Chocolate Almond Chip Ice Cream – dairy free, low carb, AIP
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This Chocolate Almond Chip Ice Cream is rich and loaded with the healthy crunch of nuts and chocolate chips–delicious clean-eating at its best. It’s sure to please and is much cheaper than store-bought dairy-free ice cream.
Plus, as an added bonus, it works for almost any special diet since it’s dairy-free with vegan, paleo, low carb, & AIP options.
Here is another dairy-free ice cream recipe that will surely satisfy your sweet tooth!
I mentioned in my post on Mint Chocolate Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream that I never could make up my mind about which flavor to get whenever we went out for ice cream.
Well, after writing about our trips to Friendly’s and the Sampler of four small scoops that I would always get, I remembered that my other favorite flavor had always been Chocolate Almond Chip.
I even checked out Friendly’s website and though I couldn’t figure out what other flavors I used to get, the Chocolate Almond Chip ice cream is still there.
There’s a reason :-).
Now, I’ve never been one to turn down ice cream in any form (someday I’ll share the gorey details of my summers working in an ice cream parlor), but ice cream full of chunks has always been a favorite of mine.
If you feel the same way, then do I have a treat for you.
Chocolate Almond Chip Ice Cream, full (really full) of almonds and chocolate (or carob) chunks.
(And absent of dairy and sugar, for those on special diets :-)!)
This whole dairy-free ice cream adventure started on our recent trip to Chicago. My family always likes to visit Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s whenever we visit to grab some food to get us through our trip (since we never go out) and to stock up on a few things.
Well, this time we got the chance to sample some coconut milk, no sugar-added ice cream. And we were hooked.
And wouldn’t you know it – it was on sale.
Good thing it was on sale, because the regular price was something horrendous. Even on sale, it was $3.59 / pint.
Well, though I am not one to spend $3.59 a pint on anything, I splurged on Mint Chip as well as Chocolate flavors and some gluten-free cones. Guess what our breakfast was the next day :-)!
The consensus in our family was that the chocolate was a bit too bitter, but that didn’t stop us from eating it.
Well, that was not the case with this chocolate ice cream. It was gone-gone-gone in a flash!
Oh, and since you’re here, I’m sure that you’d be interested in the other dairy-free ice cream treats on the site. How about…..
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More Dairy-free Ice Cream Treats:
– Mint Chocolate Chip Coconut Milk Ice Cream
– Mocha Chip Ice Cream
– Lemon Poppyseed Ice Cream
– Sugar-free Fudgesicles – they taste like the real thing!
– Key Lime Pie Popsicles
– Homemade Magic Shell – not ice cream but it makes any ice cream better.
Ice Cream Maker Tips:
I used the Cuisinart Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker to make this, and it turned out great, but you really have to follow the directions with this machine. The bowl needs to be completely chilled in the freezer first, used immediately, and the mixture needs to be chilled. Otherwise, it’s “soft serve city” :(.
If you decide to freeze it and it gets too hard to scoop, try this handy anti-freeze ice cream scoop.
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Carob: You can use organic carob powder instead of cocoa for AIP.
- Coconut Milk: My Easiest Coconut Milk is a great homemade option. You can, of course, substitute dairy or other milk alternatives as you like. Among the dairy-free alternatives, almond will be one of the better options to promote creaminess of the final product, and my Easiest Almond Milk would work great if you would like to make your own.
- Sweeteners: Along with xylitol, organic erythritol is a good low-carb sweetener option. Use either maple syrup (here’s how to choose a good brand), honey, or 1/2-3/4 teaspoon powdered stevia (here’s a post on how to use it) for paleo — maple syrup, honey, or organic coconut sugar for AIP.
- Chocolate Chips: You can use carob chips instead of chocolate chips for AIP. Use my Homemade Chocolate / Carob Chips for a low-carb option.
- Almonds: Soak and dehydrate your nuts if possible. Omit for AIP, or use chopped organic tiger nuts.
- Thickener: It would probably be OK to not use a thickener as long as you use MCT oil. If you do not use MCT, using gelatin or arrowroot will definitely improve the texture of the ice cream, but it will taste good either way.
- THM: If you are using a thickener and are on a low-carb plan (like Trim Healthy Mama), use gelatin, or about ½ the amount of organic glucomannan.
- Nut-free: Substitute sunflower seeds for the almonds.
Chocolate Almond Chip Ice Cream made with Coconut Milk (sugar-free option)
Ingredients
- 4 cups coconut milk
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup low-carb sweetener
- 3/4 cup cocoa
- 1-3 tablespoons MCT oil (optional–for creaminess)
- 1 tablespoon gelatin (or arrowroot; optional thickener)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup almonds (chopped)
Instructions
- Add coconut milk, sweetener, cocoa or carob powder, MCT oil, gelatin (or arrowroot), vanilla, and salt in blender or food processor (NOTE: if using gelatin, add to coconut milk and let it sit for a few minutes before adding other ingredients). Mix well.
- Add mixture to ice cream maker and process following manufacturer’s instructions.
- When mixture starts to thicken, add almonds and chocolate chips.
Notes
-
- Carob: You can use organic carob powder instead of cocoa for AIP.
-
- Coconut Milk: My Easiest Coconut Milk is a great homemade option. You can, of course, substitute dairy or other milk alternatives as you like. Among the dairy-free alternatives, almond will be one of the better options to promote creaminess of the final product, and my Easiest Almond Milk would work great if you would like to make your own.
-
- Sweeteners: Along with xylitol, organic erythritol is a good low-carb sweetener option. Use either maple syrup (here’s how to choose a good brand), honey, or 1/2-3/4 teaspoon powdered stevia (here’s a post on how to use it) for paleo — maple syrup, honey, or organic coconut sugar for AIP.
-
- Chocolate Chips: You can use carob chips instead of chocolate chips for AIP. Use my Homemade Chocolate / Carob Chips for a low-carb option.
-
- Almonds: Soak and dehydrate your nuts if possible. Omit for AIP, or use chopped organic tiger nuts.
-
- Thickener: It would probably be OK to not use a thickener as long as you use MCT oil. If you do not use MCT, using gelatin or arrowroot will definitely improve the texture of the ice cream, but it will taste good either way.
-
- THM: If you are using a thickener and are on a low-carb plan (like Trim Healthy Mama), use gelatin, or about ½ the amount of organic glucomannan.
-
- Nut-free: Substitute sunflower seeds for the almonds.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Let me know how long it lasts (or doesn’t) in your house!
What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
Oh man – another recipe why I need to buy myself an icecream maker. That looks gorgeous – and your picture is amazing too. 😀 Thx for sharing at this week’s Sugar Free Sunday!
Umm… drooling!
Thanks so much for sharing and linking back. You are as awesome as your ice cream!
looks perfect and sounds really delicious. thanks for sharing your recipe! visiting from FTF, have a great week. 🙂
Our household is a milk free zone! Thank goodness for coconut milk! I made it and I featured this for WorkShop Wednesday. Thanks for linking to the party!
That looks delicious and I love that you have sugar free option. My oldest child is type 1 diabetic so I always look for treats with less sugar or sugar free.
Thanks for the dairy-free version. Now I just need to figure out how to make it without an ice cream maker! ;0)
I have read a bit about this and hope to post on it. Just try freezing it in a shallow pan and stirring it frequently.
The “freezer bowl” style makers are very reasonable. On sale they are about $35.
Let me know how it goes!
ooks FABULOUS…plan to make this with my grandkidlets this week, thanks for the recipe!
cannot wait to play around with this one.
Might use cashews, but will certainly use coconut milk, but no carob. just raw cococa – and thanks for the tip on arrowroot – I think that will help the re-serving (IF there’s any left over!
Blessings!
LIB
We’re still working on the creaminess here too. I’m sure cashews would be great. I think pecans or macadamias would be fabulous! Take care!
I made a chocolate coconut milk with shredded coconut and chopped almonds added and it turned out fabulous. However, by your standards I cheated and used 2 cups of heavy cream in addition to a 14 oz can of full coconut milk. I also used 2 eggs, 1 tbsp of coconut oil and vanilla. Mine turned out very creamy and froze very well. I’ve read that you can use guar gum as a healthy thickener if you can’t take dairy. If you would like my recipe let me know.
Yours sounds great. But my oldest has a life-threatening allergy to dairy and eggs as well. I was thinking about guar gum, however. Thanks! I don’t know what you mean about “cheated”? I would be interested in your recipe. Perhaps if I substituted thicker coconut milk I would get a creamier result as well.
I’ve recently come back to chocolate after a multi-year sabbatical. The addition of almonds puts this recipe in the “must try” category!
Thanks for sharing at the hearth and soul hop last week.
Hope you enjoy it!
Carob worked great for us, in case you ever take that vacation from chocolate again!
This just looks fantastic. I love the sugar free option. Thanks for including that. Come over and visit us. We have a wonderful grilled fruit recipe today.
We are hosting an ICE CREAM theme linky party all this week! We’d love to have you come on by and link this delicious ice cream treat.
Hope to see you there, Thanks a million!
ohhhh thanks so much for answering my questions even though its written right in your post :). hahaha. you are too sweet adrienne! wow the ice cream maker isn’t that expensive!
thanks so much for the comment! yes, please let me know what you discover and share the wealth of info with me :D. hmm i wonder if other non-dairy milks would work? they don’t have as much fat as coconut milk. let me know your thoughts. and i don’t think i want to invest in an ice cream maker (until i get married lol), but would love to try those freezer bowls! 😀
You’re welcome! I think that I wrote in the recipe that almond would be one of the best alternatives and I think hemp would as well. Come to think of it, I sometimes make sunflower seed milk too and really any kind of nut or seed milk would be good as their fat content would add to the creaminess.
And what I meant by the freezer bowl is the ice cream maker that uses a bowl that you store in the freezer. Link to it from my post and you’ll see what I mean. Take care!
hi adrienne! posting another comment again hehe. thanks so much for posting under clean eating event (my first event ever!) and i am seriously DROOLING over this ice cream. mint chocolate chip is my favorite everrrrr. you must let me know if this works without an ice cream machine because i want to make this and i don’t have one lol. 😀 have a wonderful day and i look forward to reading more of your posts!
Hello Junia!
I have not tried it myself without an ice cream maker, but I have read about doing so. It was with dairy, however, so that would make it easier, I suspect. I think it’s worth a shot! I was thinking about trying it myself. However, the freezer bowl ones are not much money (especially on sale) so I’d seriously consider it!
Let me know if you try. I’ll try to remember to let you know and you can for sure get in touch again to find out!
Thanks for linking up, Adrienne. . . did I miss the link to the WW event up there?
Hi Ricki!
No, you didn’t miss it. My son handles my backlinks and he was at hockey camp a good bit of the day. He is doing it right now :-).
Oh, fantastic! Almonds and chocolate are one of my favorite combos…I know this would disappear in no time around here, as well. Thanks so much for sharing =)
Wow! This has everything that I love!! Looks delicious.
Hi Adrinne,
Fist let me say that your de gassed beans were a great hit with Honey Bunny and me. It really worked! Now let me say that this ice cream looks awesome, sure wish I had a bowl right now. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you next week. Have a great week end!
Miz Helen
Hi Helen!
Yippee! Now, how do I get set up to sell stock :-)?
We’ll see you next week for sure.
I too enjoy ice cream with coconut milk as the base, and I am sensitive to cane sugar, so this will be a great recipe to try. Thanks for the idea!