A childhood favorite gets a healthy remake in this honey-sweetened Dairy-free Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream!
Ice cream is life
I think we can probably all agree that ice cream is pretty amazing. Especially when it’s made without refined sugars, dyes or artificial anything. And you don’t need an ice cream maker to make it.
What we might not agree on is which flavor is best. And that’s okay. Variety is the spice of life and this recipe could be easily adapted to make just about any flavor you choose by substituting the mint and chocolate for fresh berries or maybe just some vanilla. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…let’s talk about this Dairy-free Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.
No-Churn Dairy-free Mint Chip Ice Cream + FREE Cool Summer Treats & Sweets eBook #realfood @vitalproteins Click To Tweet
Growing up, my dad affectionately referred to Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream as ‘green death’ . It was his least favorite flavor and one I got only when we went out for ice cream on special occasions – which is probably why I still have a thing for it.
No-dyes and no refined sweeteners necessary
This ice cream though is a far cry from the super sugary, artificially dyed Mint Chocolate Chip of my childhood. It’s dairy-free, sweetened with honey and uses spinach to give it that characteristic ‘green death’ color.
It’s also egg-free thanks to Vital Proteins Gelatin. The gelatin is the perfect binder and keeps it scoop-able when you use the no-churn method. Of course, if you have an ice cream maker you can use that instead (this is the one I have!)
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Cheers to summer and all the healthy sweet treats to come!
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Dairy-free Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
This non-dairy frozen treat relies on spinach to get a gorgeous green hue rather than artificial dyes. And it’s just perfectly sweet thanks to honey – not sugar or corn syrup! The addition of gelatin keeps the ice cream from freezing solid so you get a nice creamy scoop even without the cream.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 20 mins
- Yield: 8
- Category: Dessert, Sweets & Treats
- Cuisine: Dairy-free, Paleo, Nut-free, Egg-free
Ingredients
- 2 cans full-fat coconut milk
- 1 handful fresh spinach
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves
- Scant ½ cup honey
- ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup boiling water
- 2 tsp. Vital Proteins Grass-fed Beef Gelatin
- 3 Tbsp. mini chocolate chips or chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Place ½ can of coconut milk, spinach and the mint leaves in the blender and blend until smooth.
- Add remaining coconut milk, honey and vanilla and blend again.
- Pour hot water into a small bowl or measuring cup. Sprinkle with gelatin and allow to stand for 5 minutes to allow the gelatin to bloom (aka swell). With the blender running on low speed, add bloomed gelatin to coconut milk mixture. Secure blender lid and process on high until well blended. If coconut mixture starts to separate, don’t panic, just keep blending – it will get smooth.
- Pour mixture into a shallow freezer safe container or loaf pan. Add chocolate chips. Place in freezer. Stir mixture every 30 minutes for the first 3 hours or so to incorporate air into the mixture as it freezes.
- Serve after 4 hours (soft serve consistency) or freeze longer for a harder consistency.
- If frozen solid, allow ice cream to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
*NOTE: This ice cream can also be made in an ice cream maker. Prepare ice cream base through step 3 then follow manufacturer’s directions for your particular ice cream maker.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8th recipe
- Calories: 258
- Sugar: 16g
- Sodium: 28mg
- Fat: 20g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
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I don’t have the Vital Proteins brand but do have Great Lakes unflavoured gelatin (the red can). Could I use that one instead (actually in place of any recipe where you use the Vital Proteins brand)?
You sure can!
Can I use the Great Lakes gelatin brand (red can)?
Hi Christine,
Yes, you can – though I’ve only tested the recipe with Vital Proteins brand (but I’m assuming they thicken equally well).
As soon as my mint takes off, I’ll be making this!
Hey Jodi,
Go, mint, go – right?! Thankfully it’s such a prolific plant so you can have Mint Chip Ice Cream all summer long.
Hi, can I make this without the gelatin for a vegetarian? Would I need to substitute it with something else?
Thanks in advance!
Hi LT,
Yes, you can make it without the gelatin though you’ll get a slightly icier texture – but that’s definitely not a deal breaker. Just let it sit a room temperature for a little longer so it softens before you scoop it and be sure to use it within a couple weeks so it doesn’t get really hard and crystallized.
You could also try agar powder though I’ve not experimented with it in this recipe – but if you do, I’d love to hear how it turns out.
Thank you!
I’m wondering if you can substitute Vital Proteins Collagen gelatin for the Beef gelatin.
Hi Carol,
I’m assuming you mean the Marine Collagen Peptides from Vital Proteins (made from fish) or perhaps the regular Collagen Peptides (also made from beef) so I’ll go ahead and answer from that perspective…. Collagen peptides because of they way they are processed and designed to dissolve in cold liquids will NOT gel like gelatin.
However, you can skip the gelatin completely but will have a slightly icier texture (the gelatin is what makes an egg-free ice cream creamier and easier to scoop).
To my knowledge there isn’t a marine-derived gelatin on the market other than agar powder (derived from seaweed) – but I haven’t tested any of my ice cream recipes with agar so I can’t say how you’d substitute one for the other.
Hope that helps!
Could I use avocado for the green tint instead?
Yes, you sure could! The ice cream may not be as green but it would add a nice dose of healthy fats.
What role does the gelatin play? Is that what keeps it from freezing solid?
Exactly! It helps to keep it nice and creamy. We do recommend before serving to remove it from the freezer 10 or so minutes before enjoying.
Best ice cream recipe ever! Thanks for a healthy option 🙂
Thanks, Whitney!!