Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream (Soft Serve)

I have two confessions…

1) I eat ice cream.  In fact, on a hot summer day is when I love it the most.

2) I rarely buy ice cream anymore.  I make my own.  It’s healthier, has very few ingredients and is ready in minutes.

Wha?!?!  Minutes?

Yes. Minutes. It’s not impossible, nor a warp in the time continuum.  Instead I employ my trust Vitamix to do the ‘hard work’ for me.

For this recipe, you’ll need to get Coconut Butter (also known as Coconut Manna).  As soon as I tried coconut butter (which is a similar consistency to nut butter for those of you who think this sounds strange), I was in heaven.  It’s actually quite sweet (there’s no added sugar and a serving size of 2 tbsp comes in at 1.9 grams of sugar), and creamy as could be.

Ok, back to the ice cream!  Look a girl’s got to have a treat now and then.  When I have a treat, I want to make sure it’s as healthy as possible instead of overstuffed with crap.

Being that ice cream generally ranges from 20 grams (or 5 tsp) and up of sugar depending on the brand and flavor, my homemade options like this one offer a lower sugar count.  This particular recipe that I’m going to share with you is closer to 7.5 grams per serving, however keep in mind that they also contain fiber which most other ice creams do not.

I’m not going to say that my occasional indulgence is sugar-free because it’s not, however if you’re looking for a better option, then here goes nothing!

Pin This Recipe And Save It For Later

Vanilla Coconut Chip ‘Ice Cream’

Look a girl’s got to have a treat now and then. When I have a treat, I want to make sure it’s as healthy as possible instead of overstuffed with crap. Being that ice cream generally ranges from 20 grams (or 5 tsp) and up of sugar depending on the brand and flavor, my homemade options like this one offer a lower sugar count. This particular recipe that I’m going to share with you is closer to 7.5 grams per serving, however keep in mind that they also contain fiber which most other ice creams do not.

Course Dessert

Cuisine International

Gluten Free Courses Gluten Free Dessert

Servings 2 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 Medium Frozen bananas Broken into 1/3 pieces
• 2 Tbsp Coconut butter
• 1/4 Tsp Vanilla bean seeds
• Water Only use as much as you need (see details below)

Instructions

1. If you don’t have frozen bananas on hand, follow the instructions in my Gluten-Free Freezer Guide.
2. Spread the coconut manna out in a thin layer on wax paper supported on a flat surface and place into the freezer for 5 minutes or so while you’re making the rest of the recipe.
3. Using either a Vitamix, another heavy-duty blender of similar quality or your food processor, add banana pieces, vanilla and just enough water to get the mixture moving around and combining. (Frozen fruit needs some liquid to get going… start with less than 1/8 cup and then add a bit more should you need it.
4. Vitamix or blender method: Keep your speed as low as you can set it and, if you have a Vitamix, now would be the time to use the plunger to push the fruit down into the blade until it’s smooth and ‘soft serve’ in consistency. If you have another type of blender, review the instructions with your machine to see how to do this.
5. Food Processor: Add these ingredients (may need less or even no water… you’ll have to see what works) to your food processor and periodically scrape the sides down over the course of 3 to 5 minutes. Stop processing once the mixture turns into soft serve.
6. Remove the ‘ice cream’ from your machine.
7. Take your coconut manna out of freezer and break it into pieces over top the ‘ice cream’ and mix it in.
8. Enjoy immediately OR place into small 1 cup-sized freezer-safe glass or plastic containers to enjoy later. Just let them thaw for a few minutes before indulging.