Dairy free ice-cream has been number one on my radar of goals to achieve in my ingredient swap journey. Before any of my other sensitivities with food, I have had my ups and down with my tolerance to dairy. I was born lactose intolerant and over the years cut it out completely as it only contributed negatively to my health and digestion. Eventually that extended into sugar and gluten, making many dairy free brands now off limits to me as they contained refined sugar and gluten in the forms of cookies. The search for an ice cream that is functional for my lifestyle and eating habits continued! Since then I have tried everything from avocados to bananas, without success for that perfect consistency and flavor. I don't like the overbearing avocado or banana aftertastes: to me ice cream is all about the flavor of the ice cream, not the base. It wasn't until I had started seriously getting creative with sweet potatoes that I had an 'a-ha!' moment. I began by putting it into fudge, waffles, smoothies and now my favorite uses are in ice cream and home made yogurt!
One day, my mom offered to let me borrow her ice cream maker, spur of the moment and the idea for this dairy free salted caramel ice cream recipe suddenly rushed into my head. Ingredients like sweet potatoes, dates and coconut really allowed me to balance the nutrients and sugar content in this recipe so I don't feel like I cause any big changes in my blood sugar. Even though I only ever use natural sweeteners, I am still very sensitive to sugar and must be careful of my intake. I wasn't sure how it would turn out the first time I made it, but the healthy carbohydrates and fats in this recipe truly make it an addictingly delightful ice cream. When I say addicting, you must know that I am an ice cream fiend in the summer months. So, for me to finish this batch in two days means it was top notch. I considered all aspects of this recipe before deciding it was one of the best I have had so far. The flavor and texture are well balanced and the ingredients yield a far more affordable batch of ice cream. Since my summer ice cream habit usually calls for financial adjustments, I had to be smart with what ingredients I chose-and avocados just don't fit that bill. Sweet potatoes contribute with sweetness, volume and nutrient density. I can't wait for you to test the recipe!
Dessert
-
1
cup
*homemade pecan and walnut 'cream' (homemade nut milk with very little water)
(soak nuts overnight in refrigerator) -
1
can
full fat, organic coconut milk (refrigerate and only scoop the fat solids at the top, discard the water at the bottom)
(refrigerate for overnight) -
1
medium/small
purple sweet potato
(you can also use white here) -
4
pitted
medjool dates -
1
tbsp
non alcoholic vanilla extract -
1/4-1/2
tsp
sea salt (to taste) -
1
scoop
collagen peptides
this is optional- omit if you want to keep it vegan - chopped pecans
-
Place can of coconut milk in the refrigerator and your ice cream attachment in the freezer overnight.
-
Cover raw walnuts and pecans (or any nut of your choice) with filtered water in a glass container and refrigerate overnight.
-
Drain and rinse nuts thoroughly, until water is clear.
-
Place nuts in your food processor with 1/2 - 1 cup of filtered water. Blend thoroughly.
-
Strain nuts through a nut milk bag.
-
Peel and gently boil your purple sweet potato in filtered water- about 5 minutes.
-
Set them aside to cool. (the liquid from this is very nutritious, you can use it for a tea or to cook other food in)
-
Once the sweet potatoes are cooled, add them with ~1/2 cup of sweet potato liquid and 2 dates to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
-
Measure into a saucepan 1 cup of sweet potato, 1 cup of nutmilk + scoop only the fat solids from your can of coconut milk- discard or use the coconut water for a different recipe.
-
Add vanilla, salt, collagen and gently warm the liquid to incorporate everything evenly on very low heat- you do not want to scald/boil it.
-
Set the mixture aside to cool.
-
Set up ice cream maker and get your mixture started churning.
-
Chop pecans and the remaining 2 dates and add to the ice-cream. It will take about 20 minutes to complete.
I would recommend not using store-bought nut milk because it will be more watered down, causing the ice cream to become too hard in the freezer. The homemade recipe for this ice-cream will instruct you to use very little water so you achieve a creamier nut milk consistency. *If you decide you want an easier route for the nut milk, you can soak cashews overnight and blend with the same amount of water- this will not need to be strained so long as you blend it for a long enough time.
Like the ingredient swaps in this recipe? Click here for support and lists of common swaps!
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