Dairy-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

I love ice cream. It’s probably my favorite dessert. However, after removing lactose and most dairy from my diet several years ago, and then incorporating a paleo lifestyle, ice cream no longer had a home in our freezer.

I really didn’t miss it except for the times we’d be with family or friends and everyone was enjoying a bowl of creamy, delicious ice cream. But I knew, it was not worth the discomfort I would feel later.

As for the non-dairy alternatives at the store, they just aren’t that great. They don’t taste as good and many are loaded with additives and ingredients that don’t agree with my digestive system.

Finally, I decided it was time to try the homemade route. My husband’s favorite ice cream is chocolate peanut butter, so we set out to make our own version of this popular flavor.

We ended up with an amazing, homemade, paleo-friendly ice cream that tastes as good as the real thing and uses only healthy ingredients.

The key to rich, creamy ice cream? FAT.

(P.S. – Fat is good for you!) So enjoy this healthy ice cream, and don’t feel guilty. 🙂

If you don’t have enough fat, then your ice cream will likely have a more icy consistency. That’s what happened to our first batch, and it just wasn’t very good.

Full-fat coconut milk is a perfect way to incorporate healthy fat into your ice cream to help give it the right consistency.

You can also use egg yolks, although this recipe doesn’t require them.

Another option is to use a thickening agent, like guar gum or xanthan gum. However, some people opt to stay away from these additives because they may cause digestive upset.

This recipe keeps it simple, yet super flavorful.

Seriously, you have to try it for yourself. Your friends and family will love you!

Ice Cream Ingredients

• 2 cans full fat coconut milk
• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ⅓ cup cacao

Peanut Butter Mixture

• ½ cup natural, organic peanut butter (or any nut/seed butter)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil

Directions

1. In a pot over medium heat, combine all ice cream ingredients. Stir and simmer for about 10 minutes. Make sure milk doesn’t burn.
2. Store in glass container in freezer for 30 minutes or until cool.
3. In a pot over medium heat, mix peanut butter and coconut oil.
4. OPTIONAL: Pour into glass jar and freeze for 10-15 minutes. (This will keep the nut butter in chunks rather than blending with the ice cream. Yum!)
5. When the ice cream mixture is cool, then add it to your ice cream maker and churn according to appliance directions. (usually about 20 minutes)
6. About 5 minutes before ice cream is done, add the peanut butter.

Serve and enjoy or freeze for later indulgence!!!

Note: This is the ice cream maker we have. I seriously contemplated getting one for about a year, and it’s been a great buy. It was about $100 off the list price on Amazon.