SS&GF: Simply Sugar and Gluten Free

A simple & healthy dairy-free ice cream flavored with chai and, of course, it’s gluten-free and sugar-free too.

I’ve been drinking a lot of hot tea lately – chai in particular.  One day, with a cup of tea in hand, I spotted cans of coconut milk in my refrigerator. Suddenly, I had thoughts of coconut and chai in a cold, creamy, stir-frozen-to-perfection dessert.

I consider this a ‘Fall Ice Cream’ which is infinitely more fun than summer ice cream. The rich, spicy flavors warm my bones.

I’d like to tell you that I instantly whipped out the ingredients and put it this ice cream together. It actually took me weeks to find 20 minutes to make this recipe.

In the meantime, I made several batches of vanilla bean ice cream for my husband, tested countless recipes for my book, answered e-mails, sent tweets, chatted it up on Facebook, and even tried a recipe or two from some of my favorite bloggers.

But when it comes to making something that feels totally selfish – just for me – that seems to come last.

Was it worth the wait?

Absolutely.

Don’t take my word for it, though.  Find 2o minutes and make a batch for yourself.

Other Fall Ice Creams:

• Cinnamon Ice Cream from Ginger Lemon Girl
• Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches with Cornmeal Cookies from SS&GF
• Tomato Rosemary Mint Ice Cream from Gluten-Free Easily

Find other healthier recipes at Pennywise Platter.

Printer-friendly recipe

Coconut Chai Spice Ice Cream
serves 4

1 can (14.5 ounces) light coconut milk
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
3 decaf chai tea bags
1 can (14.5 ounces) full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup agave nectar
5 drops liquid stevia, or to taste

Put light coconut milk in a small, heavy bottomed saucepan.  Sprinkle with gelatin and let it soften for several minutes.  Heat the coconut milk over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the gelatin dissolves and the milk is very warm.  Remove from heat and steep the 3 tea bags for 5 – 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the full fat coconut milk, agave, and stevia to a blender.  Once the teas has finished steeping, gently squeeze the bags to extract as much flavor as possible.  Strain into the blender then blend on medium until combined.  Taste and add more stevia if the ice cream base isn’t sweet enough for your taste.

Pour into a quart mason jar.  Cover with the lid and refrigerate overnight.  Stir freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.