What if your ice cream treat could actually be good for you? Well, there is such a thing as healthy ice cream! Cultured dairy, raw honey, chocolate, and optional egg yolks make a nutrient dense yet delicious probiotic ice cream treat in no time!
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Ice cream is usually in the treat category. Not a health food. More of a guilty pleasure, or at least a once-in-awhile indulgence.
It is actually possible for ice cream to meet some of our dietary goals, though. Cultured cream, milk kefir or yogurt, and (optional) raw egg yolks form the bulk of this ice cream. All are core healing foods on the GAPS diet!
This isn’t a strictly GAPS compliant recipe, though, because of the chocolate. If you are on the GAPS diet, you will need to make your own judgment on the chocolate based on your stage of GAPS and how you are doing. If you do fine with a little chocolate now and then, this recipe might work for you. After all, it has only a little bit of chocolate… If chocolate isn’t for you right now, check out my vanilla ice cream recipe.
If you aren’t on the GAPS diet and don’t particularly want to use cultured dairy, you can make this ice cream with fresh milk and cream. It will turn out well that way also. You can learn more about cultured cream and making kefir; both are quite easy to do.
How to Make Cultured Chocolate Ice Cream
Measure your kefir (or yogurt or milk) into a blender (or a bowl if using a hand mixer) and add cacao or cocoa powder, honey, vanilla, and salt. Blend or mix until very smooth.
Add the cultured cream (or heavy cream) and mix just enough. Be careful not to over-mix, as the cream can start to become butter. If this happens, the taste will be the same, but the texture will be oddly off-putting. (Yes, this has happened to me. You can learn from my mistake, though.)
Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and process as usual. I have used this ice cream maker for over 10 years and it is still going strong. If you can score one from a thrift shop, do it! It isn’t there because it is a bad machine– it is easy to use, works well, and has been durable with heavy use.
Move the finished ice cream to a chilled container, cover, and put it in the freezer until you are ready to serve. If it is in the freezer for more than 2-3 hours, you may need to let it soften so you can scoop it. 20-30 minutes on the counter or a bit longer in the refrigerator will do the trick. If you have used lots of egg yolks and honey, the ice cream may scoop easily.
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Cultured Chocolate Ice Cream
Equipment
- ice cream maker
- blender or hand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 C milk kefir, yogurt, or raw milk
- 2 C cultured cram or heavy cream
- 1/4 C cacao or cocoa powder
- 1/4 C raw honey
- 1 tsp vanilla
- dash salt
- 6-12 raw egg yolks optional
Instructions
- In blender, combine all ingredients except the cream. Blend thoroughly. Add more honey if you want it sweeter. Alternatively, you can use a hand mixer.
- Add cultured cream to blender and mix. Avoid overmixing; the cream can turn to butter if you let it go too long.
- Pour mixture into ice cream maker and process as the manufacturer directs.
- When the ice cream is ready (20-30 minutes), scoop it into a chilled container, cover, and put in the freezer.
- If you serve the ice cream within the first 2-3 hours, it will scoop easily. much longer than that and you will need to let it soften for a bit at room temperature. The more egg yolks and the more honey you use, the more scoopable the ice cream will be after longer freezing times. If you used a lower amount of honey and no egg yolks, you may need 30 minutes or so to soften the ice cream.
Make Cultured Chocolate Ice Cream Your Way
- Use more chocolate! 1/4 cup cocoa or cacao yields a chocolatey-ness level about like a Wendy’s Frosty. You can use 1/2 cup for a darker chocolate flavor. Be sure to check the sweetness and add more honey as needed.
- Add more honey. I like about equal parts chocolate and honey. If you want it sweeter,increase the honey.
- You don’t have to use honey. Maple syrup works, though you might taste it a bit. Sugar also works fine, but you may need a bit more. Honey is slightly sweeter than sugar.
- If you aren’t on the GAPS diet, you might not want to use cultured dairy. This recipe works fine with milk and cream, or with milk and cultured cream, or with kefir/yogurt and fresh cream. My favorite way to make it is with cultured cream and raw milk.
- Add yummy things in! Either stir them in after processing but before putting in the freezer, or add toppings. Shaved chocolate, a swirl of fudge sauce, nuts, cherries, peanut butter, a teaspoon of peppermint extract, marshmallows (make your own GAPS version!), toasted coconut… Let your imagination roam…
What do you like to add to your chocolate ice cream?
Check out these ice cream recipes:
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