Beat the Heat and Be Good to Your Gut: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipes
On a cone or in a dish: No matter your preference, no summer day is complete without ice cream! If you’re looking to enjoy everyone’s favorite summertime treat but are worried about how the dairy might affect your gut – fear not!
Using the principles and approved ingredients of the GAPS diet, even a classic like ice cream can be transformed into a nutritional and gut-friendly treat. The following dairy-free ice cream recipes use coconut milk to replace the cream typically found in ice cream. For those with a dairy intolerance—as well as those without—using coconut milk is a great alternative with loads of nutrients and delicious flavor to boot. The oil from a coconut is an easily digested fat that supplies a quick boost of energy to the body. It’s great for the brain, promotes strong bones, and is also antiviral, antimicrobial, and antibacterial.
The following recipes have been adapted for the web from The Heal Your Gut Cookbook by Hilary Boynton and Mary Brackett.
Dairy-Free Ice Cream
Tip: Make sure your ice cream maker insert has been in the freezer for at least 24 hours. In fact, get in the habit of storing it there if you have room so that you are always prepared to make ice cream. Also, store the coconut milk in the fridge, or at least place it in there for a few hours (or the freezer for 1 hour) before using.
Berry
Photo by Mary G. Brackett
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
- 1⁄2 cup blackberries (or berries of choice)
- 1⁄2 cup raspberries (or berries of choice)
- 2 cans full-fat coconut milk (Native Forest brand uses BPA-free cans and offers a version free of guar gum—which is not allowed on GAPS)
- 1 tablespoon gelatin
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons raw honey (or 20 drops liquid stevia, or a few pinches of green powdered stevia)
- 2 organic pastured egg yolks (optional)
Procedure
- Mix half the berries in a blender with the coconut milk, gelatin, vanilla, honey, and egg yolks (if you’re using them). This creates a beautiful pink ice cream.
- Fold in the remaining berries whole.
- Turn on the ice cream maker, and pour in slowly.
- Churn until frozen or desired consistency is reached, 10 to 20 minutes.
- Scoop out, and store in a separate container in the freezer.
Vanilla Chocolate Chip
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
- 2 cans full-fat coconut milk
- Scrapings of 4 vanilla beans
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⁄4 cup unsweetened chocolate shreds or cocoa nibs (if tolerated)
- 1 tablespoon gelatin
- 3⁄4 cup raw honey
- 2 organic pastured egg yolks (optional)
Procedure
- Blend all of the ingredients in a blender.
- Turn on the ice cream maker, and slowly pour in the vanilla mixture.
- Process for 10 to 20 minutes, or until your desired consistency is reached.
- Remove to another container, and freeze.
This is truly a yummy chocolate chip ice cream. Add some peppermint extract or fresh mint for a delicious mint chocolate chip!
Banana Nut Butter
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
- 4 very ripe bananas with spots, frozen
- 1⁄4 cup nut butter
- 3 tablespoons raw honey
- 1⁄4 cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon gelatin
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 organic pastured egg yolks (optional)
Procedure
- Chop frozen bananas into 1-inch pieces, and add to the blender.
- Add the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
- Start the ice cream maker, and slowly pour in the banana mixture.
- Process for about 20 minutes or until your desired consistency is achieved.
- At the end you can add some chopped unsweetened chocolate and chopped walnuts, if you’d like a chunky ice cream.
Banana is very versatile, so feel free to leave out the nut butter and add other berries or a tablespoon of cinnamon, or eat as is!