Creamy Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream, No Dairy Needed

Coconut milk turns rich and creamy in this ice cream, carrying the same cold, velvety pull dairy cream once did. Blend it, chill it, and let the machine do the rest, pineapple and lime keeping the whole bowl bright.

Pineapple brings vitamin C and manganese to the bowl, and it is a natural source of bromelain, an enzyme studied for a possible role in digestive comfort. The 1/4 cup of honey here sweetens the whole batch lightly, letting the fruit carry most of the flavor.

A scoop of this on a warm afternoon is its own quiet pleasure. Healing is not only discipline. A beautiful dessert made from whole food has a real place at this table too.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups pineapple juice
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1/4 cup honey, to taste
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons alcohol-free vanilla (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder)

Swaps made: alcohol-free vanilla or vanilla powder is used in place of standard vanilla extract, which is alcohol-based and excluded on elimination.

Method

• Add the pineapple juice, coconut milk, honey, lime juice, and vanilla to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
• Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes so it is cold before churning.
• Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn according to the maker's instructions until soft and creamy.
• Serve right away for a soft scoop, or freeze for a firmer texture.

No-churn variation

If you do not have an ice cream maker, pour the blended base into a freezer-safe container and freeze, stirring vigorously every 30 to 45 minutes to break up ice crystals, until it reaches a scoopable consistency. This is firmer and slightly less creamy than the churned version (texture and timing untested, verify).

Variations

Use maple syrup in place of honey for a different sweetness. For a thicker blend with more fiber, swap some of the pineapple juice for fresh chopped pineapple.

*Adapted from a-clean-plate*