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I scream, YOU scream, we ALL scream for Ice Cream!!! ...I can hear my papa's voice, singing that when I was tee-tiny (I wouldn't put it past him to STILL belt this out!)

Ice cream is nostalgic for all of us. It brings back happy, childhood memories. It is one of my very favorite things in the middle of a hot summer day or piled on top of a warm piece of my Aunt Carolyn's Sprouted Pecan Pie at Christmas!
 
There are SO many different ice creams out there now -- coconut milk based, rice milk based, almond milk based, nonfat dairy, low fat dairy, cashew milk based... Shall I continue? And frankly, I've tried all of them. I've tried the - what's it called again? Arctic Zone, something or other? The one that only has 35 calories per pint! Doesn't that make you wonder what is actually in it? I am always on the hunt for something I can have that FEELS decadent and indulgent but won't wreak havoc on my blood sugar and therefore my mood, my workouts, etc.
 
I think I've tried 14 different ways of making ice cream - all with coconut milk. Mo does not do well with dairy (ehhemm...) so I try to avoid cooking with it as much as possible - unless it's raw - that he has no problem with. So, I went after making a coconut milk ice cream with gusto. But here's the deal: what keeps ice cream from getting super-duper hard and frozen as a rock at Ice Cream Shops, is the fact that there is SO much sugar and SO much fat in it. Now, I'm not opposed to the fat - but the sugar, I am. And frankly, while fat is healthy, I, personally, try to eat a bit lower in fat, simply due to my ancestry/heritage and the way I was raised. My body simply doesn't do well on a high-fat-low-carb diet. I hope the Paleo community is not huffing and puffing right now...
 
So, I wanted to come up with a GOOD coconut milk ice cream base that could be used to make ANY flavor of ice cream, that is very clean, completely dairy free, low in sugar and lower in fat than most - but more than ANY of those - that tasted freakin AWESOME. I've made several that end up freezing hard as a rock and are just annoying to eat. I end up having to stick it in the microwave for a minute or so just to get it soft enough to put a spoon into, much less scoop out. This one though -- THIS is the winner! Please try it and let me know what you think! Variations will be introduced in my upcoming cookbook! Wish me luck! And stay tuned!
Yields1 Serving
 2 16 oz cans LIGHT coconut milk***
 ¼ cup monk fruit sweetener
 ¼ cup raw, local honey
 ¼ tsp sea salt
 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1

Shake the cans of coconut milk well before opening. Measure ½ cup and set this aside.

2

Pour the remaining coconut milk into a 2-quart saucepan.

3

Add the monk fruit, honey and salt.

4

Warm the coconut milk over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally, until the monk fruit/honey have completely dissolved into the coconut milk, 1 to 2 minutes.

Coconut Milk Ice Cream - AlixBarth.com

5

Add the arrowroot to the reserved ½ cup coconut milk and whisk until the starch is totally dissolved.

6

Pour the cornstarch mixture into the warm coconut milk while whisking gently.

7

Increase the heat to medium, stirring occasionally - continue cooking the base until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not allow the base come to a boil.

8

Remove the base from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Coconut Milk Ice Cream - AlixBarth.com

9

Pour the base into a shallow container. Let the base cool slightly on the counter so it's not hot when you put it in the refrigerator. Cover the container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to 3 days.

10

When chilled enough, the base should be slightly pudding-like in texture. Pour the base into your ice cream machine and begin churning.

Coconut Milk Ice Cream - AlixBarth.com

11

Churn the ice cream until it thickens considerably and is roughly the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Depending on your machine, this could take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes — keep an eye on it!

Coconut Milk Ice Cream - AlixBarth.com

12

Scrape the ice cream into your freezer container. Press a piece of parchment or wax paper against the surface to prevent ice crystals from forming. Seal the container.

Coconut Milk Ice Cream - AlixBarth.com

13

Freeze for at least 4 hours to harden the ice cream.

Coconut Milk Ice Cream - AlixBarth.com

14

If your ice cream is too hard to scoop, let it warm a few minutes on the counter before scooping. I find that coconut ice cream melts a little more quickly than milk-based ice creams, so don't wait too long!

NOTES: I’ve tried Native Forest and Whole Foods (365) brands of coconut milk for this recipe – Native Forest wins every time. Texture is smoother, more consistent, etc. Both work. But when possible, go with Native Forest.

#alixbarthnutrition#justeatthefood#paleo#primalcoconutmilkicecreamdairyfreedairyfreeicecreamdairyfreeicecreambaseeasytomakeglutenfreegrainfreehealthy recipesholistic nutritionicecreambasemonkfruitmonkfruitsweetenernativeforestnativeforestcoconutmilkrawlocalhoneyRecipeRecipes

Ingredients

 2 16 oz cans LIGHT coconut milk***
 ¼ cup monk fruit sweetener
 ¼ cup raw, local honey
 ¼ tsp sea salt
 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1

Shake the cans of coconut milk well before opening. Measure ½ cup and set this aside.

2

Pour the remaining coconut milk into a 2-quart saucepan.

3

Add the monk fruit, honey and salt.

4

Warm the coconut milk over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally, until the monk fruit/honey have completely dissolved into the coconut milk, 1 to 2 minutes.

Coconut Milk Ice Cream - AlixBarth.com

5

Add the arrowroot to the reserved ½ cup coconut milk and whisk until the starch is totally dissolved.

6

Pour the cornstarch mixture into the warm coconut milk while whisking gently.

7

Increase the heat to medium, stirring occasionally - continue cooking the base until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not allow the base come to a boil.

8

Remove the base from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Coconut Milk Ice Cream - AlixBarth.com

9

Pour the base into a shallow container. Let the base cool slightly on the counter so it's not hot when you put it in the refrigerator. Cover the container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to 3 days.

10

When chilled enough, the base should be slightly pudding-like in texture. Pour the base into your ice cream machine and begin churning.

Coconut Milk Ice Cream - AlixBarth.com

11

Churn the ice cream until it thickens considerably and is roughly the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Depending on your machine, this could take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes — keep an eye on it!

Coconut Milk Ice Cream - AlixBarth.com

12

Scrape the ice cream into your freezer container. Press a piece of parchment or wax paper against the surface to prevent ice crystals from forming. Seal the container.

Coconut Milk Ice Cream - AlixBarth.com

13

Freeze for at least 4 hours to harden the ice cream.

Coconut Milk Ice Cream - AlixBarth.com

14

If your ice cream is too hard to scoop, let it warm a few minutes on the counter before scooping. I find that coconut ice cream melts a little more quickly than milk-based ice creams, so don't wait too long!

Coconut Milk Ice Cream