Blueberries are the epitome of summer for me. I spent every summer growing up in Finland with my grandmother picking wild blueberries. There is nothing like blueberries that grow in the forest. This is my ode to summertime in the land of the midnight sun: Dairy Free Blueberry Ice Cream.
I can still remember the huge bucketfuls of blueberries that my grandmother would come back from the forest with. I can still taste the bowls of fresh blueberries and milk with just a titch of sugar sprinkled over that she used to serve all of us grandchildren. Pure heaven!
Food can be such a nostalgic thing. I can’t eat fresh berries with out thinking of my lovely long summers in Finland. Raspberries that were big enough to fit over each finger. Lingonberries growing on the side of the house. Tiny wild strawberries eaten on the side of the road. And of course, my favorite, the blueberries. There is something about the clean air and soil and the cool midnight sun nights that makes Finnish berries the best that you have ever tasted.
Luckily where I live now in Northern California, we have a local blueberry farm just minutes away. We look forward to when their roadside stand opens every year. I drove by the other day and had to stop. I have been thinking of doing a blueberry ice cream recipe since my oldest daughter’s father brought the most amazing blueberry ice cream to her high school graduation BBQ. I don’t eat dairy so I thought I would try to recreate the recipe using coconut milk. This is what I came up with:
I’m in love. Sweet flavors and healthy vitamins from the fresh blueberries. Tons of good for you fats from the coconut milk. A titch of added sweetness from the maple syrup. Takes me back to the heavenly feeling as a child, not a worry in the world, eating fresh berries from the forest. I was actually blown away at how creamy and rich this dairy free ice cream is. So simple!
You will need as ice cream maker for this blueberry ice cream recipe. THIS
I hope you enjoy it. Happy Summer!
xo,
Katja
Blueberry Ice Cream (dairy free, paleo)
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup REAL maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp unrefined sea salt (I use this one)
- 2 can full fat coconut milk (where to buy BPA and additive free coconut milk)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- OPTIONAL: 1 TBS grass fed gelatin (like this)
Instructions
- Bring blueberries, maple syrup, and salt to a boil in a medium pot. Turn down heat a bit and simmer softly for 3-4 minutes, until berries begin to pop open. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- For optional gelatin: Combine 1 TBS of gelatin with 1/4 cup boiling water and whisk until gelatin is completely dissolved.
- Add blueberries mixture, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and optional gelatin to blender. Process until creamy smooth. Place into fridge until very cold, overnight is best.
- Pour into ice cream maker (like this one) and process according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Serve immediately as soft serve. OR place into freezer safe container and freeze until firm enough to scoop. (I like to firmly press a piece of parchment paper over the top of ice cream to help avoid freezer burn.)
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MORE DAIRY FREE ICE CREAM RECIPES:
- Banana Ice Cream with Chocolate Shell from Stupid Easy Paleo
- The Best Ever Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream from The Paleo Mom
- Strawberry Coco-Banana Ice Cream from Savory Lotus
- Paleo Coffee Ice Cream from Rubies and Radishes
- Dairy Free Chocolate Ice Cream from The Spunky Coconut
- Piña Colada Ice Cream from Elana’s Pantry
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I’ve made this ice cream twice. It is absolutely delicious!! However, mine is NOTHING like the color of yours. My blueberries were fresh and perfectly ripe. The color of my ice cream was dark purple – not a hint of pink. I initially tried the recipe to make this beautiful pink ice cream for my granddaughters. Can you help me with this? Thanks.
Hi, Susan! The only thing I can think to so is maybe use a bit less blueberry and more full fat coconut milk. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hello!
Sounds delicious!!! How much ice cream does this recipe make? Thanks!
It makes about a quart of ice cream. 🙂
I made this yesterday with the ice cream maker I got for my birthday, and wow it is incredibly delicious!! Far better than any store-bought ice cream could be. The blueberry flavor really pops 🙂
Hi there! This looks lovely – would it still work if I didn’t blend the blueberries but rather folded them in instead?
Thanks 🙂
It would definitely work, but you would get more of a vanilla flavored ice cream with frozen blueberries in it. 🙂
Oh wow, sounds yummy. I love blueberry ice cream. Thanks,
Simon
Would this work without an icecream maker?
Hi, Bonnie!
It will not be the same consistency. Sorry!
My wife made this for my birthday yesterday. It was so yummy, but after freezing it, it’s rock hard. Any suggestions?
Let it defrost for 10-15 minutes on the counter. This should soften it a bit so you can scoop it. 🙂