Simpler Living Blog

COOKING, RECIPES

Celebrate Ice Cream Month With a Dairy-Free Treat

After our family does something strenuous together here on the farm, we're all hot, hungry and need to cool down. My sweet and generous husband wants to go out for great big strawberry ice cream cones or pull a carton of store-bought out of the freezer. It didn't take long, though, before we all realized this frequent habit wasn't helping us at all (dairy allergies, bumping up sinus issues, more colds).

This fabulous ice cream is bursting with fresh-picked strawberry flavor and a just-right balance of sweetness and creaminess. It's dairy-free, egg-free and paleo-friendly, too. The best part is it's so delicious even the most discerning (or finicky) palate would enjoy it with or without allergy or dietary restrictions.

This strawberry ice cream evokes memories of spring and early summer! Using frozen strawberries, year round, works great, too.

A Few Notes On The Recipe:

I like to use a 100% pure coconut products.
I made this with frozen strawberries that I defrosted just slightly and then tossed into the food processor with the maple syrup, lemon juice and sea salt (then added the coconut milk and the melted gelatin). Still quite cold, I was able to put it in the ice cream maker right away with no freezing.
Makes 1 quart (can be doubled, tripled or quadrupled for larger ice cream makers)

Homemade Dairy-Free Strawberry Ice Cream

Jacqueline

Ingredients

1 pound fresh strawberries (frozen work great, too)
2 c. full fat coconut milk
2/3 cup maple syrup or honey (maple syrup is perfect for this recipe!)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
a pinch of sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin
3 TBSP water

Instructions

Wash and cut strawberries in half.
In medium bowl, coarsely mash them together adding the maple syrup or honey, lemon juice, and salt.
Blend well and let sit for about 10 minutes.
In a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over the 3 TBSP of water and let sit for 5 minutes or so to bloom.
Heat over low on the stove until just dissolved. If you microwave, do it in short bursts till the gelatin has melted. Do not let it boil.
Allow to cool for a few minutes then stir the melted gelatin into the strawberry mixture until well combined.
Pour the crushed strawberry/gelatin mixture plus the coconut milk into a blender and purée till chunky or smooth, your preference.
Freeze in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Serve and enjoy right away as a soft serve or use a freezer-safe container and freeze for a few hours or till scoopable.