This is a recipe I recreated a few years ago after being inspired by the Jeni's Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream recipe. We didn't have any milk or cream cheese, but we had strawberries and coconut milk, so instead of the dairy version, I went with a strawberry-flavored non-dairy coconut milk ice cream. Since then I've been working with this recipe on and off to make it more easily scoopable on day 2. Well, I finally got it just right.
Xanthan Gum & Vodka
The key to making this more scoopable was cutting out some of the coconut milk and incorporating xanthan gum and vodka.
- Xanthan Gum -- This ingredient is easy to find now thanks to the rise in popularity of gluten-free baking. Used in tiny amounts, it is an excellent stabilizer. You can use it in this recipe and many other ice creams. It's also good for thickening smoothies and using in Ninja Creami creations (which I haven't tried since I have a Cuisinart).
- Vodka -- Vodka is another good ice cream ingredient. It's flavorless and lowers the freezing point, helping this and other ice creams stay scoopable. I use it in almost all of my ice creams now. Vodka is also handy for removing the odor of thrift store or theatre clothes. Just put some in a spray bottle and spray them down.
But back to the recipe...
Roasting the Strawberries
Don't be scared off by roasting the strawberries. It is extremely easy. You just trim and slice the strawberries, put them in a pan, toss with sugar and bake for 10 minutes. The roasting process heightens the flavor of the strawberries, but it does something else that's beneficial to ice cream. It creates a syrup, which inhibits crystallization in the same way corn syrup, maple syrup or agave (all popular ice cream sweeteners) would. In theory, it should help keep the ice cream soft.
Brands of Coconut Milk & Stabilizers
If you are using the xanthan gum, you can make this with just about any brand of coconut milk, with or without guar gum. Some brands will be lumpy at first, but will smooth out when blending. I have come to love the flavor of Native Forest brand, but I've used lots of different brands including Goya, Thai Kitchen, Trader Joe's, Wegmans and Taste of Thai. Just be sure to use regular coconut milk and not lite.
Half Versions
The recipe I posted should give you a little over 2 pints. If you only need a pint or so of ice cream, you can halve the recipe, which is what I usually do. My ice cream maker is a Cuisinart model designed to make 2 quarts so making small batches of ice cream works out okay. If you have the smaller 1 ½ quart Cuisinart model, the half batch might work even better. There are so many different models of ice cream makers these days, and this recipe should work well with any of them.
Update Notes
So here's the final version. Finally! I don't plan on changing this one again because it's perfect as is for a non-dairy coconut milk strawberry ice cream.
Recipe
Dairy Free Strawberry Ice Cream with Coconut Milk
Equipment
- 1 ice cream maker
Ingredients
Roasted Strawberries
- 2 cups strawberries, slightly heaping (340 grams after trimming)
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar (70 grams)
Ice Cream Base
- ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum, slightly heaping
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or allulose (50 grams)
- 1 can coconut milk, not lite
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup or corn syrup** (40 grams)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vodka optional, for softer texture
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss sliced strawberries with the 6 tablespoons of sugar in a small baking dish or loaf pan. Roast for 15 minutes, or until juicy and syrupy. Let cool for at least 20 minutes.
- Stir the sugar and xanthan together and put in the blender. Add the coconut milk, golden syrup, salt, vanilla, and lemon juice. Blend for 1 minute.
- Scrape in the roasted strawberries and all their syrup. Add vodka if using.
- Blend for two minutes.
- Transfer mixture to a bowl, cover, and chill until very cold.
- Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions until it is a soft serve consistency.
- Transfer to a container and freeze until firm but scoopable (about 2-4 hours).
Anna says
I use canned coconut milk which is a lot higher in fat and calories than cow's milk. Canned coconut milk is vegan and doesn't have lactose, so those are the main advantages. If you're watching dairy or have an allergy, coconut milk is okay. It's still high in saturated fat and very rich, but it's plant based. The coconut milk drink that comes in a carton is lighter and wouldn't work here.
T. Martin says
Going to remember to try coconut milk as a sub for vegans since it most closely mimics cow's milk in fat content. I have a good recipe for an Indian spiced ice cream using coconut milk.