We’re right in the middle of summer here in Southern California, and can I just say… 110 degrees! Wow, it’s super hot out. We’ve been making late night frozen yogurt runs and we’ve been somewhat disappointed with the selections. We’ve also been wanting to bust out our own ice cream maker to give it a whirl. So the other night, that’s exactly what we did! The combinations we came up with were yummy and healthy! Double score!
This recipe comes close to our smoothie recipes, and with the addition of vanilla, we were able to achieve the ice cream flavoring. Berries are a big time favorite of ours ever since we lived in Mt. Baldy and had our very own wild blackberries to pick. This time, we decided to go full effect on the berries and added in strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. The berries provided thickness to the ice cream and honey was used to sweeten things up.
Almond milk was used as the base because we wanted to stay away from dairy. Not that I have anything against milk (my hubby keeps trying to get me off of it, but he will have to pry the milk carton from my hands). Truly, we have been trying to go the more “healthy” route and so this dessert was a perfect summer treat.
The part of this recipe that makes me do the happy dance is the chunks of chocolate we added in at the end. Probably not so healthy, but we opted for an organic chocolate bar that we bought at Trader Joes. Simply delightful… and super easy!
Here’s the recipe:
Very Berry Healthy Ice Cream
Ingredients
12 oz. total of berries (we used strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
2 cups Almond Milk
3 Large Spoonfuls of Almond Butter
2 Spoonfuls of Honey
1 tsp of Vanilla
25 grams of chopped strawberries (a handful or two)
25 grams chopped organic chocolate (a handful or two)
Directions:
Place the ice cream tub in the freezer at least 2 hours ahead of time. (We just keep ours clean and in the freezer during summer!)
In a Vitamix or Blender, add the 12 oz. of berries, almond milk, almond butter, honey and vanilla and blend until smooth.
Add the mixture to the ice cream maker until the mixture resembles thick soft-serve ice cream and registers about 21 degrees F, 25 to 35 minutes.
At the very end, add in the cut up chocolate and strawberry chunks (a couple handfuls of each to your liking).
Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours, before serving. We also use pie pans and deep dishes to store the ice cream and then cover with sticky wrap.
Enjoy!
Sweetie Pie and Cupcakes Favorite Products
