Plant-Based Ice Cream & Gelato Recipes
 

Summer is definitely here, it's HOT and it's time for ice cream!! Unfortunately, regular, dairy-based ice cream is very WW friendly, not is it remotely vegan. I've been on the search for extra-smooth, extra creamy, vegan ice cream and gelato recipes. I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker, now I just need some lean, tasty recipes. I'm trying to avoid using full-fat coconut milk in the recipe, because it's not very WW friendly. However, I found this gelato recipe that uses almond milk for its base:

http://www.oneingredientchef.com/cinnamon-dolce-gelato/

I also found an interesting recipe for ice cream that adds a little bit of corn starch to make it thick and creamy:
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-mak...-kitchn-204755

I'm wondering if I could use a little guar gum to make the gelato/ice cream silky smooth. Has anyone tried this?

I have a huge bag of almonds and also some hazelnuts that I can use to make milk for the base. I don't think that I'd even need any extra flavoring s/a vanilla, or almond extract in the recipe. The milk is so flavorful on its own.

Ideas? Tips?

Thanks,
C

Don't know about making your own ice cream, gelato...but DD is on WW and has found a brand named Halo or Halotop ice cream at a store here in Illinois - meijers - don't know if brand/store is nationwide...tasted several flavor so yesterday at her house....good- I think she said 3/$10.00.....

Rebecca Katz's cookbooks may have more options, but this is one. I know it uses coconut milk, but if you are consuming only one 3 ounce pop, it shouldn't hurt your WW too bad.
https://www.rebeccakatz.com/recipe-b...-milk-ice-pops
Dr. Andrew Weil also has some recipies:
https://www.drweil.com/diet-nutritio...rozen-dessert/
https://www.drweil.com/diet-nutritio...kthorn-sorbet/

that Halo Top is fabulous. I love it. Mr. stitchnripper can't eat dairy or soy so we get him almond, coconut or cashew "ice cream". I don't love the texture but he is happy with it. It is not low calorie.

I have had Cuisinart ice cream maker for over a decade. It works great. I use bananas and avacados with almond milk to make healthy ice cream sometimes. It's very smooth. I add sugar and flavorings to taste. Mostly I make real cream gelato. Love that stuff.

We've been having some really hot days - I don't have an ice cream maker but willing to give it a try without one. I've been trying to find almond butter but have not been successful. Actually I can not find any kind of 'funky' butter. We have Meijer and Martin stores around here. I will look for Halotop.

Halo is good, but IMHO Breyer Delights is much better. Give it a try!

I've tried both brands and they're really good. Coconut Bliss is also excellent.

I live an hour away from my grocery store, so buying ice cream and bringing it home is sometimes a disappointment. It is usually half melted and it never really freezes back to it's original consistency. Plus, i like trying to make my own with homemade almond milk. It's so flavorful.

~ C

If you can't find almond butter in a jar at the store, it's easy to make your own. Just put a couple of handfuls of unsalted, raw almonds in a food processor, or high-speed power blender (Vita-Mix) and blend. I use an old food processor and it takes awhile for the nuts to grind down, release their oil and give way to butter, but it works wonderfully. My DH has a peanut butter addiction and I make all of our peanut butter this way. I've done almond butter many times too.

~ C

Thanks! I'll check those out!

~ C

what I’ve done is take an ice chest with blue ice or dump the ice thing from the freezer. It will keep things frozen for the hour or so ride

I've tried bananas as a base, but not avocado...sounds interesting. Does it taste "nutty?"

~ C

have one in car all the time.put blue ice in on shopping day....good to keep all frozen things frozen as well as those needed to be refrigerated......

Ditto here. It was 106 degrees F in town the other day. I never have enough room in the ice chest for everything. I always head straight home after shopping with the car's air conditioner on full blast.

We have a ton of blackberries going off in our garden right now, so I made blackberry gelato the other day. It was so good and very easy. Just blended up the berries, strained, added some stevia and a little sugar and put in the ice cream maker, then the freezer. It was ready by dessert time. (Stevia on it's own has an odd taste to me, so I balanced it with just a small amount of suger...1/4 cup, maybe.)

I'm going for the almond milk gelato today. I'm going to add just a pinch of guar gum and see what happens. I might try the corn starch (or arrowroot) trick too. I'll let you know how it turns out.

~ C