Paleo Ice Cream...yep, ICE CREAM!

What if I told you you could make ice cream without the sugar, milk, cream? What if I told you that it tasted as good, if not better (better in my opinion)? I didn't think it was possible, but it is! And you don't need to just stick with plain old boring vanilla, either! In this post, you will find variations for vanilla, chocolate, chocolate chip, mint chocolate chip, strawberry, and strawberry banana.

A quick note before we get started: If you have an ice cream machine, awesome!! If you don't, fear not! You can still make paleo ice cream!! The trick if you don't have an ice cream machine is to fully let the custard cool (in refrigerator) before putting it in the freezer. Once in the freezer, you'll need to vigorously whisk the mixture every 30 minutes for 2 - 3 hours while it freezes.

So, without further ado...

What you need:
Base

• 1 can coconut milk, full fat (full fat = 9 - 14g/serving)*
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 tbsp vanilla extract (or seeds from 2 fresh vanilla beans) 
• 3 tbsp honey *

What you do: 

Pot + heat safe bowl= double boiler!

1. In a double boiler (or a pot filled a few inches with water and a glass bowl placed on top...see right), bring water to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
2. Add in coconut milk, vanilla, and honey. Whisk continuously and heat until hot, but not boiling. [If making mint chocolate chip ice cream, steep mint now (see below for instructions)]
3. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl. Add cupfuls of the now hot milk mixture to the eggs and whisk. This is called tempering. You are slowly bringing the temperature of the eggs up so they don't scramble.
4. Add the now tempered eggs to the coconut milk and continue to whisk for several minutes. [Add chocolate to melt if making chocolate ice cream]
5. Remove bowl from heat and allow to cool on the counter or in refrigerator. I do 30 minutes on the counter and 30 in the refrigerator. Prior to putting the ice cream in the machine or freezer, you want it to be cold to the touch. The colder, the better!
6. Once chilled, you can add flavors like strawberries, banana, or other berries.
7. If using an ice cream machine, follow the instructions as usual. If you don't have one, place the cooled mixture in the freezer for 2 -3 hours. Stir every 30 minutes.
8. Store ice cream in an airtight container.


Flavors
Chocolate: 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, melted (add to mixture prior to cooling)
Strawberry: 1 cup mashed strawberries (add to cooled mixture)
Strawberry-Banana: 1/2 cup mashed strawberries, 1/2 cup mashed bananas (add to cooled mixture)
Chocolate Chip: 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, chopped (ice cream machine: add as it is churning, freezer: add after one hour in freezer)

Steeping mint

Mint Chocolate Chip: steep 1 packet of mint (about a cup) in base (to steep: add mint to base in double boiler while on medium-low heat. As soon as the base is hot, turn the burner off and let it sit for 30 minutes. Turn burners on and let base get hot again. Once hot, turn burners off and let it sit for another 30 minutes. Strain mint leaves from mixture. I squeeze the mint leaves dry...I'm all about collecting every last bit of minty awesomeness!! Chop up 2 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips.





*Recipe Notes:
There are a ton of different brands of coconut milk out there. I have found that the Thai Kitchen brand works the best! It contains guar gum which keeps the milk from getting too hard. Gold Star Coconut Milk will produce a mixture that freezes very hard and is not easy to scoop out.  Thai Kitchen is a tad more expensive but the end result is smooth, creamy deliciousness!!
In other recipes, honey is listed as an optional ingredient. A "flavor", if you will. I have found it to be a necessity :)

Keeping a food journal? Mint Chocolate Chip & Chocolate chip, Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream, Paleo Strawberry Ice Cream