Lemon Poppy Seed Ice Cream

This lemon poppy seed ice cream is creamy, bright, and lightly textured with poppy seeds for a subtle crunch—made with simple ingredients and naturally sweetened.

It has a fresh lemon flavor and a softer, scoopable texture thanks to the coconut milk and added fats.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

First of all, it's lemon and poppy seed. What a great light flavor for a dessert.

Second, it's such a fun new and interesting flavor for ice cream

Third, it's healthy.

And fourth, if you're on a special diet, you'll love it even more because it's not only dairy-free and vegan, but it has a low-carb option as well.

Poppy Seed Information

In case you're wondering about poppy seeds being a problem due to their connection with opium, here's some information to help with that concern.

While newly formed poppy seeds are the source of opium, ripened and dry seeds are perfectly safe and drug-free, although they purportedly have a relaxing effect.

Additionally, they are a very high source of calcium and manganese; just 1 tablespoon has 13% of the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of calcium! They also have a decent amount of magnesium (the mineral in the spotlight that everyone is low on), phosphorus, zinc, and copper.

Ingredients

• Coconut Milk: Use a full-fat coconut milk for the creamiest results. You can use homemade coconut milk that's strained, but the full-fat coconut milk in a can will work best.
• Chia Seeds: Optional for added thickness and texture. They will darken the ice cream, however, so keep that in mind.
• Lemon Juice
• Lemon Rind
• Sweetener: You can use any sweetener you like. See recipe card and notes for more information.
• Poppy Seeds
• Coconut Cream: For added creaminess. Coconut oil is another option but coconut cream works the best.
• MCT Oil: Optional for even more creaminess.
• Vanilla: Optional, but recommended.

The amount of honey called for makes a refreshing ice cream but not overly sweet. Taste test, of course, before freezing and add sweetener to your taste.

Recipe Notes

• Coconut Milk: I highly recommend using canned coconut milk for this recipe, but you can try homemade coconut milk. You could use another dairy-free milk instead of coconut milk. Cashew, hemp, or oat will yield the best results. 
• Low-Carb Sweetener: If needed, you can substitute a low-carb sweetener for the honey. 1/4 teaspoon stevia (See How to Use Stevia) or 1/4 cup xylitol are both options.
• Poppy Seeds: It's preferable for the poppy seeds to be soaked for 2+ hours and then dehydrated.
• Thickener: You would probably be OK not using a thickener as long as you use MCT oil. However, if you do not use MCT, I would for sure recommend using a thickener such as gelatin or arrowroot, since it really improves the texture of the ice cream.
• THM: This recipe qualifies as an “S” for those on the Trim Healthy Mama plan, just make sure that you use gelatin if using a thickener.
• Oil Alternatives for Creaminess: MCT oil works great for creaminess in this recipe, but other oils may be used as well. I would recommend using only a light flavored oil like coconut oil or avocado oil or extra light olive oil because you don't want the finished product to taste like olive oil or something like that!

More Healthy Ice Cream Recipes

• Chocolate Almond Chip Ice Cream perfectly tasty and full of delicious chunks of chocolate and nuts
• Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
• Mocha Chip Ice Cream – dairy-free and coconut-free
• Dairy-free Sugar-free Chocolate Ice Cream – rich and super simple

Do you have a favorite treat made with poppy seeds?

Naomi is originally from Canada but is now a wife and mom in Slovakia. She tries to live each day as a follower of Christ in the chaos of caring for children. Using real food and creating an environmentally friendly surrounding for her family is a priority. She dreams of a little farm while living in an apartment, enjoys handmade creations, and still doesn't like brussels sprouts. Naomi shares her food creations and photos of Slovakia at Almost Bananas. She looks forward to connecting with you on Pinterest, Google+, and Facebook.