Make your own healthy ice cream

I've been craving ice cream lately! I don't know if it's because I had a lot of it on our vacation (the unhealthy kind!), writing my review on Coconut Bliss or just because it's summer, but I've got to have some more!

I was on a mission to make a healthier alternative with a natural sweetener and lower in fat, but still taste good! I spent some time online looking up various recipes. I never found one that was what I was looking for, so once again I created my own recipe. I'm amazed the first time I made it, it was good!

Vanilla Almond Milk Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups of vanilla flavored almond milk (heated slightly in the microwave)
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

As I mentioned before I love Pacific Natural Foods Organic Almond Milk! If you look on the nutrition label of most almond, soy, rice milks you are going to find it is sweetened with evaporated cane juice which is the same thing as sugar (IMO). Pacific Natural Foods makes a really sweet one that does not have an added sweetener. Go to their website for coupons on their almond milk and other products! Also by making this ice cream with the almond milk it is so much cheaper! Have you seen the price of heavy cream lately??

You can see I'm still working on that huge bottle of Mexican Vanilla Extract I bought in the Caribbean in January! The eggs are free range, anti-biotic free from my in laws. It's nice to get fresh eggs :-) A side note, save your egg whites from this recipe! Put them in a bowl and then after you make the ice cream mixture go ahead and scrabble them. You can keep them in the fridge until breakfast.

Directions

1. Using a stand mixer (or use a hand one if it's all you have) beat the egg yolks until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually add your warm almond milk while you are still mixing your egg yolks. Keep mixing for another minute after you add the rest of the almond milk.
3. After mixing pour into a sauce pan and cook over medium high heat, constantly whisking the mixture.
4. Cook mixture until it reaches to a boil. If your mixture looks like it is separating lower the temp slightly and whisk a little faster. 
5. Mixture will look slightly thickened (mine did not, but after it reached to a boil it was good for me!)
6. Whisk in your vanilla extract and maple syrup.
7. Pour into a glass bowl and cover with a piece of wax paper on top. Let it cool to room temp, then place in fridge for a few hours or overnight.
8. Pour mixture into your ice cream machine and process according to the manufacturer's instructions. 

 I have this 1 1/2 qt Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt and Ice Cream Maker and this recipe works great in it! I have to admit I only let my mixture chill in the fridge for 3.5 hours because I wanted some ice cream so bad ;-) It still turned out great! This ice cream is not as creamy as Haagen Daz because obviously it's much lower in fat content, but it's just as good! Freeze the leftovers (if you have any hehe!) in a freezer safe plastic container. This ice cream freezes pretty hard (as I have experienced with all homemade ice creams, even the ones with all heavy cream) so you'll need to let it sit out on the counter for a few minutes to thaw.

Next time I want to try blending in some sweet strawberries or perhaps some chocolate & nuts. Yum!