Ambrosia Ice Cream, A Dairy-Free Primal Dessert

The other night my daughter and I were brainstorming on dessert, trying to come up with something rich and satisfying to serve at a dinner party with friends. After some debate we finally settled on trying to make a healthy, dairy-free ice cream from scratch. We gathered a bunch of our favorite ingredients,  threw everything in the blender, and left it in the freezer to chill overnight, hoping for the best but not quite sure what to expect.

I'm happy to report that we are thrilled with the results. Everybody loved it ~ and I mean lick-their-plates loved it. This creation tastes decadent and looks elegant ~ a perfect combo in my book! I served it as a fun dessert at an evening dinner with fellow food lovers, but it would work equally well as a sumptuous treat for a romantic evening. Best of all, it's really very healthy for a dessert. This Ambrosia ice cream has fruit, good fats, some protein... yum, yum! Yet it's so rich that one small scoop was plenty.


Gather these ingredients:

• 3 avocados
• 2 small bananas
• 1 pear
• 1 cup coconut cream
• 1/3 cup pineapple, lemon, or orange juice
• 1/3 cup total sliced almonds & crushed walnuts
• 1/4 cup warm coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons honey

Grab some kitchen tools:

• Blender
• Freezer-safe storage container
• Small bowl
• Spoon for mixing

Now make it!

1) PUREE AND BLEND: Peel everything, remove the seeds and plunk them in a blender, scoop the coconut cream in on top, and add the juice. Crank it up and blend until smooth. Use ripe fruit for the best texture and to add natural sweetness. Don't leave out the avocados ~ the creamy texture and rich fat content of the avocados and the coconut cream is what makes the ambrosia like good quality ice cream rather than a frozen fruit slushy. If you don't have coconut cream you can substitute dairy heavy whipping cream.

2) GET IT CHILLED: Pour the mixture out of the blender and place in the freezer until lightly frozen and scoopable like ice cream. It will take several hours in most home freezers. You can leave it overnight if you'd like but you'll need to thaw it slightly before serving. You want to find that sweet spot between too-hard rock solid and too-soft frozen yogurt.

3) SCOOP & SERVE: Lightly toast the almond slices in a pan on the stove or on a cookie sheet in the oven. In a small bowl mix the warm coconut oil with the honey. Place a mound of the ambrosia ice cream on each plate ~ use an ice cream scoop if you have one, if not use a large spoon and make little rolls. Top with the warm toasted almond & walnuts and finish it off with a generous drizzle of the coconut oil & honey mixture. Enjoy!

Oh my heavens, so good!