When doc declared me lactose-intolerant in 2004, I had to adjust my diet. Foregoing daily giant protein smoothies with a cup and a half of skim milk, lattes, and cheese was doable. Cutting out my favorite dessert ever, as at the time no one made milk alternative ice cream, was actually pretty depressing. Fortunately in 2013, alternative milk ice creams are prevalent, but frequently are made with uber-processed almond milk or soy which most of us are trying to avoid, and/or are heavily sugared (Even best product I’ve seen, from a natural and taste standpoint: So Delicious Coconut Milk ice cream is around 15g sugar per half cup), or use unnatural sweeteners such as aspartame or erythritol, which wreak havoc on many tummies as well.
Believe it or not, this story does have a happy ending. After trying a number of different coconut milk concoctions, which as a result of trying to reduce fat and sugar, flash-froze the instant they hit the bowl of my Kitchenaid Ice Cream maker, or chose to morph into a hardened block of permafrost in freezer subsequently thereafter, I think I’ve got a winner making use of a combination of natural sweeteners including fruit and stevia and gentle stabilizers in the protein powder. I’ll post more flavors for you later on, but here’s one that’s a strong Red and White just in time to add color to your Labor Day party spread!
INGREDIENTS
2 bananas
1 ½ cups sliced strawberries
1 15oz full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup lactose-free vanilla protein powder (We used Met-Rx Protein Plus)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
½ tsp stevia
1/8 tsp sea salt
DIRECTIONS
Place bananas and berries in freezer for at least 2 hours to thoroughly freeze. Blend all ingredients except berries in blender. Pour mixture into ice cream maker and churn according to machine’s instructions. Fold in strawberries gently to maintain contrast between white ice cream base and berries. Spoon into airtight container and store in freezer.
Try with any other berries you please! Post photos!