White Nectarine Ice Cream (Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free)
As promised, here it is, finally, the White Nectarine Ice Cream. Naturally sweetened and of course gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free. The photo doesn't do this recipe justice. The consistency and flavors are simply amazing. Even after 24 hours of freezing, it is still soft and easy to scoop just like traditional ice cream made with cream and sugar.
When I make this, my kids practically eat the whole container in one sitting. I have to cut them off and hide the container in the back of the freezer!
So let's celebrate the end of summer with one last hoorah and eat ice cream! This luscious dairy-free ice cream blends a few natural sweeteners for layer upon layer of deep, rich flavors. The maple syrup I use here is not really to add any extra sweetness. Instead it adds an extra dimension of flavor, especially if you use Grade B maple syrup which is less refined, higher in minerals, and richer in flavor.
You should still be able to find white nectarines at most health food stores and food co-ops, at least that's the case here. If not, try yellow nectarines or peaches. I just bought a bunch of white nectarines for freezing so I can make this recipe as a special treat during the year.
This recipe does require a few more ingredients and does take a little extra time compared to my Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream, but the end result is soooo worth it!
White Nectarine Ice Cream
This creamy white dairy-free ice cream is flecked with little bits pink from the diced nectarine. It is sweet, rich, and scoops perfectly; definitely a crowd pleaser! I use my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker to churn the blended ingredients into ice cream. When making this recipe you can use either fresh or frozen nectarines. If using frozen, your blended cream with turn into "ice cream" much quicker once in the ice cream maker.
If you cannot find large nectarines, use 5 small ones in place of the 3 called for. Use 3 for blending into the cream and the remaining 2 for dicing.
- Place the cashews and dates into a small bowl and cover with water. Let soak for about 3 hours.
- Then drain off the water and place the cashews and dates into a high powered blender along with the coconut milk, two of the nectarines, maple syrup, vanilla, and almond flavoring. Blend on high until very smooth and creamy.
- Pour the cream into your ice cream maker and proceed as the manufacturer's directions suggest. Dice the third nectarine and toss into the ice cream as it is running in the machine. I run mine for 20 minutes and then place the ice cream in the freezer for about 3 hours until it is ready to scoop.
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About the Author
Ali Segersten
Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. She is a Functional Nutritionist, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Alissa is the founder and owner of Nourishing Meals®.Nourishing Meals Newsletter
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Comments
Can u substitute agave w raw honey?
Hello. For anyone with a nut allergy, I made this with the following substitutions:
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup coconut butter/manna
10 regular dates, pitted
1 can coconut milk
5 regular sized white nectarines, pitted*
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 teaspoons almond flavoring
It was great. Like, really great. I am allergic to tree nuts and have no recollection of what a cashew tastes like (though my husband claims they are the tastiest of them all), but I figured sunflower seeds wouldn't have the same creaminess so I added some coconut butter to compensate. I think it was successful. We all loved this! It has a hippy flavor to it, but I'm sure those of us who frequent blogs like this fabulous one are used to that. Thanks, Ali!
Gina- yes, use 1/4 to 1/2 cup honey total since honey is quite sweet. Enjoy! I have many more SCD compliant recipes in my new cookbook, Nourishing Meals, as well. :)
I just stumbled across your site today. Got to say I think it's pretty neat :) My husband has ulcerative colitis which we are trying to manage through adoption of the SCD diet (which is grain, lactose, sugar/polysaccharide, starch and so many other things free!). One of the things he has missed most is icecream!
Can you tell me, can I substitute both of the sweeteners in your original recipe for honey, or apple juice concentrate/syrup or similar. Do the sweeteners in the recipe perform any function other than sweetening, such as having specific binding properties?
Thanks, and I'm going to keep trawling to see what else I can leverage off here and easily modify for our diet :)
Can any of the ice cream recipes be done without an ice cream maker as I don't have one, can they just be done with an electric mixer or blender?
This is REALLY good. I'm not a huge fan of coconut milk generally, because I'm still afraid of the huge fat content! I know it's meant as a treat, though, so it is safely stashed in the freezer.
As a procedural note, I got a food processor last week and I haven't outgrown my tendency to try to use it for everything. Let's just say making ice cream in it was a big failure (yeah, duh). But my regular B&D blender did the job admirably, though it was a bit chunky. Still tasted amazing!!
nooshin - Thanks, I hope you enjoy! :)
Rae - I use Native Forest brand canned coconut milk which is BPA-free. The cans are 400 ml each. I hope you and your daughter enjoy! :)
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. My daughter cannot eat sugar, but loves ice cream!
I live in the UK; can you tell me what the weight / mls is of the can of coconut milk you use please?
Many thanks
Rae
this looks fantastic and right up my alley! i will definitely be trying this soon :) thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi Sadie - Yes I believe heavy cream would work as a replacement for the coconut milk in equal amounts. Though, I should say, this ice cream as no hint of coconut flavors. I think all of the other flavors just overpower the coconut. Some of my taste testers told me they thought this recipe tasted like "real" ice cream! Hope this helps, enjoy! :)
My mother has recently started a sugar-free diet, and one of the things she really misses is ice cream. We are both really impressed with this recipe, it looks just fabulous!
However she has no problems eating dairy and would like the recipe to include cream instead of coconut milk. I've never made ice cream before and have several questions. Would the replacement be a 1:1, and would the process be any different when using cream? Is there anything else I should know about such a substitution?
Thanks Ali, I will try it with the almonds and let you know how it turns out!
Lauren - Thanks! :)
Amy - Yep, a great way to say goodbye to summer. Have fun at the orchards! :)
Shirley - Yes, you would know about photographing ice cream wouldn't you. You have so many ice cream recipes on your blog, amazing! :)
Sara - I am not totally sure how almonds would work, the ice cream may not be as creamy. If you try it I would suggest soaking the almonds for 8 hours but only soaking the dates for 2 or 3 hours in a separate bowl. :)
Linda - Thanks :)
Well that just looks and sounds delicious. I wish I could simply buy some from you! You have wonderful recipes to share here.
Hi Ali,
This ice cream sounds delicious! My son is highly allergic to cashews (and dairy-intolerant) so my question is this: would almonds work as a replacement or not? Thanks!
I can tell how luscious it is, Ali! But, I agree that photos of ice cream often don't do full justice to the actual results. This recipe was worth the wait, just from the photo and description. Can't blame your family for wanting to eat it all at once. ;-)
End of summer tomorrow ... that's hard to believe, but I know we'll enjoy those autumn days, :-)
Shirley
I think this is a fantastic way to celebrate summer's end. I love using dates as a way to sweeten baked goods but haven't yet done it with ice cream.
I was thinking about you the other day and your fruit picking adventures when I was picking up our CSA share...I think Joe & I might drive out to some orchards soon.
Thanks so much for participating in Slightly Indulgent Mondays!!
Delicious! I adore white nectarines, but barely eat them. This looks like a perfect recipe for me to buy some at the store!
Kim - Thanks! I like the idea of adding pumpkin, I may try that! I think most other juicy fruits would work here as well. Plums or blackberries come to mind, mmm. :)
David - If you tend to buy a lot of "ice cream" then making your own saves a bit of money in the long run. I am glad to hear you are enjoying the vegan recipes, thanks! :)
L - Hope you enjoyed your ice cream! :)
Heather - Welcome to our site and happy cooking! Enjoy the recipes. :)
Hi there,
I am new to your site and wanted to say Thank You! I met your husband at a recent conference I attended and he told me about this blog.
I can't wait to dive into the recipes and the photographs are welcome and wonderful! This will be a very useful tool for my clients!
Thanks!
-Heather ;-D
My cashews and dates are soaking right now. I absolutely loved the strawberry ice cream so can't wait to try this one! Thanks Ali!
I keep meaning to make all of these frozen desserts you keep sharing with us but just haven't yet. Now maybe we will consider investing in an ice cream maker. This one just looks too good to pass up!
Thanks for all of the vegan recipes, we sure appreciate them.
THIS LOOKS AMAZING! I must try it. Thank you for sharing - I am thinking of all the other fruit flavor variations that could be made using this basic format. Like something made with pumpkin or squash, perhaps :) You always come up with the most innovative things - true inspiration!
Kim : )