Roasted balsamic strawberries and I have a very special relationship. We're sort of inseparable in the summer. And basil? He's a great friend too... ;) I've previously shared a recipe for a balsamic strawberry vegan yogurt on the blog, but this dairy-free ice cream is another favorite around here.
Homemade ice cream is one of the best desserts ever -- sooo much better than most of the thousand ingredient-laden commercial dairy-free ice creams and it's actually one of the easiest desserts to adapt for a dairy-free diet, and this no-fuss version is hard to mess up. As for the flavor, strawberries and basil may seem strange to some, but it's actually a really incredible flavor combination. Make that balsamic strawberries, and it only gets better ;).
PrintBalsamic Strawberry & Basil Dairy-Free Ice Cream
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 3-4 hours
- Total Time: 28 minute
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 batch roasted balsamic strawberries {see recipe here}
- 2 cans full fat coconut milk {chilled overnight}
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 handfuls fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Pour all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth and creamy.
- Pour into your ice cream maker bowl and make according to your machine's instructions. Place in the freezer for a few hours to firm up if you like. Or alternatively pour into a freezer safe container and allow it to freeze naturally, stirring it every 30 minutes of so for the first few hours.
Flora says
Tried this out earlier this week and we are obsessed with it. I did sub out for coconut cream which may have changed the intended consistency, but it is still so delicious. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Flora, you're welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed this ice cream :)
Luann Wann says
How much is two handfuls? 200g? 3 oz? I have an aerogarden with a lot of basil but they are small plants and not sure I would have enough.
Audrey says
Hi Luann, I haven't weighed exactly. If you curl your hand into a loose fist, imagine the amount of leaves that you would fit in there if they were slightly smushed -- that's what I mean by "a handful" :) The amount doesn't have to be super precise here. In fact I often use more basil than that because I like the flavor, or sometimes less if I don't quite have enough -- that's fine too.
Sharmishtha Gupta says
Question - do you use only the portion of the coconut milk that has solidified or the entire can?
★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Sharmishtha, in this case I actually use the entire can of milk, not just the white solids. I chilled it to make the ice cream be ready sooner so you don't have to wait as long for it to chill after blending :) If it's not chilled you can still use it, you'll just need to wait a bit longer for it to set afterwards.
Charlie says
What brand of coconut milk do you use? Thanks :)
Audrey says
Hi Charlie, I like Thai Kitchen the most (the "premium" red kind, not the green "lite" kind). But other brands will work well here too :)
Blair says
Can I use mint instead of basil?
Audrey says
Sure, if you enjoy the flavor of mint and strawberries, why not? :) I haven't tried, but think it can work fine. Mint can sometimes be a bit overwhelming in flavor, so many start with just a small amount and taste the mixture in the blender and then add more mint to taste (before freezing).
Grace Williams says
Made it! Super good. Great flavor.
★★★★★
Audrey says
So glad you enjoyed it, Grace. Thanks for the lovely feedback :)
Willow Black says
I haven't yet made this ice cream but I'm worried because I'm not a big fan of coconut. I was wondering if the recipe tastes heavily of coconut or if it's just a hint and can I switch out the coconut milk for Almond milk?
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Willow. I think the coconut milk is important here because it has a higher fat content than almond milk (which can get "icy" in an ice cream recipe, though you can use it and make popsicles out of this instead). It's not overly coconutty, but if you have a strong dislike then maybe another ice cream recipe would work better for you -- I have tons on my blog with no coconut in them :) Check the recipes page and select the tabs "ice cream" + "coconut-free" and you'll be good to go. https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/all-recipes/
Lita Johnson says
I haven't grabbed any local strawberries yet, but I'll be on the look-out for them this weekend. This ice cream looks like a delicious for them!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks Lita. Enjoy it :)
Leslie says
I had quite a bit of juice left in the pan after roasting strawberres. Do I add that also or drain off?
Audrey says
Hi Leslie -- you definitely want to use it (like a sauce). It's delicious :)
Audrey says
Thank you so much, Ginger. I hope your granddaughter enjoyed it :) The basil does add an unexpected freshness.
Ginger says
Hi, I am so excited to try this, I am sorta worried about the basil I blended it all but it still had tiny basil pieces, not very pink. Two hand fulls but I hope I did not do too much. I tasted the cream after I blended it, and it does have a fresh taste. Here is hoping little Granddaughter will love it. Thank you, I have enjoy many of your recipes.
Josianne says
Hi. I think I made this once. I'm pretty sure it came out really well, but gosh darn it, I'm going to have to make it again tonight to be sure.
I have been invited to a friend's house tomorrow and she is trying to make an AIP compliant meal. I've offered to bring dessert and this will probably be it. The recipe says it makes 4 servings. Is that one scoop per serving? I'm going to double up just in case -- after all, I have to taste it first to make sure it's going to be good. :-)
★★★★
Audrey says
Hey Josianne,
So sorry I wasn't able to respond by your "tonight", so hopefully it worked out regardless :)
It's kind of a tough question to answer, because it depends on your scoop size :) But I'd say more than one scoop per serving -- more in the 2 medium scoops category, if that helps give you an idea.
anggi says
hi, do you have any tips for not using coconut milk? since I have tried using it several times and the coconut flavor was too strong at the end. Have difficulties to find vegan ice cream recipes without coconut milk..Although I understand the coconut milk was needed for creamy texture. btw absolutely Love the taste of basil in this recipe!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi anggi,
Sorry I missed your question. I make a quick strawberry basil banana ice cream version that doesn't involve coconut milk (like this: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/instant-strawberry-banana-ice-cream-recipe/, but with a hint of fresh basil).
Otherwise I'd recommend using homemade cashew milk -- unstained. You can blend 1 1/2 cups cashews in 3 cups water, and that can work well here.
Pat Holgate says
Where is the recipe for the baked strawberrys with balsamic vinegar, sounds so good. Thanks Pat Holgate
Audrey says
Hi Pat, here's the link to the recipe: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/roasted-balsamic-strawberries-recipe-gluten-free-vegan/
One of my favorite summer treats :)
adelle says
Delicious! Such an awesome flavor combination. The perfect summer treat :) I included all the sauce from the strawberries and skipped the extra maple syrup in the ice cream and it was still sweet enough.
★★★★★
Audrey says
Aw, so happy to hear you liked it! :) Thank you for sharing.
Oliva says
I loved this, its my new favorite! Im lactose intolerant and I love ice-cream. I received an ice-cream machine for the holidays. Do you have any more ice-cream recipes like this one? If you do, could you leave a link in a comment.
P.S. I love coffee and chocolate ice-cream
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Olivia,
Sorry for the delayed reply -- so super happy to hear you enjoyed this!
I actually don't have any other ice cream machine recipes, but I do have loads of delicious blender ice creams to explore.
Happy New Year!
Kathi says
Hi! What a wonderful idea! I would like to try this out but I can't have canned coconut milk, i kinda react on the taste. Do you have any ideas for substituting the coconut milk? xx Kathi
Audrey says
Hi Kathi, too bad about the coconut, but I can relate -- used to happen to me too for several years...
For this particular ice cream the coconut milk is essential as it is creamier. But what you could do is use a different vanilla ice cream base with the balsamic strawberries and basil from this recipe. Something like this could work: http://www.primalpalate.com/paleo-blog/vanilla-cashew-ice-cream-2/
Alternatively, I just shared 2 coconut-free ice cream recipes that are to-die-for that you might like ;)
Creamy almond butter ice cream: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/no-churn-dairy-free-creamy-almond-butter-ice-cream-raw-fruit-sweetened/
Peanut butter chocolate chip ice cream: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/no-churn-dairy-free-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-ice-cream-fruit-sweetened/
Hope that helps! <3
Kathi says
Hi, Thanks for your advice! I will have a try. :)
I've just found a recipe on how to make homemade coconut milk, going to try this out these days, maybe it's better then. It's just curiously that I can have coconut in any form but not in those store bought coconut milks.
Anyways thank you for your soon reply and as I am an ice-cream lover I will definitely have a try on your other recipes. Thank your for sharing. <3
★★★★★
Wendi says
Berries and balsamic in oven as we speak. When using the berries in the ice cream recipe do you use the extra balsamic that the berries baked or leave it out?
Audrey says
Hi Wendi -- I do use the sauce as well -- it tastes great on ice cream.
Natalie @ Feasting on Fruit says
This looks so wonderful! I just bought some balsamic vinegar yesterday, so I'm going to try the strawberries soon! I love the bowl stack too :)
Audrey says
Yay -- you'll love it!
You know, the bowl stack is a funny thing. I was having such a hard time taking a photo of this ice cream {this is one of my first recipes and the camera was still a bit of a foreign entity ;) } I think I was just trying too hard and it wasn't working out so decided to give up and just not even share the recipe. But it was so delicious I felt like I should give it another go, so I went back into my pantry and pulled out this stack of bowls and was like "hey, why not?" and it worked out alright all around ;)
Laura@Baking in Pyjamas says
That looks so smooth and creamy, yum! Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!!
Audrey says
Thanks for stopping by, Laura! So glad you like the recipe :) Hope you're having a lovely weekend!
Lindsey says
This looks delicious! I just started a linkup for garden harvest recipes called Eating Inside the Box! It would be awesome if you would share this with us! Please add any other recipes to any fruit/veggie category you'd like! Enjoy the harvest!
http://www.cultivatenourishing.com/strawberries/
Audrey says
Sure thing :) See you on there!
Miachel | spiced curiosity says
This is so simple (and seasonal), I love it! :)
Found your beautiful site via Gluten-Free Friday. Have a great weekend!
Audrey says
Hi Miachel -- thanks very much! It is a really simple recipe that's become a winner around here :)
On a separate note, I tried leaving a comment on your site but it kept giving me an error message for some reason, so just wanted to say that your asparagus tart is absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for another idea of what to do with all the wild asparagus growing around here :)
Melissa French, The More With Less Mom says
Wow, this sounds fabulous. Thanks for sharing with Let's Get Real (I'm co-hosting this week)!
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Melissa!
vegelove99 says
Hi, I have made this twice now and adore it, thank you
Audrey says
Thanks so much. So glad to hear you liked it! :)