All Things Ice Cream Blog

American federal labeling standards require ice cream to contain a minimum of 10% milk fat (about 7 grams (g) of fat per 1/2 cup [120 mL] serving) and 20% total milk solids by weight (Thank you Wikipedia). So by definition, any “ice cream” made without milk isn’t really ice cream.  But don’t worry, we’ll still let you call it that!

So can you replace the milk in your ice cream recipe with something else and have it still taste good?  YES!

J. Scott Wilson wrote this great piece comparing non milk ice creams on the Life While blog.

However, those who are lactose intolerant, vegan or who simply are trying to cut some excess fat from their diets don’t have to live in ice cream-less obscurity. You may need to hit your local health food or gourmet store to find them, but there is a good variety of non-dairy ice cream substitutes made with tofu, soy milk and even coconut milk.

Here are some milk subsitutes you can use the next time you make ice cream: coconut milk, soy milk, nut milk, rice milk, oat milk, potato milk, goat milk and yes, even human milk.

PS - I cheated on my cholesterol free diet with Blue Bunny Premium Homemade Chocolate, one of the most popular national brands: 150 calories, 7 grams fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 45 mg sodium, 16 grams carbs.  I must find a non-cholesterol version of this delicious flavor!

There is never-ending supply of information about omega-3 fatty acids and how, when added to your diet, they can vastly improve your cholesterol & triglyceride levels and also help with your hair, skin and nails. Even people who regularly consume foods rich in omega-3s (like salmon, avocados and nuts) are being urged to take a fish oil supplement because we just don’t get enough.

They are even adding it to baby formula since it is such an essential part of our life. “Scientists report that adding long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids — typically found in fish oil — to baby formula may help infants better regulate their blood sugar and make more proteins in their muscle cells. These results may help make better decisions when dealing with pre-term birth, low-birth weight, and feeding of infants in intensive care.” (Source)

Food technologist have been working hard to add omega-3s to everyday foods like eggs, cheese, yogurt and even ice cream. However, the addition of fish oil makes most food have a fishy or “off” taste. This is something the technologists and “food chemists” are still trying to overcome.

While the scientists and technologists continue working on hiding omega-3s in our ice cream, why not enjoy a nice bowl of avocado ice cream? Avocados are high in omega-3s and easily found in the grocery store. Here’s a great recipe from the Food Network:

Avocado Ice Cream

• 12 ounces avocado meat, approximately 3 small to medium
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk*
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream*

Peel and pit the avocados. Add the avocados, lemon juice, milk, and sugar to a blender and puree. Transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl, add the heavy cream and whisk to combine. Place the mixture into the refrigerator and chill until it reaches 40 degrees F or below, approximately 4 to 6 hours. Process the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. However, this mixture sets up very fast, so count on it taking only 5 to 10 minutes to process. For soft ice cream, serve immediately. If desired, place in freezer for 3 to 4 hours for firmer texture.

*Of course, you can always substitute the heavy cream and whole milk for lighter, healthier counterparts. It may take slightly longer for the ice cream to freeze and it won’t be as rich & creamy. But it will still taste great!

You’re already making your own ice cream, so why not make your own topping, too?

Here at All Things Ice Cream, we want to share with you the tools for making ice cream at home.  We offer a fun, environmentally friendly ice cream maker (the Play & Freeze ice cream ball), wonderful paperboard storage containers (manufactured by Sweet Bliss Containers), and we are always looking for great recipes to share with you.

Today’s recipe is for Chocolate Syrup (courtesy of Bruce Weinstein’s book The Ultimate Ice Cream Book — send us your ice cream recipe and you could win this book!).  This syrup is virtually fat free — who doesn’t like that?

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a large, heavy saucepan and place over medium heat.  Stir until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is clear.  Boil for 5 minutes without stirring.  Reduce the heat to low and slowly whisk in the cocoa.  Bring back to a simmer and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.  Stir in vanilla.

Variations:
Chocolate Mint Syrup — Substitute 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract for the vanilla
Chocolate Orange Syrup — Add 1/4 teaspoon orange oil along with the vanilla

Please feel free to pass on this recipe.  Also, don’t forget — the Play & Freeze makes a great gift for the summer time!  Share the fun of making your own ice cream by giving someone a Play & Freeze!

Martha Stewart also has a simple green tea ice cream recipe on her site. Green tea ice cream is popular in Japan and is really easy to make!

Ice Cream How-To
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup reduced-fat milk and 3/4 cup sugar until sugar is nearly dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in 2 cups heavy cream. One tablespoon at a time, add 4 tablespoons green-tea powder, whisking continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Transfer the mixture to an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the soft-set ice cream to an airtight container and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 10 minutes before serving.

As a person who loves ice cream and is also trying to diet, I’m a little bummed that most recipes for homemade ice cream require thick, heavy creams.  I know that the cream is what gives ice cream its texture and everything, but I want something light that still tastes like ice cream!

MummyJo on AllRecipes.com submitted the following recipe:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups skim milk
• 1/2 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the skim milk, evaporated milk, sugar and vanilla. Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. When the ice cream is done freezing, add the bananas and raisins and let them mix in. Transfer to a freezer container, and freeze overnight before serving to improve the texture.

“A cheap and easy ice cream recipe without cream: just evaporated milk, skim milk and sugar. I flavored the basic ice cream recipe with vanilla and banana puree to get rid of the evaporated milk taste but feel free to improvise!”

One commenter on her recipe said they replaced the golden raisins with chocolate chips. Mmm! Sounds good!

The key to changing your eating habits is to create healthier variations of the foods you love.  Nutrition Data has a great tool for analyzing the food you eat.  You can even analyze recipes to figure out which ingredients are giving the most/least nutrients.  The food analyzer also lets you find a food that is high in up to three nutrients and low in up to three others.  This would be great for those of you who make ice cream at home, but need a low fat, low carb recipe.

You have to register to use the “pantry” feature of the site, but it’s very non intrusive and  you only need to put in your email, city, state, country.

Fun ways to use ice cream for parties

Healthy Ice Cream Recipes

Core Chocolate Ice Cream

(fat free, sugar free!)

1 4 oz package sugar free fat free instant chocolate pudding mix
1/4 cup splenda
1 12 oz can fat free evaporated skim milk
1 cup fat free milk

In a medium bowl, stir together the instant pudding and splenda.

Add the evaporated milk and fat free milk and stir until blended. Pour
into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manf. directions.

Source:
“The Everything Low-fat High flavor cookbook”

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 193 Calories; 1g Fat (18.9%
calories from fat); 2g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 32mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Non-Fat Milk.

Serving Size: 4