I’ve been avoiding cow’s milk dairy for the past few months for a variety of different reasons. Does that mean I have to give up ice cream? Nope!
I discovered an amazing brand of vegan, soy free ice cream called Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss. It is made with coconut milk and it is truly blissful! It is creamy and delicious and even if you eat dairy, you should give it a try. Why? It’s made from amazing ingredients – in particular, coconut milk. Coconut milk is is super creamy and delicious but its fats are actually good for you! Unlike the cholesterol-laden artery-clogging fats in cream, coconut fats are high in medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). These MCTs are identical to those fats found in human breast milk, and contain similar antimicrobial and heart protective qualities. The breastfeeding advocate in me just loves this!!
Fat in coconut is used differently by your body than other fats. MCTs don’t need to be broken down – instead they can be used by your body immediately as energy. In fact, coconut fat provides easily digestible energy that is ideal to consume before physical activity such as running, cycling or hiking. Coconut fat stimulates your metabolism!
I buy Luna and Larry’s at Whole Foods or Noah’s Natural Foods here in Toronto and I definitely recommend that you try it. If you can’t find it in a store near you, I recently discovered that it is pretty simple to make your own coconut milk ice cream using the Vitamix.
Recipe – Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Ingredients:
One 14oz or 400 ml can of coconut milk – (I used full fat, not the light versions)
Sweetener – maple syrup, agave syrup or honey to taste
Vanilla to taste
Mix your coconut milk, sweetener of choice and vanilla in a bowl. I didn’t list amounts because the amount you use is really personal preference. Start with 1 tablespoon of sweetener and 1/2 tsp of vanilla. Give it a taste and add more if necessary.
Pour the mixture into an ice cube tray. Freeze for a few hours until solid.
Place the frozen ice cube mixture into your Vitamix and blend! It will become creamy and delicious and take on an ice cream texture within seconds. Serve right away and ENJOY!
January 29, 2012 at 1:28 am
thanks for sharing, I can’t wait to try it!
January 29, 2012 at 10:58 pm
YUM! My husband is allergic to dairy and we’ve enjoyed coconut bliss for awhile, but dang is it expensive! I’ve been meaning to make some ice cream at home and wow, your recipe makes it look easy! We actually have a ice cream maker so I think I’ll try that. I am out of a blender right now and soooooo want to get a Vitamix! I’ve heard great things!
February 2, 2012 at 9:25 pm
Does it need to be the canned coconut milk, or can it be from the carton in the dairy aisle? Silk makes a good one.
February 2, 2012 at 9:51 pm
Any coconut milk would work. I think that the one in the can has more fat and is creamier than the one in the dairy aisle. You can definitely experiment – almond milk might be good too?
February 3, 2012 at 8:44 pm
Yummy! Have you tried Sorbet?
February 3, 2012 at 11:15 pm
I actually just made a Meyer lemon sorbet last night…wasn’t bad!
April 15, 2012 at 12:14 pm
I’m trying out your recipe tonight and adding frozen banana-topping it with Enjoy Life chocolate chips. My house has to be soy/casein/dairy/peanut and seafood free thanks to deadly allergies. Needless to say, meals are complicated and treats are rare..but I’m working on that. I’ve tweaked a few recipes of my own if you’re interest http://www.lifeandloveinthecountry.blogspot.com. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
April 15, 2012 at 11:35 pm
I will definitely check out your recipes. Thanks!
October 6, 2012 at 6:13 pm
Thank You for this, I am so excited! I am make this to go with a brandied Cherry Crisp I just made. i just started a food Blog… so this is just more inspiration.
May 23, 2013 at 2:26 am
I love luna and Larry’s. A note though. MCT are not the same as breast milk . BM is made up of LCT
MTC oils are used for neonates with digestion issues
The coconut icecream is great
August 15, 2013 at 10:14 pm
i don’t understand freezing it in icecube trays first, though the vita mix will freeze it
September 8, 2013 at 9:16 pm
Just made this with frozen mango chunks. Delicious!! So creamy. Used my Blendtec
April 17, 2014 at 12:22 am
I had forgotten where I put your recipe, but remembered about the canned coconut milk in the ice cube trays, so I just poured the coconut milk into the ice cube trays w/o adding the sweetener and the vanilla…I guess it will work if I add the sweetener directly to the Vitamix with the frozen cubes.