Todays recipe is a yummy treat suitable for nearly everyone!
Hot weather brings on memories of ice cream treats, walks on the beach, and great times. So if you need a little pick-up, make this treat and let your inner child out 🙂
It is also Dairy Free AND AIP friendly.
Bon appetite!
2 serves ~ PER SERVE: 860cal, Carb 18.5g, Protein 3g
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon carob powder
- 1 can (398 ml) full fat coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Handful fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- Pre-freeze your ice cream maker’s insulated container. Or if you do not have an ice cream maker, place a baking dish in the freezer. Make your ‘chips’ by combining the coconut oil and carob powder in a shallow dish, and place it in the freezer for about 20 minutes, or until completely frozen.
- In a blender or food processor, combine your coconut milk, peppermint extract, mint leaves, spinach, and maple syrup. Blend until the leaves are well combined and your mixture is smooth.
- Remove your frozen carob mixture from the freezer, and break up the thin, frozen layer into chips with your hands or a fork.
- Add chips to ice cream mixture. If using an ice cream maker: pour mixture into ice cream maker and follow the directions for your machine. Serve when ready.
If not using an ice cream maker:
- Pour mixture into a baking dish, and place it in the freezer. Freeze for 45 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from the freezer and stir it well with a rubber spatula, making sure to break up any hard, frozen sections. You can also use an stick blender, in your baking dish to do this. Place the mixture back in the freezer.
- Every 30–45 minutes, check the ice cream mixture and mix or churn it, until the ice cream is of the desired consistency. This should take about 2 to 3 hours.
- Freeze longer for a harder ice cream, or allow to thaw slightly before serving for a softer texture.
The NUTRITIONAL factor
This is clearly a treat food, it is high in calories and low in protein. Great if you follow a Keto style diet, but for most thyroid patients, only enjoy this as a rare treat – otherwise you might find the scales creeping in the wrong direction!
It is a great treat for kids as an alternative to most dairy based ice-creams full of all sorts of nasty chemicals.
Even thought it is a high fat treat, coconut has a great type of fat that can help with weight loss. About 60% of the fatty acids in coconut cream belong to the medium-chain group. Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) are smaller in size than long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs). For this reason, MCFAs can easily penetrate cell walls and supply quick energy to cells. LCFAs, because of their longer chain, are slow to digest and transport. That’s why our body tends to store LCFAs into fat tissues as fuel reserve.
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