There is nothing like a cold scoop of ice cream on a warm summer day, but many of us forego this indulgence for the sake of our health and waistlines.
The great news is that you don’t have to say goodbye to ice cream. Just make your own.
You can find thousands of healthy ice cream recipes on the internet, and I have tried a lot of them. Over time, I have been able to refine a few of my favourite healthy ice cream recipes that you can try. From pistachio, vanilla, chocolate and coconut ice cream to vanilla sorbet, here are my favourite healthy ice cream and sorbet recipes:
Healthy Vanilla Ice Cream Made with Crème Anglaise
Vivienne, my sister in law, came up with this recipe. They say it’s all about who you know, and this recipe is one of the reasons why I am happy I met her. This is a standard crème anglaise recipe with the sugar replaced by xylitol or erythritol.
A crème anglaise is typically a custard that you can eat as is or use as a base for any ice cream or various tart fillings. You just need to flavour it accordingly. You can add cacao or dark chocolate to make a chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla. So, if you are brave enough and want to experiment with this recipe, you can try infusing different ingredients into the anglaise to make the ice cream flavours you want.
Ingredients:
1 cup cream
4 egg yolks
4 tbsp xylitol or 5 tbsp erythritol
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Instructions:
In a double boiler, add vanilla and cream and let the mixture heat up. In a bowl, mix the egg yolks and the xylitol or erythritol. Once the vanilla and cream have warmed up, add half the mixture to the egg yolks, stirring to incorporate. Add the egg yolk mixture to the remaining cream mixture in the double boiler and stir continuously.
You want the mixture to become thick enough to pass the spoon test, which is when the back of the spoon is coated with a layer so thick that when you run your finger through the liquid, you can see a definite line and it doesn’t just close with runny liquid. Once it does pass the spoon test, strain the crème anglaise with a mesh strainer.
You can now use this vanilla custard as a base to make ice cream. If you have an ice cream maker, you can follow the instructions, and if you don’t have one, place in the freezer and stir every 30 to 40 minutes (until you cannot stir it anymore, obviously) to prevent crystals from forming. Your ice cream should be thick and creamy. Store in the freezer or eat on the spot — that’s what I would do.
Servings: 6
Healthy Pineapple and Coconut Sorbet
I made this the first time when trying to make a dessert that would be lower in calories while trying to lose the last bit of fat I had clinging to my stomach. I loved it, and it sparked a desire to experiment with making fruity desserts, which I did for the next few weeks, although I did make this one quite a few times. Sorbet is a palate cleanser, so it can be eaten before or after any course.
Ingredients:
2½ cups pineapple, sliced into cubes
1 cup coconut cream (use coconut milk if you want to lower the calorie content)
3 tbsp xylitol or 4 tbsp erythritol
Instructions:
Heat up the coconut cream or milk in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove for two minutes. Do not bring to boil; however, the mixture should be warm enough for the sweetener to dissolve. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. In a blender or using a stick blender, blend all of the ingredients together until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker or put in the freezer and stir it every twenty to thirty minutes to prevent the sorbet from crystallising. Serve once ready or keep in the freezer for when needed.
Servings: 6
Lemon Sorbet
When life gives you lemons, why not make this lemon sorbet?
Ingredients:
Zest from one lemon, grated
1 cup of water
½ cup xylitol or ½ cup + 3 tbsp erythritol
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup of sparkling water
Instructions:
Make a lemon syrup by combining the grated lemon peel, water, and sweetener in a medium-sized saucepan or pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
In a bowl, stir the lemon juice, sparkling water, and the lemon syrup you made together. If you have an ice cream maker, great! Pour it into the ice cream maker and use according to the instructions. If you do not have an ice cream maker, my condolences. Place it in the freezer and then whisk every hour for about five hours or until the liquid has started thickening and has a creamy texture. Constant attention to your sorbet will result in a fine, soft sorbet rather than a crystallised mess.
Servings: 4
Keto Coconut Ice Cream
If you like coconut and you’re following a ketogenic diet, you should definitely try this keto coconut ice cream recipe. It is one of the first healthy ice cream recipes I came up with.
Ingredients:
1½ cups + 2 tbsp (1 can) coconut cream
2 egg yolks
4 tbsp xylitol or 5 tbsp erythritol
1 tsp vanilla essence
Instructions:
Heat the coconut cream in a double boiler, but do not let it boil. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients, until well combined. Set aside and leave to cool. Pour into the ice cream maker and leave for roughly 45 minutes to an hour until thick. If you don’t have an ice-cream maker, place it in the freezer and then whisk every 20 to 30 minutes for about five hours or until the liquid has thickened and has a creamy texture.
Store in the freezer in an airtight container and serve when ready.
Servings: 6
Keto Chocolate Ice Cream
This will fix your chocolate and ice cream cravings in one dessert. I like making a batch and then dividing it into individual portion sizes, so I can have some every day for a few days.
Ingredients:
1½ cup + 2 tbsp cream or coconut cream (1 can)
2 egg yolks
4 tbsp xylitol or 5 tbsp erythritol
1 tsp vanilla
5 tbsp cacao powder
Instructions:
Bring the coconut cream to a medium heat on a double boiler, but do not let it boil. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients, until well combined. Set aside and leave to cool. Pour into an ice cream maker if you have one and leave for roughly 45 minutes to an hour until thick. Place in the freezer and serve when ready. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, while you are saving up for one, put the mixture in the freezer and whisk every 20 to 30 minutes until the mixture is thick and you cannot whisk it anymore.
Servings: 6
Low-Carb Pistachio Ice Cream
In the animated movie, Cars 2, the cars take a trip to Japan. Mater, my favourite character, is a cute little tow truck with a heart of gold. In the movie, they go to a party, and Mater mistakenly thinks that the wasabi is pistachio ice cream. He utters the words, “I’ll have some of that there pistachio ice cream.” He proceeded to take more wasabi than any human, or animated tow truck, should consume, and ended up really burning his mouth.
The scene does not have that much to do with being on a dessert diet, but for the rest of my life, whenever I hear the words “pistachio ice cream,” Mater’s voice pops up in my head. I really do love me some of this pistachio ice cream though.
All credit goes to Vivienne the Great.
Ingredients:
½ cup chopped pistachio nuts
4 egg yolks
¼ cup xylitol or ⅓ cup erythritol
1 cup cream
Pinch of salt
Instructions:
In a double boiler, heat the cream and pistachio nuts. This is to infuse flavour into the cream. In a bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar. Slowly pour half of the warm cream into the egg yolks – stirring constantly. Add the egg, sweetener, and cream mixture back into the double boiler with the remaining cream using a spatula. Stir until the mixture is thick enough to pass the spoon test. You will know it is thick enough when it covers the back of a spoon and you can run your finger through the liquid without it closing because the mixture is too runny. Cool and churn in an ice cream machine or put in the freezer and stir every 20 to 30 minutes until it is too thick to stir further.
Servings: 4
Ice Cream Sundae
Yes! I am so happy that this dessert exists. Yes, we can experiment with desserts, but the ice cream sundae is still a classic.
This is a sundae that is made with coconut ice cream, strawberries, and a mixed berry coulis. I like having a cold and fruity dessert like this on a Sunday after a heavy lunch. You can obviously build your sundae with any healthy ice cream recipe in this book, and you can even buy low-sugar ice cream at a lot of places, nowadays.
Ingredients:
2 scoops of coconut ice cream
A few strawberries, sliced (it is your sundae, add as many as you want)
¼ cup mixed berry coulis
Instructions:
Place the ice cream in a bowl or glass, and then top off with the strawberries and coulis.
Servings: 1
These healthy ice cream and sorbet recipes should keep you busy and your taste buds satisfied for a while. Following a healthy diet does not mean you have to stop eating ice cream. Just be strategic and choose healthy ice cream.
