AIP Meyer lemon ice cream - dairy-free churned ice cream from coconut milk, Meyer lemon, and honey

Deep into AIP, a lot of people can tell you exactly how tired they are of coconut milk desserts, every one of them tasting like a slightly different version of the same thing. You're still deep in an elimination phase built to calm an overactive immune system, and you're allowed a dessert that doesn't remind you of the last twenty. Meyer lemon is floral and sharp enough to lead the whole bowl and push the coconut into the background instead of the main flavor.

Meyer lemon is a source of vitamin C once it's zested and juiced into the base, a nutrient involved in how the body defends its cells and builds collagen. Blending and churning is the entire technique: no eggs, no custard step over the stove, nothing that asks patience beyond waiting for the machine to finish.

A curl of zest on top does more for this than it should, so don't skip it. Eat it somewhere you can actually sit, in daylight if you can manage it, because the brightness of this one is half the reason it's worth making.

Ingredients

• Zest of 2 Meyer lemons (zest only, the fruit is saved for another use)
• 2 cups canned full-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• A dash of sea salt

Method

Put everything in the blender and blend until completely smooth.

Pour the base into your ice cream maker and churn according to the machine's directions.

Serve soft straight from the machine, or freeze for a firmer scoop.

Variation

The author treats this as a base formula. Keep the coconut milk, honey, and salt, and swap the Meyer lemon for another fruit such as raspberry or mango to make a different ice cream.

A note on the equipment: the source makes this in an ice cream maker and gives no no-churn freezer time, so I have not invented one. If you want to try it without a machine, freeze the base and stir it every 30 minutes until set, and treat that as untested until the kitchen confirms it. This is a blend-and-churn recipe with no stovetop, oven, air fryer, or Instant Pot step.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*