Paleo & Vegan Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Posted on by llbalanced
Paleo & Vegan Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
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    [ID] => 7725
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    [post_date] => 2017-03-13 10:55:29
    [post_date_gmt] => 2017-03-13 16:55:29
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    [post_title] => Paleo & Vegan Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
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03.13

It is HIGH TIME this dish came to be.

One of the best things that came from writing my cookbook was discovering the perfect template recipe for dairy-free ice cream. The magic comes from a combination of soaked cashews, coconut milk and maple syrup. I find that this trifecta of awesomeness results in the creamiest texture, without any unpleasant ice crystals.

And once you have that down, the ice cream world is your oyster! Have fun with flavorings and mix-ins (remember to add anything textured AFTER churning, like nuts or coconut flakes or chocolate chips). Making homemade ice cream deserves some serious demystification, because 1) ice cream makers are not particularly expensive (I use THIS one) and 2) The process is eassyyy peassyyy. I promise!

As I brainstormed recipes to help y'all get in the St. Patty's Day spirit, enjoying the unseasonably warm Nashville weather (p.s. it's snowing as I type this), nothing sounded better than a bowl of ice cream in that ephemeral perfect state—when it has just melted enough so that your spoon glides effortlessly through, and there's a puddle at base of bowl to scoop between bites, making it all last longer.

Or maybe it's just me that waxes poetic about ice cream...

Anyway, I had a serious craving for some ice cream, and with the luckiest holiday approaching, Mint Chocolate Chip was a shoe-in! Plus, it's my favorite flavor :).

This Mint Chocolate Chip couldn't be more simple to make, and it is mind-blowingly delicious. I'd wager that you enjoy it even more than the classic Baskin Robbins variety, because you can truly feel great about eating it! My version is full of healthy fats from nuts and coconut, as well as vitamins and mineral from spinach (added for color and nutrition!). And, obvi, it's completely free from refined sugar, hydrogenated fats and poor quality dairy. I tested the ice cream first with mint leaves, but the truth is—you gotta have that sharp peppermint flavor only possible with extract. I also chop the chocolate chips, to ensure that each bite is full of goodness.

If you love ice cream, I highly recommend investing in a homemade ice cream maker and giving it a try! Please tag me on social media if you do 🙂 @lauralealbalanced (Instagram).

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TOTAL TIME :1hour8hours
8servings
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup organic frozen spinach
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, roughly chopped (sub chopped chocolate of choice)
DIRECTIONS
  1. Freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker at least 24 hours in advance.
  2. Add cashews to a bowl and cover with hot tap water (not boiling). Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse thoroughly.
  3. Combine cashews, as well as all remaining ingredients except chocolate chips, in a high-powered blender. Refrigerate blender for 30 minutes.
  4. Plug in ice cream base. Moving quickly, remove frozen bowl and place it on the base, then pour in your ice cream mixture. Churn according to manufacturer directions.
  5. While ice cream is churning, line a loaf tin with parchment paper. When ice cream is ready, scoop it into loaf tin and quickly/carefully stir in chocolate*. Cover with saran wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours before serving. I like to let it sit on the counter at room temperature 20 minutes before trying to scoop. *Alternatively, if easier, add ice cream to a bowl then stir in chocolate chips, then empty mixture into loaf tin. I just like to avoid as many dirty dishes as possible!
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