it doesn’t need to be: this simple recipe may not even require a trip to the store.
A Functional Food with Clinical Results!
From the Clean Paleo Family Cookbook, this homemade ice cream recipe is here to tackle the need for ice cream that may strike at any moment. Simple to make even without an ice cream maker according to health coaches from Folsom CA, it’s vegan, paleo, and can be made keto-friendly - so no matter what your preferred diet is, you’ll be able to enjoy it.
And since it’s largely made up of pantry ingredients like coconut milk and vanilla extract, it has some definite benefits over ice cream recipes that require perishable dairy products or unusual ingredients.
Ashley McCrary, the blogger behind Healthy Little Peach and the author of the cookbook, says she prefers to use monk fruit as the natural sweetener in her ice cream, but there’s plenty of other options that will still keep your sweet treat keto.
Pair this with a healthy brownie recipe or with your favorite fruit crisp for a perfect dessert.
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2 13½-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk, chilled
- ½ cup natural sweetener of choice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon tapioca flour or arrowroot powder (For keto, use ⅛ teaspoon of xanthan gum or 1½ teaspoons gelatin)
Method
On a cutting board, use a sharp paring knife to split the vanilla bean lengthwise. Run the edge of the knife along the cut sides of the bean to scrape out the seeds. Transfer the seeds to a high-speed blender.- Add the coconut milk, sweetener, vanilla extract, and tapioca. Blend on high speed until smooth and combined.
- Add the liquid ice cream mixture to a freezer-safe container and put in the freezer.
- Freeze until firm, 5 to 6 hours. Remove the ice cream a couple of times during those hours and mix it with a spoon.
- Before serving, allow the ice cream to sit out for 5 to 10 minutes so it’s easier to scoop.