Homemade Icecreams and Icypoles

Introduction

By Meg Thompson

It’s getting to that time of year again, the days are longer, the weather (even in Melbourne) is beginning to see more good than bad days, and the need for cold deliciousness is increasing!

So get your guilt free icecream hit with these dairy free, sugar free numbers that have passed the taste test of the most discerning icecream eater I know, my hubby!

There are loads of fabulous recipes for homemade icecreams of all sorts. I have made dairy free examples here as that is what is best in our house at the moment.

Above are choc-coconut-goji and choc-mint examples, but the great thing about these is that you can add anything you like!

Maybe not sausages though… I chose to throw in a few ‘superfoods’ in these ones like spirulina and maca for fun, and kept some chunky pieces to make it more of a meal of sorts.

The coconut milk is a wonderfully nourishing fat, so these are great to give to kiddies (big or small) to avoid the super crazy high followed by the huge energy drop cranky-pants of the regular sugary icy pole.

Nourishing treats, that’s what you want!

Cacao-goji ice creams: The Recipe

2 tbs coconut flakes (toasted if you want to get fancy!)
2 tbs raw cacao
250ml coconut milk, full fat
2/3 banana
2 tbs cashews, soaked for a few hours
1 tbs goji berries
2 tsp maca powder (optional)
Pinch of sea salt (optional)

Put the cacao, coconut milk, banana, cashews, maca and salt if using in a blender and blend until smooth. Add in the other ingredients but don’t blend. Pour into moulds and pop into the freezer. When set just enough, add a stick to each mould, and continue to freeze until hard. I used paper cups as moulds and spare tongue depressors for the sticks, but cute little shot glasses or espresso cups would be cute, with a teaspoon for the handle – CUTE! Note to self, do that next time!

Creamy Mint Icypoles with cacao nibs: The Recipe

250ml coconut milk – full fat
1/4 tsp spirulina
1/4 tsp vanilla
20 fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
1/4 cup strong, freshly brewed peppermint tea, strained
4-6 drops stevia
1-2 tbs cacao nibs

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and pour into moulds as above.
These are much less creamy than the above version, more of a creamy icy pole, but you could always leave out the peppermint tea and use a drop or so of some food grade peppermint oil to make it more creamy.

The thing with this is that you can’t stop. I have just done another version based on a Sarah Britton recipe, which I had planned to freeze but it didn’t make it too the moulds, occupational hazard of cooking around lunch time I guess…

Banana, mint leaves, spirulina, avocado, hemp seeds, coconut water, ice – oh baby, so fluffy, creamy and delicious! See if you can get yours to the mould and report back on how they go as a frozen delight!