Ice cream is a quintessential summer pastime, and during these sizzling summer months we always like to have some on hand in our freezer. While we love a good, simple vanilla (especially with any flavor of crumbled Honey Mama’s on top), there are so many fresh berries this time of year we just couldn’t resist whipping up a flavor loaded with juicy, bright red raspberries.
This is a great ice cream to serve up at your next summer BBQ, and it’s incredibly simple to make. Feel free to experiment with any combination of local berries you might have on hand.
Raspberry CocoNoNut Ice Cream
(Recipe by Ivy Entrekin)
(Recipe by Ivy Entrekin)
2 cups fresh raspberries
1 (13.5 oz) can full-fat coconut milk
½ cup cashew milk (or sub more coconut milk)
½ cup Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 (2-inch) piece vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 T. grass-fed gelatin, optional
1 Honey Mama’s CocoNoNut Cacao-Nectar bar, chopped
Place 1 cup of the raspberries in a blender, and add the coconut milk, cashew milk, dates, lemon juice, and vanilla bean seeds. Blend until smooth. Place gelatin in a small bowl (if using), and whisk in ¼ cup boiling water. Restart the blender, and add the gelatin mixture through the feed tube while the engine is running. Blend for about 30 seconds, or until well-mixed. Place the mixture in the refrigerator to chill.
After an hour or so, pour the mixture into the bowl of an ice cream maker, and press the start button. Roughly chop the remaining raspberries and set aside. Once the mixture reaches “soft serve” consistency, add raspberries and the chopped Honey Mama’s pieces. Churn until the mixture firms up.
Makes 1 heaping quart of ice cream.
Notes:
If you don’t have vanilla beans on hand, you can sub a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
The addition of gelatin ‘stabilizes’ frozen treats, and gives them a nice, creamy texture. If you want to keep your treats 100% vegetarian, you can leave it out. I have also read about using guar gum, xanthan gum, or soy lecithin for purposes such as this, but I have never experimented with them myself. I keep the bowl of my ice cream maker in the freezer at all times so that it is always ready to go. Most machines require that the bowl be frozen for at least 24 hours before attempting to make ice cream, but refer to the manufacturer’s directions that came with yours for exact instructions.
