Cherry Almond Coconut Ice Cream (Dairy Free)

posted by Carla on Jul 24, 2014 (updated Feb 17, 2023) 1 comment »

Cherry Almond Coconut Ice Cream is a dairy free ice cream made healthier with almond coconut milk and fresh sweet cherries.

It’s no secret that I love ice cream.

Right now, I have about five different flavors of ice cream in my freezer.

When it’s hot out, I eat ice cream. When it’s cold out, I still eat ice cream.

I buy ice cream. I make ice cream. When I’m on vacation, I eat ice cream.

I even tore out a magazine article on the top twelve ice cream places in Pennsylvania (I’ve eaten at two of them).

Since life is about balance, I also need to watch what I eat.

I’ve been incorporating more fruits and vegetables into my meals and walk when I can during the afternoon.

So how can I continue my love of ice cream while making changes for a healthier lifestyle? By making ice cream healthier without sacrificing flavor with my Cherry Almond Coconut Ice Cream.

Cherry Almond Coconut Ice Cream made dairy free with Silk Almond Coconut Milk

I’ve been wanting to try almond milk ever since I made my Coconut Hot Chocolate because almond milk would have been perfect to pair with the coconut and chocolate, much like that famous candy bar you see in stores.

If you know me, I have an obsession with coconut milk. And of course ice cream was the first thing to pop into my mind.

Most ice cream recipes use whole milk and heavy cream. I used the almond coconut milk instead of whole milk and canned coconut milk instead of cream.

Since it’s low in saturated fat, I added two egg yolks. Otherwise, the ice cream will be too icy (like my first batch).

The ice cream overall still has less fat than regular ice cream, but you still want it to have that creamy texture.

I chose cherries to pair with the almond coconut milk because they are in season and because almond and cherries pair so well together.

Ever notice that almond extract smells like maraschino cherries? Because I used sweet Washington cherries, the ice cream came out with a purple hue, not bright and pink when you think of cherries.

Any variety of cherry will work (but color and sweetness may vary). My favorite part of this ice cream were the bits of cherries throughout.

Looking for more dairy free ice cream? Check out Vegan Mango Ice Cream from Clean Eating Kitchen.

Cherry Almond Coconut Ice Cream

Yield: 1 pint

Cherry Almond Coconut Ice Cream is a dairy free ice cream made healthier with almond coconut milk and fresh sweet cherries.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup sweet cherries, pitted and chopped
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup almond coconut milk*
1 cup canned coconut milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

In a blender, puree 3/4 cup chopped cherries. Set aside.
In one small bowl, lightly beat together the egg yolks. In another small bowl, add the cornstarch.
In a large saucepan, whisk together both milks and sugar. Bring to a simmer. When hot, whisk a little milk into the egg yolks then whisk a little milk into the cornstarch to form a smooth liquid. Add both the cornstarch and egg yolk mixtures into the saucepan.
Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until it thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and whisk in the almond extract and pureed cherries. Pour through a mesh strainer into a bowl sitting inside an ice bath. Cool until room temperature then chill in the refrigerator until cold.
Once cold, freeze the ice cream according to your ice cream maker's directions. During the last few minutes of churning, add the remaining 1/2 cup chopped cherries.