Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (dairy-free with sugar-free option)

By Kathy C.

I found this recipe on internet. May try it using vanilla stevia to sweeten.

Ingredients

• 4 cups coconut milk or other milk (See Easiest Homemade Coconut milk.)
• 1 cup sweetener of choice(see notes for sugar-free)**KC: I tried with stevia, but way too icy-- I may try using 1/2 cup maple syrup as sweetener
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 Tbsp gelatin, arrowroot, or cornstarch for creaminess (See Notes)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried parsley flakes (optional; for coloring)
• 3/4 cup chocolate/carob or mint chocolate/carob chips (for a “double mint” treat :-) (add more or less, to taste)

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from wholenewmom.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place all ingredients (except chips) in blender.
2. Blend until smooth (if you do not have a high-powered blender [aka Vitamix] and you are using a granulated sweetener, you may wish to heat the milk and sweetener in a pan until the sweetener is dissolved).
3. Place in ice cream maker and process according to directions.
4. When ice cream is starting to solidify, add chips and allow maker to mix in chips thoroughly.
5. Scoop up and enjoy!

Notes and Tips:

Milk: Other milks will work as well, but for alternative milks, coconut and almond will among the better choices as they have more fat content and will have the resulting product be more creamy.

Ice Cream Maker: I used the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker for this recipe. It worked fine, but you really have to have the mixture chilled prior to making desserts in this maker. Otherwise, it will be quite runny (albeit yummy) and will need to be solidified in the freezer if you want it to be scoopable.

Sweeteners: I used granulated sweeteners, a half and half combination of xylitol and erythritol. You can use whatever you like to suit your dietary needs. Of course, with stevia extract, you will need a lot less (between 1/4 – 1/2 tsp). I always find that combining alternative sweeteners results in the best flavor. If using stevia, I recommend NuNaturals or SweetLeaf. (KC: I tried with stevia, but way too icy-- I may try using 1/2 cup maple syrup as sweetener)

Please note: I know that many “whole foodies” disdain the use of xylitol and erythritol, but we have candida and I have few acceptable options for sweetening. I seem to be having some adverse reactions to stevia and so I am working with what I can :).

Thickening: If you are going to use any of the recommended thickeners (gelatin, arrowroot), add them to the liquids when putting them into the ice cream maker. The gelatin should rest in the cold liquid for a bit to “bloom”, but the arrowroot doesn’t need to “bloom.”