Vegan Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

We are finally on a hot streak this week in NYC (knock on head), and what better way to celebrate than with homemade ice cream? Making ice cream is nostalgic for me. My dad and I used to make it with the old school ice cream maker which looked kind of like the first one ever made:

Hand Crank Ice Cream Maker

We’d pour salt on the ice and take turns churning. I vividly remember making peach ice cream with big chunks of fruit in it. I haven’t seen any good-looking peaches and didn’t have any frozen on hand so this time I went with coconut.

I used MimicCreme as the milk/half & half in the recipe. It’s made from almond and cashew creme, is lactose and gluten-free, non-GMO, soy free, and completely vegan. It adds a nice creamy, chewy, texture and can also be used in smoothies. Available through their website and at Whole Foods.

Of course, if you don’t have Mimic Creme, feel free to use a non-dairy milk or half & half to keep this vegan.

Get creative! Try using pureed fruit, bits of chocolate, toasted hazelnuts, the options are endless. What’s your favorite summertime treat?

Vegan Coconut Ice Cream

I made minor tweaks from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

2 cups Mimic Creme (or non-dairy milk or half and half) 2 T of it reserved in small bowl

1 cup coconut milk

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 T cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted

1. Put milk or half and half in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring just to a boil, stirring.

Warming up the Mimic Creme

2. Mix cornstarch with 2 T reserved Mimic Creme (or non-dairy milk or half & half if you’re using) to make a slurry.

3. Whisk the slurry and sugar into the warm milk in the pan. Heat stirring constantly, until thick. The mixture is ready when it thickly coats the back of a spoon and a line drawn with your finger remains intact. (Strain the mixture before proceeding if you think there might be any lumps.)

Coated Spoon Test

4. Pour the mixture into a bowl and create an ice bath by placing the bowl over another bowl filled with ice and water.

5. While that’s cooling, toast the coconut. Put the coconut in a small, dry skillet. Toast the coconut in the skillet over medium heat until golden. Watch it carefully and stir frequently, as it’ll creep up on you and burn quickly.

6. Once the ice cream mixture has cooled, add the coconut milk. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s directions. When the ice cream begins thickening in the machine, add the toasted coconut.

7. Best eaten right after making, but can also be frozen in an air tight container. Remove from freezer and let thaw at room temperature for five to ten minutes before eating.

Vegan Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

For the Love of Young Coconut

You already know I’m obsessed with kale smoothies, particularly the coconut kale smoothie from Naturewell in LA.

I’ve been too chicken to buy a young coconut, and mine for my own coconut meat, but Whole Foods had some in stock so decided it was time to take the plunge.

Here are a couple great links on how to do it. I took suggestions from both and the gist is, be ready to wack that knife and curl your fingers so you don’t lose a digit.

How to Open a Young Coconut

How to Open a Young Coconut – with step by step visuals

Young Coconut

Here’s what I did:

1. On a very stable surface (I used a cutting board with gripper bottom), begin cutting off the white outside layer around the pointed top of the coconut, using your knife.  Continue scraping off the outside layer until you hit the brown shell.

2.  At the base of the pointy part, strike the knife or cleaver a couple times. It took me a few hard strikes until the knife was in there. Pry the top open with your knife. BE CAREFUL with this entire process. Make sure your work surface is stable and your fingers are out of the way. When you get it open, the juice will flow out so quickly upright the coconut so you don’t lose too much liquid. The coconut is surprisingly full (mine was completely full to the top).

Opened Young Coconut

Coconut Top

Coconut Top Opening

Fresh Coconut Water - look how much was in there!!!

3. Using a spoon or ice cream scooper, scrape off the thin layer of white meat inside the coconut. Be careful not to press too hard, as you want only the white layer and not the brown stuff behind it. Cut off any brown parts so you don’t have any hard particles in whatever you end up making.

Young Coconut Meat

4, Store the coconut meat and juice in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.

Benefits of coconut meat & juice:

Coconut water is high in potassium and electrolytes making it a great workout hydrator. Skip all those fake drinks filled with artificial colors and added mock-nutrients and hydrate with this amazing refreshment.

The first thing I did was make a smoothie (shocker, I know). I had some frozen pineapple which inspired a pina colada smoothie. I was tempted to add rum, but figured working out with a buzz-on probably wasn’t my smartest move.

Pina Colada Smoothie

1 cup frozen pineapple

1 frozen banana

1/4 cup coconut meat

1/4 cup milk (I use hemp – add another 1/4 if you need it)

1. Blend together until completely smooth. Add additional milk if necessary.

2. Drink immediately!

Pina Colada Smoothie