Dairy free life doesn’t have to be a death sentence when you have things like this Dairy Free Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Ice Cream in your freezer!
There are many reasons that people choose a dairy free lifestyle. For my family, it started for me with food testing that showed that I was intolerant to dairy. Because of my chronic sinus infections and subsequent monthly antibiotic regimen, I was desperate to feel good and stop suffering my normal which was brain fog and exhaustion. For my daughter, it was the research that led me to information showing that dairy could be a seizure trigger for some (for her, it was).
When we each removed dairy from our diets, we each recovered from many symptoms that we never realized were related to the foods that we were eating that we thought were healthy! Of course at first, like any normal human being, we mourned cheesy sauces, pizza and other dairy staples. After we stopped feeling sorry for ourselves, we began a quest to find and create the best replacement recipes for all of our favorites, including ice cream!
One of our favorite finds to date, is this filling, satisfying and actually healthy dairy free chocolate chunk almond butter ice cream. I can take just a spoonful to cure my chocolate craving and feel like I’m not missing a thing (although, a bowl’s worth is much more fun!)
Try it today, and let me know in the comments section if this doesn’t become one of your favorite freezer staples!
Dairy Free Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Ice Cream
Ingredients:
- 4 cups coconut milk (Watch for gum additives like guar gum in canned coconut milk, as they can be harmful to the healing process.)
- 1/4 cup pure cacao powder
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey (whichever flavor you prefer)
- 4 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate shavings
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup pure cacao nibs
Almond Butter Ribbon
- 3 tablespoons natural unsweetened almond butter
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Instructions:
- Place the coconut milk in a saucepan and heat over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, being careful that it doesn’t boil. Add the cocao powder, maple syrup or honey, unsweetened chocolate, sea salt, and vanilla. Keep whisking the mixture for approximately 5 minutes until the chocolate is melted and everything is incorporated still making sure it doesn’t boil.
- Take the heated mixture off of the stove and transfer it into a pyrex glass bowl to place in the refrigerator. Seal the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has completely cooled.
- Remove the mixture from the refrigerator, and stir in the 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract into the cooled mixture.
- Now place the mixture into the freezer for approximately 1 hour to help it set for a creamier end product.
- After the mix has been in the freezer for about 1 hour, pour the thickened mixture directly into your ice cream maker to make the ice cream per your machine’s directions.
- While the ice cream is processing, mix together the almond butter ribbon ingredients.
- When you get to the last 5 minutes of ice cream making time, and you can see that the ice cream has started to get a little firm, lightly pour in the almond butter ribbon mixture slowly to incorporate it evenly. Now you can add the dark chocolate chunks.
- For soft serve ice cream consistency, serve and eat right away.
- For firmer ice cream, place the ice cream maker base back into the freezer (covered with plastic wrap), or pour the ice cream into an air tight container to freeze the mixture for about 2 more hours (or to your desired firmness).
- To serve a later time, let thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes.
If you wish to share this recipe, please provide the link back to this recipe here on my website wherever you may share it. If you make changes to the recipe, I would ask that in your rewrite you use your own words as well as provide a link back to this recipe giving credit as the original that you adapted from. Thank you for your integrity and support! (Plus, I would love to know what changes you make in your own creativity and flavor palates so that we can all benefit from each other!)