blender ice cream

I'm not eating dairy right now. Or sugar. Or chocolate. Or a lot of other things... It's certainly not a place I ever expected to be, but here I am. On good days, I call it "a very interesting food adventure." (Can't post what I call it on other days. Or what my husband calls it.)

I'm trying to identify and resolve some food sensitivities that have been bothering me for a while now. It's actually not as bad as I make it sound. I'm discovering lots of amazing foods. For example, I've discovered that I'm kind of obsessed with kale. And turnips? Turns out I (sometimes) like them!

But dessert... I miss dessert sometimes.

Enter my latest discovery: blender ice cream. With just a few ingredients and 5 minutes, I can make homemade ice cream. It's simple, fast, doesn't need any added sugar, and is pretty darn delicious.

Here's my technique. Note that it's not really a recipe, more of a "throw everything in the blender and hope for the best" kind of thing. I don't think you can really go wrong here, so don't be afraid.

Blender Ice Cream

Ingredients:
Frozen fruit (I like strawberries)
Coconut milk (the kind in the can)
A little sweetener (1-2 tsp) if you like, although if you use fruit that's nice and ripe, you might not need any sweetener at all.
Milk (cow's or alternative) and ice for adjusting the consistency.

Put the fruit and coconut milk in the blender. I use about 2 parts frozen fruit to 1 part coconut milk. Add sweetener if you're using it. Turn on the blender and see if it will run. If yes, then process until it's nice and blended. If not, add milk until the blender starts to work. If it gets too liquid-y, add ice.

I used nectarines for this example. Note that it's key to use the ripest, sweetest fruit you have.

This batch ended up a little on the soft side, but was still delicious.

This ice cream is best eaten right after you make it, so finish it off if you can (not usually a problem in our house). If you want to stick it in the freezer, when you're ready to eat it, just microwave it in 30 second increments until it's the right consistency. I have a single-serving attachment for my blender, which makes the perfect amount for me and Little Chef without leftovers.