If I had to choose only one sweet treat for the rest of my life, it would be homemade ice cream. The natural ingredients and flavors one can add to their own frozen mix is endless, and the ultra-fresh taste of this treat to beat the heat is beyond heavenly! But now that I'm a born-again eater, those days of using cow's milk, creams and animal fats are history.
Enter my favorite non-dairy alternative: Almond Milk. As for sweeteners and additives, my choice is pure maple syrup and nut butters. I love the earthy flavor of unsweetened almond butter, balanced with the sweetness of maple. In this recipe, I tossed in a few teaspoons of peanut butter in the final two minutes of churning, just because I like finding the hidden frozen bits in each scoop.
You can use this recipe with any ice cream maker or high-speed blender. I use a frozen ice cream bowl and attachment that I found on Amazon for my KitchenAid mixer. The link is listed below in the recipe notes.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 cups unsweetened regular almond milk (I use Almond Breeze)
- 3 to 4 tsp creamy peanut butter (optional addition in last two minutes of mixing)
Instructions for Ice Cream Machine or KitchenAid Ice Cream Bowl:
If using a machine or KitchenAid frozen bowl mixer, put the bowl in place and turn on your machine or mixer before adding ingredients. This will help to keep ingredients from freezing to the sides of the bowl before it starts churning. If using your KitchenAid, turn on mixer to slowest setting.
As the paddle turns inside the bowl, add the ingredients in the order listed above. Be sure to add the almond milk last to avoid frozen build-up on the sides of your mixing bowl.
Allow the mixture to churn at lowest speed for 30 minutes. Add any additional ingredients, such as teaspoons of peanut butter, pecans pieces, berries, or other goodies in the last 2 minutes of mixing.
Turn off the mixer and spoon the soft-serve ice cream into a plastic container. Seal it, and place in freezer for two more hours. Note: It's perfectly ok to eat the soft serve if you can't wait... Go ahead, you know you want it!
If you were able to stand the wait for firm ice cream, you've got great willpower! Remove from freezer; scoop into bowls and enjoy!
Instructions for using a high-speed blender:
Pour all ingredients into your blender and pulse to mix.
Pour the mixed ingredients into small plastic containers or ice cube trays and place in freezer.
When froze, scoop the mixture or cubes into your blender and blend until smooth. Tamp down periodically to ensure even consistency.
Serve in bowls as soft-serve ice cream or pour into a sealed plastic container again and re-freeze for firmer ice cream.
Enjoy!
Notes: Ice cream will keep well in freezer for up to one month.
Nutrition Info*
Serving size: 1/2 cup
Approximate number of servings in recipe: 6
Calories: 235
Fat: 17g
Carbohydrates: 14g
Protein: 6g
*These numbers are approximate and may vary depending on the brands and types of ingredients you use in your mixture. For example, substituting 1/2 cup of peanut butter in place of the almond butter offers fewer calories and slightly less fat.
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