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.
Coconut Chai Spice Ice Cream
serves 41 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 tastePut 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.
Valerie @ City|Life|Eats
posted on September 29, 2010 at 10:13 pm
That looks fantastic!! I really need to get around to buying ice cream maker.
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Hallie @ Daily Bites
posted on September 30, 2010 at 7:56 am
Mmm…this looks so tasty! Just curious, what does the gelatin do? Any ideas for substitutions? Thanks for another great one, Amy!
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Amy Reply:
October 2nd, 2010 at 5:20 pm
@Hallie @ Daily Bites, The gelatin helps give it body and whip up better when you freeze at home. I haven’t tried anything else but I know agar agar works similarly. Some people also use xanthan gum…it might give a similar effect.
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Cara
posted on September 30, 2010 at 10:46 am
We must be on the same page – I made a chai tea ice cream last week! I brought it along with a simple pear tart to a coworker’s dinner party and it was a big hit
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Amy Reply:
October 2nd, 2010 at 5:27 pm
@Cara, It seems like that happens often. Great minds, huh?
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gfe--gluten free easily
posted on September 30, 2010 at 11:18 am
That’s a beautiful ice cream, Amy! Right up my alley.
Yep, sometimes it can take some time before a great idea can be implemented. So glad you got to this one, and thanks for linking up my “unusual,” but surprisingly good ice cream! 
Hugs,
Shirley
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Tina C
posted on September 30, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Amy,
This recipe looks great. I do not use agave or any sweeteners except fruit and fruit juices. Do you have any suggestions for an alternative to the agave? Do you think I could just make it without?
Thanks!
Tina in Baltimore
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Amy Reply:
October 2nd, 2010 at 5:29 pm
@Tina C, You can always try it and see how it turns out. Fruit juice is going to give this an icier quality. It’ll be more like a sorbet. That being said, apple and pear juices are usually pretty neutral. Or, try the frozen fruit juice concentrates…they might work. Hugs!
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Maggie
posted on September 30, 2010 at 1:22 pm
I bet this ice cream is so tasty. It would be a perfect treat for guests – you are so creative. I was also wondering about the gelatin – what purpose does it serve? Thanks Amy.
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Amy Reply:
October 2nd, 2010 at 5:30 pm
@Maggie, The gelatin helps the ice cream whip up a little better when you’re freezing it at home.
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Renee
posted on September 30, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Yeah! Thank you, thank you! I am so excited to try this! I have the decaf chai bags and coconut milkl already in my cabinet. I don’t use stevia though so I have no idea how much sweetness 5 drops adds. Should I just add more agave?
After I try yours I am going to work on a dairy recipe using the Oregon Chai Slightly Sweet chai concentrate.
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Amy Reply:
October 2nd, 2010 at 5:30 pm
@Renee, I’m excited to hear how your version with the Chai concentrate comes out.
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Debi
posted on September 30, 2010 at 3:03 pm
You and Shirley are killing me with ice cream.
I absolutely adore chai. I’m going to have to finish up the Tomato Rosemary Mint ice cream of Shirley’s I made to try this out!
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Laura Lockhart
posted on October 1, 2010 at 5:01 am
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I have just begun my journey to sugar and wheat free, day seven of detox. I’ve cheated a little, it’s harder then I thought. Now that I found your page I think it will be easier. I thought all the good stuff was over, no more cake, pumpkin pie etc. Of course now I’m doing all the baking but that’s okay.
Thanks again, I really appreciate that you posted all these recipes.
Sincerely,
Laura
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Katrina (gluten free gidget)
posted on October 1, 2010 at 3:22 pm
YUM! This sounds and looks amazing!
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SAM
posted on October 3, 2010 at 2:57 am
where do u get the inspiration for this stuff
too good, just what i need after a hard days work 
Thanks AMY
LOve u
SAM
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Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen
posted on October 4, 2010 at 11:55 am
This looks so good Amy! I am going to try the gelatin trick! Love the flavor here!
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2010 at 9:40 am
@Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen, Let me know what you think…it’s a great little way to add some volume to your ice cream.
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Alta
posted on October 4, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Okay, so first, I need to make some chai using coconut milk instead of milk. But after that, this ice cream. (or maybe I really should reverse that, because right now it’s still warm enough for ice cream, and the hot chai would be better when I’m cold!) Either way, yum!
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Amy Reply:
October 5th, 2010 at 9:33 am
@Alta, I made the chai right in the coconut milk on my stove.
No dairy milk at all…and the flavors were fabulous.
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Jackie at Phamfatale.com
posted on October 5, 2010 at 8:34 pm
Love your take on coconut ice cream flavored with Chai. I’ve made one with chestnut spread last summer; it was delicious. Will definitely try your version. http://www.phamfatale.com/id_1463/title_Coconut-Milk-Ice-Cream-Recipe-with-Chestnut-Swirl/
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Amy Reply:
October 6th, 2010 at 10:20 am
@Jackie at Phamfatale.com, Thanks for sharing your version…it’s fun to get inspired by other people’s food. Hugs, Jackie!
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ben
posted on October 10, 2010 at 10:30 pm
This sounds really simple and good. I like what one of your commenters suggested adding chestnut – I suppose you could add just about anything.
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Micay
posted on February 10, 2011 at 9:59 pm
can I just use stevia?
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Rebecca
posted on April 21, 2011 at 3:30 pm
I just made this, but it wouldn’t freeze… So disappointed since it’s quite the big thing for me to get the ice-cream maker out! =/ I think I had it going for at least 1 1/2 hours! I did use sugar (because I don’t have agave and I just needed it to be dairy free) I stuck it in the freezer – hope I can salvage it a little! Any tips why?
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