Boy do I love avocados. Enough even, to have them for dessert. I know, I know, but bear with me for a minute. I promise, if you didn’t know there were avocados in this creamy, dreamy, dark chocolate decadence you’d never be the wiser. If fact, once you taste something so delicious, made with only a handful of healthy ingredients and with hardly any effort at all, you’ll wonder where avo ice cream has been all your life.
That’s right folks, aside from measuring and blending, there isn’t much to this recipe. For minimal investment of time and effort, not only will you end up with a quart of the silkiest, richest dark chocolate ice cream there ever was, but you’ll be nourishing your body with healthy fats and a host of vitamins and minerals. Win-win if you ask me.
Avocados contain all of the stress-busting B vitamins—aside from B12—as well as good amounts of bone building vitamin K and free-radical protective vitamins C and E. Avocados also have the unique quality of containing carotenoids along with ample monounsaturated fatty acids (particularly oleic acid) to increase absorption and improve their conversion into active vitamin A. Even better, oleic acid and the phytosterols found in avocados have been shown to benefit the heart and decrease inflammation in the body.[1] She’s a potent little package of buttery goodness, I tell ya’.
Healthy Fats for the Win!
What makes this ice cream so smooth and creamy is the winning combination of healthy fats from the coconut milk and avocados. The ample fat content also means this ice cream doesn’t become a rock when completely frozen like most homemade dairy-free recipes (although a few minutes thaw on the counter is worth the wait). What you won’t be getting is a long list of fillers, preservatives, stabilizers, refined sugar and conventional dairy used in commercial products and you’ll be super satisfied with a smaller portion…maybe.
Now before you get all worked up about how eating foods high in fat will clog your arteries and keep you from fitting into your skinny jeans, let me clear up an unfortunate and common misconception – fat is actually good for you. Whole food, plant based fats and organic cold pressed oils—from avocados, coconuts, olives, nuts and seeds—should be used generously. They help keep us feeling satisfied for longer, promote blood sugar regulation, protect the liver from toxins, feed our brain (which is 60% fat), they line every single cell in our bodies, are necessary for proper hormone production and help us to incorporate calcium into our bones and absorb fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
As you may have guessed, not all fats are created equal. By all means steer clear of trans fats, genetically modified and processed vegetable or seed oils as well as any oils that have gone rancid or have been overheated. When shopping for oils look for fresh, cold pressed, organic oils stored in dark glass containers.
All about the toppings!
Now this ice cream is pretty dang good plain and unaltered BUT, if you want to make it extra special, a sprinkle or two of coconut flakes, cacao nibs and raspberries really takes this bowl of goodness to next level deliciousness. Just sayin’.
Ingredients
- 1-13.5oz can full fat coconut milk, chilled
- 1 large ripe avocado
- ¼ maple syrup, plus more to taste
- 1/3 cup raw cacao powder or natural cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. salt
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively you can mash the avocado and whisk the ingredients in a large bowl or use an immersion blender. It should taste really rich and chocolatey. Add more maple or cacao if needed.
- Transfer to an ice cream maker and follow the manufactures directions, then transfer to a shallow dish and place in the freezer to firm up a bit more.
- Once the ice cream is completely solid it will be difficult to scoop. Leave it out on the counter to soften for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, transfer the mixture to a shallow pan and freeze, stirring every 30min or so until firm. You can also reserve about ¾ -1 cup of the liquid, freeze the rest in ice cube trays and blend in a high-speed blender with the reserved liquid when frozen.
[1] The Worlds Healthiest Foods. Avocados. http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=5
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