Fresh Mint Chocolate Ice Cream with Ganache Swirl - Dairy-Free and Low-Carb

Whole New Mom - https://wholenewmom.com

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: AIP, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo, Vegan

Keyword: fresh mint ice cream

Prep Time: 1 30

Freeze Time: 3

Total Time: 4 30

Servings:

Calories: 161kcal

Enjoy this fresh mint chocolate ice cream for a sweet, fresh, and naturally-colored treat.

796 ml full-fat coconut milk (2 398 ml cans)
2 cups fresh mint (loosely packed; I used 1 cup peppermint and 1 cup spearmint. If use dried see Recipe Notes)
1 1/3 teaspoons powdered stevia (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grass-fed gelatin (or arrowroot; optional - as thickener)

Blend coconut milk and mint in a blender (I use a Vitamix) until the mint is finely chopped. Alternately you can chop the mint very fine with a knife or chop in a food processor.
Transfer mixture to a pot. Heat the blended mix to 160–170°F (steaming with tiny bubbles at the edge); do not boil.
Once it reaches a boil, remove from heat and let steep for 20-30 minutes.
Pour mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve or a fine sieve. You may need to do this twice. If you have a few flecks left, that should be fine and shouldn't affect the final product.
Add in stevia, salt, and lemon juice.
Place mixture in fridge until chilled, at least an hour or two. (This step will help in the churning process and should result in a better texture.)
Once mixture is chilled, measure out a ¼ cup and place it in a bowl. Sprinkle with gelatin or arrowroot and whisk until combined.
Add 3 tablespoons of boiling water to the mixture and whisk until dissolved.
Add gelatin mixture to ice cream base and whisk until combined. Allow to sit for few minutes.
Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and proceed according to manufacturers' directions.
Enjoy!

While the ice cream is churning, make the ganache and let it cool completely before adding it to the ice cream.
Heat the chocolate chips and coconut milk over very low heat, stirring until melted.
In a freezer-safe container, scoop in 1/3 of the ice cream, top with 1/3 of the ganache, then layer another 1/3 of the ice cream, then 1/3 of the ganache, then the remainder of the ice cream and top with the remainder of the ganache.
Freeze until solid.
Serve and enjoy!

- Homemade Coconut Milk: You can use my Easiest Coconut Milk instead of full-fat coconut milk, but you might wish to increase the coconut by about one fourth and strain it after blending.
- Dried Herb Option: You can use half the amount of dried mint as an alternative. The color just might not be as appealing.
- Stevia: You can use liquid stevia instead of powdered stevia, with 40 drops liquid being equivalent to 1 1/3 teaspoons powdered. You could also use Homemade Liquid Stevia. Here is a post on how to use stevia. Use honey or maple syrup -- here is a post on how to get quality maple syrup -- for strict AIP (autoimmune paleo).

- Homemade Chocolate / Carob Chips: This is a great make-your-own option for chocolate or carob chips.
- Thickener: As long as you use MCT oil, you are probably fine not using a thickener. Otherwise, use either gelatin or arrowroot to improve the ice cream's texture.
- THM: This recipe qualifies as an "S" for those on the Trim Healthy Mama plan as long as you use gelatin if using a thickener.