Cocoa-Almond Crunch Ice Cream
What happens when you start with ultra-creamy vanilla ice cream and add ripples of dark chocolate along with a mouthful of crunch? Well, you have yourself a “deliciously decadent” bowl of frozen goodness….and with my healthier tweaks you can enjoy without guilt!
Yields: about 1 1/2 quarts
Yields: about 1 1/2 quarts
Ingredients
Base
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup coconut palm sugar for more info, including alternatives see MPM Mini-Bites
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 2 cans 13.5 ounces unsweetened coconut milk (not “light”)
Mix in’s
- 1 cup cocoa-dusted dark chocolate coated almonds roughly chopped (see MPM Mini Bites)
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips + 1 teaspoon coconut oil melted and cooled (see MPM Mini-Bites for dairy-free alternatives)
Instructions
Base:
- In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer on low speed, combine coconut palm sugar, vanilla, salt and both cans of coconut milk; beat on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes. (or until coconut palm sugar is dissolved) You can also use a blender or whisk for mixing all ingredients.
- Cover; chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight if possible.
Make Ice Cream:
- As machines vary, follow the instructions according to your manufacturer’s manual. (This recipe was made using a Cuisinart ICE 21 which is inexpensive, simple to use and makes FANTASTIC ice cream …highly recommended!)
- A few minutes before ice cream is done (should still be churning, but has slowed down), add the chopped almonds, allowing to swirl through the ice cream.
- Immediately pour in COOLED melted chocolate, allowing to swirl through. (Chocolate will harden forming chunks and flecks.) If by chance, the ice cream has stopped churning, you can swirl in the melted chocolate after removing from the machine.
- When ice cream has finished churning, turn off the machine. Serve immediately.
- If a firmer consistency is desired, place ice cream in a covered freezer-safe container. Freeze for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Make Ahead and Storage Tips: ice cream may be stored in a covered freezer-safe container for about 3 weeks. (if it lasts that long!) Allow to soften for about 15 minutes before serving.
*This homemade ice cream contains only pure ingredients and does not have preservatives and stabilizers. Therefore, it will not have the same consistency or freeze as creamy as most store-bought brands. That said, there is nothing like making your own ice cream…hope you try it!!
For mouth-watering recipes (from the traditional to the exotic) as well as everything you need to know about making ice cream (including guidelines for selecting machines) treat yourself to a copy of The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz.
Cocoa-Dusted Dark Chocolate Coated Almonds: what a delicious (and addicting) treat! They are simply whole almonds coated with a thin layer of dark chocolate, then lightly coated with unsweetened cocoa. They may be found in many bulk bins at natural food stores such as Whole Foods or online. If you can’t locate them, simply substitute with dark chocolate covered almonds or plain almonds.
Coconut Palm Sugar: I have been searching for a healthier sweetening alternative for use in desserts and has been experimenting with coconut palm sugar. Brands to look for are Coconut Secret and Wholesome Sweeteners.
Reportedly lower glycemic and possibly suitable for some diabetics, coconut palm sugar has a similar look, taste and texture of brown sugar, albeit to some, less sweet. Coconut palm sugar can replace cane sugar in equal amounts in recipes. Do your own research about this unprocessed sweetener to decide if it’s an acceptable choice for you. Naturally, if you have a medical concern, check first with your health care practitioner.
If you prefer not to use coconut palm sugar, you can use an equal amount of cane sugar or experiment with alternative healthy sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup.
Unsweetened Coconut Milk: works wonderfully in ice cream recipes if you can’t or prefer not to have dairy. There are several brands readily available including Thai Kitchen and Native Forest. While you may be able to detect a hint of coconut flavor in some ice cream recipes, most you cannot, especially those with dominant flavors such as peanut butter and chocolate.
If you prefer not to use coconut milk, you may swap it with 1 cup whole milk and 2 cups heavy cream. Follow directions above substituting milk for the first can of coconut milk and heavy cream for the second can.
Chocolate Chips: the choice is yours as to how healthy you want your chips to be! Enjoy Life Foods makes Semi-Sweet Mega Chunks and Mini Chips which are gluten, dairy and soy-free chips that do contain sugar. Sunspire makes a variety of chocolate chips including Grain-Sweetened Dark Chocolate Chips which are sweetened with brown rice syrup solids. They also make Unsweetened Carob Chips which do contain dairy. Ghirardelli makes all-natural 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips which do contain sugar and dairy. For an unsweetened chocolate chip alternative, consider trying raw cacao nibs sold by companies such as TerrAmazon.
Look for these products in natural food stores such as Whole Foods as well as in some supermarkets.
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