Two weeks ago, I set out to find the perfect dairy-free ice cream recipe. I naturally gravitated towards almond milk ice cream as that is the milk substitute we keep on hand at all times. I have to be honest and say I was not expecting this to turn out. At least not at first. I did a lot of research though and by the time I put together this recipe I was fairly sure it would at least be edible, but I was not sure it would actually taste like real ice cream.
I was pleasantly surprised. VERY pleasantly. This recipe was absolutely delicious. When I opened my ice cream maker to sample I was blown away by how creamy this almond milk ice cream was. Like even more creamy than normal ice cream. THEN, of course, I got distracted and over-churned my ice cream.* The Taste Tester was un-impressed with his first sample, as it tasted pretty rubbery due to being over-churned. Just to prove how incredible this ice cream really was, and get an accurate review, I made the ice cream again the following day.
The Review:
Foodiocentric:
Mouthfeel (how much does it “feel” like real ice cream in your mouth): 5/5
Ice Cream Taste (how much does it taste like real ice cream): 4/5
Overall Taste (how does it taste compared with other desserts/foods): 4/5
Would you eat it again? Yes.
Would it pass as real ice cream? Yes.
I found this ice cream to be very rich and creamy. I loved the way it coated my mouth. I can’t pinpoint why, but it did not have the taste of just “plain vanilla” ice cream, not that this was a good or bad thing. It just didn’t taste quite like regular ice cream, but it was very, very close. I would definitely eat this again and again. I think if you served this to guests no one would no it was dairy-free.
The Taste Tester:
Mouthfeel: 3/5
Ice Cream Taste: 2.5/5
Overall Taste: 3/5
Would you eat it again? Yes.
Would it pass as real ice cream? Probably not, not sure.
*How do I know the term over-churned? From Kid’s Baking Championship on Food Network. The judges are always complaining that the ice cream is over-churned, which I thought was a bit of a head scratcher. But then, this Christmas, the taste tester bought me the cadillac of self-freezing ice cream makers and now I understand. Churning the ice cream too long in a freezer makes it rubbery and it loses the creamy mouth-feel. If you are using a traditional at-home ice cream freezer (i.e. salt+ice or frozen canister), it would be nearly impossible to over churn your ice cream as it just won’t get cold enough. If you have a self-freezing machine like me, over-churn one batch and you never will again.
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Serves 1 cup
Ingredients
- 3 cups almond milk (I recommend Califia-which is now carrageenan free!)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon gelatin
- 1/4 tablespoon vodka
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium-low eat, combine almond milk, sugar, and salt. Heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved.
- Beat egg yolks in large, heat-resistant bowl.
- After sugar is dissolved, very slowly, pour a steady stream of the sugar/milk mixture into the egg yolks, while whisking constantly. I find the easiest way to do this is to transfer the mixture to a large measuring cup (or pitcher) with a pour spout and then pouting it into the egg yolks. Yes, it adds an extra step and dish, but if it saves you from scrambling your eggs its worth it.
- Return to stove over low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. You will know it has thickened when it starts to leave a film on the sides of the pan and "sticks" to the bottom when you run your spoon across it. This can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes, so please, be patient. Do NOT think that raising the heat will make this go faster. Patience.
- When the mixture has thickened, add gelatin and stir until it dissolves.
- Remove from heat, add vanilla and vodka. The vodka is what keeps it from freezing solid. You can omit if desired.
- Depending on the type of ice cream freezer you have, either pour this mixture directly into the freezer or chill until very cold, preferably overnight and churn acceding to your ice cream maker's directions.
Wow, this looks so good!!
xo
https://alliesfashionalley.com/category/health/
mmm love almond milk.. we are always on the hunt for a good ice cream recipe… espcially hard for vegans.. with some altering this could work for us.. thanks! it looks amazing!
When I tried going dairy-free ice cream was so hard to do without. Luckily there are lots of dairy-free options out there-and lots of vegan ones too! I remember my sister bringing home a coconut milk ice cream about 5 years ago that tasted like just ice! I have several vegan recipes coming soon, keep following my dairy-free series!
That looks delicious. Sadly I don’t have an ice cream maker.
I got my first ice cream maker a few years back on Amazon, I think it was about $20-30 and well worth it! Now I have a self-freezing ice cream maker, probably not worth the price unless you make A LOT of ice cream (I do, if you couldn’t tell!). There are ways to make ice cream without a maker, I just haven’t tried it yet. Will work on that soon though!