Experimenting in the kitchen is fun, and one experiment that has been giving me a rough ride is ice cream.
It can be such a pain! The cooking and cooling of the custard alone is tricky, and there are easily a dozen ways in which it can (and has) gone wrong.
Thankfully, this recipe is both extremely healthy and ZERO cook. That’s right, silky smooth sorbet with only one tool: a blender.
Both of these recipes have a vegan base of avocados. That’s right, buttery green avocados!
I know what you might be thinking, “How in the world did you come up with this?”
I’ll tell you!
My kids eat avocados like they’re going out of style. They would eat 2 a day between them, every day for infinity if they could. Naturally, I buy a lot of avocados. And when they’re on sale I buy even more. Enter the avocado 3 for $1 sale at Sprouts, and I end up with over a dozen in my fridge.
I was also wondering how I could make a healthier “ice cream” minus the dairy, that wouldn’t end up a total rock in the freezer.
Just last week, I tried a Barefoot Contessa chocolate sorbet recipe (dairy free) that turned into a literal rock in the freezer. (I mean, it was mostly water, so no wonder.) I found myself wondering what voodoo Ina Garten must have put on that sorbet to make it look so soft in her cookbook pictures. So, I did some research.
Fat is what helps ice cream stay soft. However, I didn’t want a heavy dairy-based dessert. Well…Heeeeeelllllllloooooo avocados!
First up is one of my personal faves, matcha. Call me crazy, but I adore the grassy flavor of matcha. Mixed with coconut, they’re an unstoppable duo.
Matcha Sorbet (THM S, Vegan, Sugar Free)
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 1/2-2 Tsp matcha powder (I love the flavor of matcha, but it can be quite grassy. I used closer to 2 Tsp, but add 1 Tsp and see how you like the taste. You can always add more, if you like.)
- 1 1/2 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 3 Tsp Swerve or Gentle Sweet (more to taste if you’re leaving out the protein powder)
- 1 c water
- 1 Tsp coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp coconut flavor
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 pinches salt
- 1 Tsp vegetable glycerin or vodka
- 1 scoop Vega Protein & Greens, vanilla flavored powder, optional (NOTE* For THMers, Vega is a personal choice item. There’s only one ingredient that makes the powder off plan, which is papaya extract. I use it and still lose/maintain, so it depends on you and your body. If you choose not to use it, the mixture will need more sweetener as the Vega powder is stevia-based. You could also use 1 scoop of pristine whey in its place. Just know it will no longer be vegan/dairy free.)
Place all ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend for a good 2-3 minutes until everything is incorporated. Taste for flavor and adjust as needed.
Place the mixture straight into your pre-chilled ice cream machine and churn accordingly.
The mixture is finished when it reaches soft-serve consistency. Place it in a quart container and freeze for 1-3 hours.
Dark Chocolate Mocha Sorbet (THM S, Vegan, Sugar Free)
- 1 1/2 ripe avocados
- 1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1/2 c frozen diced okra
- 1/2 c brewed coffee
- 1/2-3/4 c Swerve or Gentle Sweet
- 1/2 c water
- 2 oz unsweet baking chocolate, roughly chopped
- 2 Tsp coconut oil
- 1 heaping tsp espresso powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 Tsp vegetable glycerin
- 1 Tsp Kahlua, or other coffee-flavored liquor or vodka
Combine the baking chocolate and coconut oil in a small bowl and microwave until just melted. Pour into blender.
Combine espresso powder with brewed coffee and stir until fully dissolved. Pour into blender.
Combine all other ingredients in the blender, and whip on high for 3-4 minutes until okra is fully broken down and everything is mixed well. Taste for flavor, and adjust as needed.
NOTE* I refrigerated the mixture for about 2 hours while my ice cream churner was re-chilling. It’s not a necessary step, but it buys time if you need to chill your churner. Just make sure you give it one more blend before placing it in the machine.
Again, churn until it looks like this.
Pop it in a container and freeze for 2-3 hours. Scoop, and enjoy!
My Fling with Food 