I guess someone heard me repeatedly whining about Seattle’s lack of summer; we’ve had a string of beautiful, summery weather this week and last. So I feel that sharing an ice cream recipe with you is completely appropriate now. (I think I made a word up in there – summery?)
I like to create recipes that can support substitutes, in part because our tastes here vary, and also because food intolerances can be a bit of a moving target. So for this ice cream recipe you can use your choice of milk (mine is coconut) and the amount won’t change.
For the sweetener, that’s a tough one. You can substitute maple syrup with honey, but other sweeteners may require a different amount. I encourage you to experiment while you’re heating up this mixture. Add the sweetener slowly and taste along the way. That way you’ll find what works for you.
As for the peanut butter, good substitutes are almond butter, or to get away from nuts completely, try SunButter, which is made from sunflower seeds.
As if you’re trying to figure out which coconut oil to buy, here’s a great post on it from the Food Renegade. I’m currently using Nutiva Coconut Oil in my ice cream recipes and I don’t notice a coconut flavor.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Update 5.1.2014: I removed the 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, ghee or unsalted butter. I’ve discovered that adding coconut oil is optional if you are using a canned coconut milk because there is enough coconut fat to make it creamy on it’s own (avoid low-fat coconut milk, of course).
Chocolate Ice Cream Ingredients (makes about a pint of ice cream)
- 2 cups of milk (coconut, almond, or other milk)
- 1/2 cup of maple syrup (or honey)
- 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa
- 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
Nut Butter Ingredients
Update: To prevent the nut butter from combining with the ice cream, place it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes, or store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
- 1/4 cup of unsalted almond butter, peanut butter, or other nut butter (or seed butter, like SunButter)
- 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt (optional or less of it)
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
- a drizzle or two of honey (or other sweetener)
Method
- Warm all the ice cream ingredients in a saucepan over a low to medium heat. Bring to a simmer and heat until most of the cocoa powder is dissolved (about 10 minutes).
- Cool and then place the saucepan (with the mixture) into a freezer for about 20 minutes or until the mixture is cold.
- Place the cold mixture in an ice cream maker and start making the ice cream.
- While the ice cream maker is going, heat up the nut butter ingredients in a small saucepan over a low flame, blending well. You just want the mixture to relatively runny (about 5 minutes).
- When the ice cream is just about ready, drizzle the nut butter into the ice cream and mix it to spread it around the ice cream. To prevent the nut butter from combining with the ice cream, place it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes, or store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
- Place the ice cream in the freezer for about 15 minutes and then serve. (or cheat like I do, and eat it straight from the ice cream maker).
Servings: 4; Calories: 466; Fat: 37 g; Carb 36 g ; Fiber 3 g; Protein 7 g; Sugar 25 g; Sodium 167 mg; Cholesterol 0 mg.
Sounds awesome! can’t wait to try. My sister and I were just talking about how much we like this flavor of ice cream!!
Sounds great and far better for you than traditional ice cream… I think I will give this a go with some homemade almond milk.
This sounds fantastic! I just started experimenting with coconut milk ice cream recipes. I love the tip about adding oil. Is the reason you don’t add the nutbutter mixture until the end because it won’t set up right in the ice cream maker with it in it? Or is it just so it is a more distinct, separate flavor? Thanks!
Yes – I add it at the end so it separate well, rather than blending too much with the ice cream. The thinner you make the nut butter mixture, the more it will turn into chips vs chunks. So if you want streams of butter chips, you could add more honey and/or coconut oil.
Too bad I don’t have an ice cream maker anymore – maybe I should get one?
No need. Place the cooled mixture in a blender and blend. Then place in the freezer for 20 minutes, and take it out again, blend and repeat. Once it starts to resemble ice cream, place it in a container in the freezer. That’s it!
That’s awesome! I will be trying this. Can this method be done w/all ice cream recipes? Thanks.
The picture alone looks so enticing. I don’t like peanut butter, but maybe almond butter would work. Can’t wait to try it.
Faith – yes, pretty much all ice cream can be made this way. It’s just a bit more time consuming.
Thai Kitchen coconut milk has guar gum which is SCD illegal. Trader Joe’s carries coconut milk without it.
Yes – TJ’s is low fat I believe, so add more coconut oil. Also, fyi, chocolate is not SCD legal, so this recipe is really not SCD legal. Sorry 🙁
Ps – this recipe is not SCD legal, unfortunately. Stay tuned though.
My son has Crohn’s but his doctor said he can have honey sweetened cocoa, but not chocolate, a real break.
Ohhh tytytytytytytytyty! Comfy Belly we <3 you!!! :'D My dd will be so suprised we can eat this. Also ty for how to make without ice cream machine since we don't have one yet. What is best brand electric one out there I wonder… ~Tarantula lady
Best ice cream recipe! My kiddos and are requesting more 🙂
Excellent! I’ve been eating it all week.
Hi there!!!
Loved this recipe….
We had no power due to Hurricane Irene here on Long Island, New York soooo, we used the ice cream ball to make our ice cream…it was “amazin”….
The children we had staying over had a blast I might add
Thank you,
Brigitte
Awesome. Hope all is ok! (that goes for everyone out there on the East Coast)
I always got room for jello, especially ice cream 🙂 This chocolate peanut butter ice cream looks divine.
What ice cream maker do you recommend? I want one for christmas but want to make sure to get a good one that doesn’t cost too much.
OMG…peanut butter chocolate ice cream is myyyyy favorite!!!!! i seriously cant wait to try this. im bummed i dont have a ice cream maker, how many times does it usually take in the blender??? aside from the cocoa, this is scd legal right?
It takes about an hour – blending about 3-4 times, from my memory. Place it in the freezer over the course of an hour or so for slushy ice cream. It helps if the ice cream mixture is very cold to begin with and the container is very cold. You can leave the blender container in the freezer before you even start. And, yeah, cocoa is not SCD legal (http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/legal/legal_illegal_a-c.htm)
I made this today and it was the consistency of a slushy at the end… that doesn’t seem right. It’s a new ice cream maker- Cuisinart 2 Qt- and I doubled the recipe. I put the ice cream slushy in the freezer so hopefully once it freezes it will be thick and non-icy, but any tips off-hand? (btw, the taste is GREAT!)
Yes, it will be better once frozen, probably not as smooth though. Sounds there wasn’t much fat/oil in the mixture. Icy means more water than fat/oi.
Instead of making it the long way by freezing and blending could you put it in a container surrounded by ice and salt then shake it for a while?
I don’t know but it sounds interesting 🙂
So, this looks like it could be made without the nut-butter part if you want just chocolate?
yes
I am trying to make this recipe right now.
I haven’t put the mixture into my ice cream maker yet.
While trying to cool it off though in preparation for doing so, the coconut oil is solidifying and floating to the surface.
What did I do wrong?
How do I keep it incorporated??
Thanks!
I haven’t made this ice cream this season, so this is from memory: I do remember some of it separating and I blended it back in. If it’s not blending well, I would strain it out with a slotted spoon and then finish it in the ice cream maker.
I made this with grass fed whole milk and butter, used 1/4 cup white sugar instead of 1/2 cup honey and 1/2 cup cocoa powder istead of 1/4 cup, and for the first time i experienced SUCCESSFUL ice cream! I know, I know, white sugar…but i have tried to use my new ice cream maker (xmas gift) twice this year and neither of the recipes worked. I was tired of wasting really expensive ingredients only to have to throw it away, so i decided to use organic peanut butter vs almond butter, white sugar instead of honey. BUT, this recipe was perfect, i couldnt believe how amazing the ice cream turned out. just the chocolate part was just like the best store bought ice cream you could get. when i added the peanut butter, unfortunately it sort of mixed into the chocolate and only made very small gobs of peanut butter, very tiny, i was hoping for chunks or strings, but regardless, that can be worked on, it was probably my method that caused it. it still tastes perfect and the texture is amazing. im also amazed i didnt have to use any cream. (our whole milk is 9g fat per 250mL). i will definitely be adapting this ice cream base for all ice creams from here on out. im so glad it finally worked!!!
Wondered if it was possible to just make the chocolate coconut ice cream and not add the peanut butter mixture. My son needs chocolate Coconut ice cream for his school country project. I made your original recipe with the pb and it was delicious. I’m hoping I can simply eliminate the pb mixture and still have a great tasting ice cream. What do you think?
Thanks!
Yes, definitely.
Tried it today and it came out very well.
Used the following ingredients (ratio as mentioned in the recipe)
– store bought Coconut milk in tetra pack (Dabur)
– Peanut butter (Sundrop)
– Refined Sugar
– Baking Choclate powder (weikfield)
– Coconut oil (Parachute)
– pinch of salt
All ingredients available in Chennai. Didn’t have vanilla so skipped it, didn’t want to use any animal product so skipped the honey. couldn’t feel the smell/taste of coconut oil & peanut butter. It was so creamy, couldn’t believe it doesn’t have milk. Should try using cashew instead of peanut butter next time. Also I’d prefer a bit more bitterness in chocolate ice-cream, should try adding a little bit of coffee.
Thanks a lot. Its a keeper !!