Cherry vanilla, strawberry, chocolate with hot fudge sauce… I’m not too picky when it comes to good ice cream. Ever since I tasted that first bite of green tea ice cream though, I fell in love. Ice cream love. After many attempts I finally made my own matcha ice cream, but even better. This version is packed with nutrition, dairy free, and naturally sweetened.
A Matcha Love Story
I haven’t had matcha ice cream often in my life, but when I did manage to procure some, it was divine. The creamy, bittersweet taste was the perfect way to end a meal of overpriced sushi. My only complaint was that the portions were way too small. I could have easily eaten 3 scoops of the stuff.
I searched for an authentic green tea ice cream recipe thinking it would be easy. Brew some tea, add it to cream and sugar, and bam… green tea ice cream. Matcha powder, a specialty green tea is actually what gives matcha ice cream it’s unique flavor. A small amount goes a long way since matcha has a potent, bitter taste on its own.
A Bitter Disappointment
I bought some matcha, giddy to try that “authentic” matcha ice cream recipe I’d stashed away. My excitement turned to disappointment at the first bite. The recipe wasn’t creamy and it definitely wasn’t sweet. Not like the decadent matcha ice cream I’d fallen in love with at all. Back to the drawing board.
My husband loves dairy, but it doesn’t love him back, so the recipe has to be dairy free too. I needed a dairy free milk but it had to be ultra creamy, not watery and complement the bitter bite of the matcha. Coconut milk was the answer to all my ice cream problems.
Awesome Matcha
Matcha is like green tea on steroids (in a good way). It’s packed with antioxidants that fight cancer causing free radicals, tame inflammation, and 137 times the polyphenols of green tea (source). Not all matcha is created equal though and here’s how to choose a good one.
How to Make Matcha Ice Cream Without a Machine
Our ice cream machine saw action twice a week or so, but it got buried somewhere when we moved. Maybe it’s off hiding with my lost, unmatched socks. Thankfully, it’s still possible to have ice cream without the machine. Here’s how to get matcha ice cream, no machine or overpriced sushi required.
- Use fat and sugar. These don’t freeze hard like water and yield a creamy ice cream. The coconut milk has fat, and the raw honey adds sweetness without guilt.
- Use gelatin. Grass-fed gelatin is fantastic for health and I talk more about its superpowers in my vanilla latte recipe. Gelatin helps ice cream to not freeze too hard all while it strengthens teeth and fights cellulite.
Dairy Free Matcha Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cans full fat coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp matcha green tea powder
- 1/2 cup raw honey or maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed gelatin
- 2 pastured egg yolks (optional but add creaminess)
- Ice cream maker (optional) - the one I have
Instructions
- Pour 1 can of coconut milk and the matcha powder into a saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 1-2 minutes, whisking vigorously until well combined.
- Remove from the heat and pour into a medium size glass bowl. Add the other can of coconut milk, sweetener and whisk it all together.
- Sprinkle the gelatin across the top and allow it to "bloom" for 1-2 minutes, then whisk.
- Place the mixture in the freezer for 20 minutes, or until its cold, but not frozen.
- Pour the very cold ice cream mix into you ice cream machine and process until frozen and thick. Once the machine is done running, you can put the ice cream into a glass bowl and freeze for a few hours if you prefer it to be a little more solid.
- If you're doing this without a machine, then put the ice cream in a freezer safe bowl and stir every 30 minutes until thickened.
Ooooh my goodness. I need this in my life. Can’t wait to try it!