SS&GF: Simply Sugar and Gluten Free

Tweet

As far as Joe and I are concerned, nothing compares to rich, creamy homemade ice cream.  Our freezer is never without at least one batch of vanilla bean ice cream and often times I have a couple other flavors too.  Mint, pumpkin, chocolate, lemon frozen greek yogurt. I’ll stir freeze just about anything.

Attempting to make our late night treats a little healthier, I’ve whipped up quick banana ice cream, granitas, and since I got my VitaMix I’ve been playing around with some other versions.

My VitaMix turns out tasty ice cream with little ice chunks.  Healthier, yes, but we want smooth and creamy.  This recipe, modified from the VitaMix cookbook, solves the problem.

Whole Grain Goodness

‘Rice’ cream has been a dairy substitute for years but white rice is often used. I mixed this up skeptically the first time with some left over wild rice. I couldn’t even tell the rice was there. Better yet, neither could Joe.

The trick to making this at home is to ‘soft cook’ the rice or grain by using two times the amount of water that would normally be used.  You’ll have uber soft, creamy rice that will enhance your ice cream.

Just a note – be ready to eat this extra creamy concoction right away.  It doesn’t stay frozen long. Or, transfer it to a container and put it in the freezer for 45 minutes before serving to let it harden a bit.

To eat it the next day, freeze it in ice cube trays or small containers.  Let it soften slightly at room temperature for 10 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Throw it back in your VitaMix or food processor and whirl it up until smooth.

Fruits to Use

Use any frozen fruit except the seedy ones – raspberries, blackberries, and marionberries.  The papaya looked so good at my favorite grocery store so I bought two and froze some for smoothies.  I’ve used blueberries and strawberries for this, too.  Add more sweetener for a tart fruit.

This is linked to “Get the Sugar Out” – Spring Cleaning at Naturally Knocked Up.

Other Dairy Free Ice Creams

• Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream from Ali at Whole Life Nutrtion
• Honey Cinnamon Grand Marnier Ice Cream from Shirley at Gluten Free Easily
• Macadamia Nut & Coffee Ice Cream from Kelly at The Spunky Coconut

Printer-friendly recipe

Papaya Banana Whole Grain Coconut “Rice” Cream
serves 4

1 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup soft cooked brown rice, quinoa, millet, or mixture of  grains, cooled
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 pound frozen fruit – a mix of bananas and papayas

Put the coconut milk, soft cooked rice, and coconut sugar in a VitaMix.  Start on low, then increase the speed to high for 30 seconds.  Taste for sweetness and add a little more coconut sugar if desired, remembering to think about the sweetness of the fruit.

Add the frozen fruit and start on low again.  Use the tamper to press the fruit into the mixing blades.  Keep pushing the frozen fruit down until the mixture is frozen.  Be careful not to overmix or it will start to melt.

Notes:

Soft cooked rice means to cook the grain with two times the usual amount of water.

If you must use frozen blackberries, raspberries or marionberries pureeing the berries in your VitaMix until you have no seeds, freeze the puree, and then use it to make rice cream.