Oh the first date that began my love affair with matcha was a green tea ice cream from a little
Japanese cafe in Vancouver. It was so sweet and creamy with a hint of tea. That first date
become a second date with a “green tea latte” of course sweetened with sugar and lots of milk.
Many dates later, it became love and now I’m an avid matcha drinker. I am thankful this
relationship began before my health issues, because it made cutting out coffee SO. MUCH.
EASIER.
Cut to current day, not being able to eat “real” ice cream or “sugar” — I had to create my
nostalgic past in a paleo, vegan friendly, and healthy version. Because, why ruin all those lovely antioxidants mixing matcha with loads of sugar? If you’re a green tea fan, this is a must try.
What’s in this ice cream?
Matcha powder: Green tea powder, very high in antioxidants and caffeine. You want a
ceremonial grade matcha for a nice natural rich sweetness. Culinary matcha tastes very grassy.
Coconut Milk or Coconut Cream: This is the ice cream base, others milks are not as creamy
or high in fat
Honey: My preferred sweetener in this recipe, it goes well with the green tea. But you can
substitute this for any other sweetener
Unsweetened Gelatin Powder: This is what gives the ice cream a real creamy texture and
reduces iciness after it’s frozen
Vanilla: Because vanilla is in everything!
Lemon juice: Gives a nice subtle flavor to the matcha
Salt: Balances with the lemon juice
Ingredients:
-1 can of coconut milk or coconut cream 14 oz.
-3-4 tbsp of honey*
-1-2 tsp of matcha powder*
-1 packet or 1 tbsp of gelatin powder
-1/2 tsp vanilla
-Squeeze of lemon
-Sprinkle of salt
Instructions:
Make sure your ice cream bowl is frozen overnight. Add all your ingredients to a saucepan and whisk on a low simmer. You may have to whisk real good to dissolve the matcha clumps. You can also strain after if it’s lumpy and needs sifting.
Transfer to an airtight container and put in fridge until completely cold. When ready, put your mix into your ice cream maker and churn for about 15 minutes. It’s perfect soft serve out of the machine or you can put in freezer for harder serve. It’ll have to thaw for 20+ mins when completely frozen.
Topping or mix in options: sesame seeds, pistachios, chocolate chips. I just love it so matcha!
Recipe notes:
- You can sub honey for other sweetener. I just think it the compliments matcha the best.
- All matcha is not created equal. I’d start with 1 tsp and adjust if want a stronger flavor. Culinary matcha is more grassy and bitter than ceremonial so you may have to adjust your sweetness too, to your liking. Gelatin helps keep this creamy and not icy in the freezer. Alternatively a tbsp of vodka also does
the trick for a risqué & vegan version!
- Alternatively, since this is so creamy before it’s churned, you may be able to do this without an
ice cream maker. You can try freezing a metal bowl in the freezer and using a hand mixer on the refrigerated mixture, freezing again and repeating. Can’t guarantee it’ll be as creamy but I think it may work!
Let me know if you made this ice cream in the comments below!
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