This Paleo Chocolate Almond Butter Ice Cream is rich, creamy, and so good! Naturally sweetened, dairy free, and so rich that you won't know it's a healthy version of the sugary treat.
I talked my husband into getting an ice cream maker. It's been so hot here and it really didn't take much convincing- I promised him lots of ice cream 🙂 I was excited to get experimenting, but making dairy free ice cream that's naturally sweetened was a little trickier than I thought. Well, I just needed the right ingredients. The first batch came out so icy that even after 30 minutes at room temperature it was hard to eat!! I read some tips on making it smooth and...perfection! This ice cream is creamy, not icy at all and scoop-able after only 10 minutes of sitting out! The gelatin really helps with keeping it scoop-able, so I don't recommend skipping that part.
The flavor of this ice cream is amazing! It is so chocolatey and the almond butter works perfectly with it- it is such a great flavor combination! I could not quit eating it while I was making it, or taking pictures- it is so irresistible! Even though it uses 2 cans of coconut milk, it doesn't have a coconut flavor.
It is easy to make, which is kind of dangerous because I see many more batches in my future! All the ingredients get mixed in a pan, heated, cooled, then churned. Once it's done churning, scoop it into a loaf pan and freeze overnight. I dare you to not eat a bowl immediately though! I admit- it happened when I made it. Straight from the ice cream maker it is the consistency of soft serve, my favorite!
What I did for the almond butter "swirl" was add some ice cream to the loaf pan, add a layer of almond butter, add more ice cream, more almond butter, then top with the remaining ice cream. That way when you scoop, you get some almond butter in there and it was easier than trying to make pretty swirls.
It's also amazing with some extra almond butter on top!
You will love this ice cream because it is easy to make, creamy, sweet, and delicious! It is definitely a must make!
What other flavors should I make? I'd love some inspiration!
HERE is the ice cream maker I have and love. It's very affordable and well worth it.
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Paleo Chocolate Almond Butter Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 13.5oz cans full fat coconut milk
- ½ cup honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons gelatin
- ½ cup almond butter
- 6 tablespoons cacao powder
- additional ½ cup almond butter for swirling
Instructions
- Before you begin, make sure ice cream bowl has been freezing for at least 24 hours.
- In a small sauce pan, add the coconut milk, and honey. Whisk until smooth.
- Sprinkle the gelatin on top and let bloom for about 5 minutes.
- Whisk the gelatin in, add in the almond butter and cacao and turn the heat on medium. Heat until warmed through, but not boiling.
- Pour into a container and refrigerate until cool- 5 hours to overnight.
- Pour the cooled mixture in your ice cream maker and follow manufactures direction on churning. I churned mine for 20 minutes.
- While ice cream is churning, prepare a loaf pan. Line it with parchment paper and cut away any excess that hangs too far over.
- Scoop ice cream into pan, alternating ice cream and almond butter in layers then freeze until solid- overnight it best.
- Or eat right away, it will be the consistency of soft serve.
- Let sit out for 10 minutes at room temperature before scooping, just to make it easier.
Nutrition Information
Karla says
Do you use the whole can of coconut milk, or just the cream part without the water?
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Karla- the whole can. Enjoy!
Aj says
Could you use peanut butter instead of almond butter?
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Aj- yes, that will totally work. Hope you enjoy!
Jennifer BIRTWISTLE says
Hi. I live in Australia. We do not have "almond butter" What can I use instead?
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Jennifer- you can take unsalted almonds and make your own almond butter by placing them in a high powdered blender or food processor. You can also use peanut butter, but that makes it no longer paleo. I hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions.
Catherine Stevenson says
This looks delicious! But what can I use instead of gelatine, or can I just leave it out? As I'm vegetarian.
Thanks
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Catherine- you can leave it out and it will just be a little more icy. I have heard that 1-2 tablespoons of vodka also works to make it creamy. You can try that 🙂 You're welcome- hope you enjoy!
Mary St. Dennis says
What brand icecream maker do you use? I'm looking to buy one. This looks really yummy!
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Mary, I bought the Cuisinart 1.5 quart and love it! It's the perfect size and so easy to use. Here is the link:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KYSLMW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jaysbakingm07-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B003KYSLMW&linkId=03cc88a75cfbbea45d31f6c5aabbcee5
Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Mi says
This looks SO GOOD!! It's right up my alley for food. But is there a way to do it without an ice cream machine? If not I guess I will be buying an ice cream maker.
Jessica DeMay says
I've read that you can make it in a blender, place it in the freezer (in the blender) and every hour blend for a minutes. After 4 hours, blend one last time and place in loaf pan. I can't say if this actually works, but it might be worth a try 🙂 An ice cream machine is not a bad invested though 😉
J+E | Real Simple Good says
You are really speaking to my sweet tooth! This looks so decadent, yet not too sweet at the same time! We love making almond butter banana ice cream and sometimes add cocao powder to it! I need to make this very soon! Pinning and sharing this week!
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks, Erica! Oh, almond butter banana ice cream is so good! Thanks for sharing!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
I saw this on IG and had to come right over to check it out Jessica! I'm always looking for an excuse to get out my ice cream attachment! Can't wait to try. It sounds delicious!
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks, Mary Ann! I can't believe I've waited this long to get an ice cream maker! So worth it!