Vegan, Paleo, and AIP-friendly Ice Cream for you, for me, for everyone!
What makes this eBook different? Well, for very selfish reasons, the recipes in this book are free of the top 8 food allergens, making them: dairy-free, nut-free and egg-free. (All the things that often make a good ice cream… well, good!). As I’ve mentioned before in the blog, I follow a Paleo Autoimmune Diet (AIP) – that essentially means I don’t eat dairy, eggs or nuts, but I also don’t eat grains, legumes, nightshades and seeds. According to the guidelines for the Autoimmune Diet put out by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne (aka The Paleo Mom) in her book The Paleo Approach, those of us who follow the AIP diet also need to watch our fructose intake. Too much fructose can be inflammatory and trigger an autoimmune reaction, so Sarah recommends that if you’re following the AIP diet, you should keep your fructose consumption under 20g per day. With that in mind, Jennifer and I made sure that our book was suitable for AIP by including the amount of fructose per serving of each recipe in the book. So, if you’re AIP, you can make an informed decision and go-ahead and eat the ice cream if you want 😉 The book is perfect for families where different loved ones have different food-restrictions too!
For even more selfish reasons, this Mint Chip Ice Cream appears in the book – it was my absolute favorite flavor of ice cream as a kid. I hadn’t actually had it in YEARS because of my intolerance to dairy until this recipe was developed. Possibly worse than a dairy intolerance, is not being able to eat chocolate though – and chocolate is eliminated as part of autoimmune diet too (since it’s technically a seed). So, if you’ve been missing Mint Chocolate Chip – try this. You’ll be in heaven!
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon carob powder
- 1 can (13.5 fl oz/398 ml)
- full fat coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon real peppermint
- extract
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
- tbsp pure maple syrup
- Handful fresh baby spinach
INSTRUCTIONS
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- Pre-freeze your ice cream maker’s insulated container. Or if you do not have an ice cream maker, place a baking dish in the freezer. Make your ‘chips’ by combining the coconut oil and carob powder in a shallow dish, and place it in the freezer for about 20 minutes, or until completely frozen.
- In a blender or food processor, combine your coconut milk, peppermint extract, mint leaves, and maple syrup. If you want a greener looking ice cream, add in the fresh baby spinach. Blend until the leaves are well combined and your mixture is smooth.
- Remove your frozen carob mixture from the freezer, and break up the thin, frozen layer into chips with your hands or a fork.
- Add chips to ice cream mixture. If using an ice cream maker: pour mixture into ice cream maker and follow the directions for your machine. Serve when ready.
- Pour mixture into a baking dish, and place it in the freezer. Freeze for 45 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from the freezer and stir it well with a rubber spatula, making sure to break up any hard, frozen sections. You can also use an immersion blender, in your baking dish to do this. Place the mixture back in the freezer.
- Every 30–45 minutes, check the ice cream mixture and mix or churn it, until the ice cream is of the desired consistency. This should take about 2 to 3 hours.
- Freeze longer for a harder ice cream, or allow to thaw slightly before serving for a softer texture.