Rich Creamy Paleo Java Chip Ice Cream
Wonderfully rich coffee flavored ice cream with little chunks of chocolate. Paleo, refined sugar free, and dairy free.
It's summer time, the best time of year for ice cream! Though the paleo diet focuses more on real food and less on treats, summer is calling for a few more ice cream recipes. And this delicious paleo java chip ice cream is a winner!
There are a few items to note when making this recipe. The first is that the quality of instant coffee is a key element. Higher quality instant coffee will result in a richer, smoother taste. There are some brands that tend to be bitter, thus requiring more sweetener in your ice cream (maple syrup in this case). A better instant coffee won't create a bitter aftertaste. This recipe was made with Mount Hagen decaffeinated instant coffee which can be found online. As I experiment with more instant coffee brands, I'll update this post. But this brand made all the difference! And I was happy to see there was a decaffeinated version.
The other item to note is the quality of coconut milk. Some can be grainier and have an odd aftertaste. As an overall trend, I've noticed that the organic ones tend to taste better. If you're noticing a sharp flavor in canned coconut milk, you may want to try a few different brands to see what you like best.
How to Make Paleo Java Chip Ice Cream
As always, it's best to start by gathering the ingredients. Then scoop or pour about half of the can of coconut milk in pot. Try to get some solids and liquids from the can. Whisk the coconut milk until it's mostly smooth, reducing any lumps. Then sprinkle the gelatin very evenly over the whole top, trying not to get too many clumps.
Mixing Gelatin
Let the gelatin sit for about 10 minutes so it can bloom (photo below). Then place the pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium. Once the coconut milk is warm and heated, slowly whisk the gelatin until it dissolves. Make sure there are no clumps of gelatin and that the mixture is smooth. The gelatin will serve as a stabilizer so that the ice cream doesn't get icy and maintains a soft texture.
Adding Instant Coffee
While the coconut milk is warm, add the instant coffee and continue to stir with the whisk. Keep stirring until the coffee is dissolved and the mixture is well blended.
Blending and Cooling
In the meantime, put the rest of the ingredients with the exception of the chocolate chips in a blender. Add the warmed coffee coconut milk mixture. Blend for about 1 minute on medium to high until smooth, then pour into a medium sized bowl and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour until the mixture has cooled.
Churning and Freezing
Finally, finish your paleo java chip ice cream in an ice cream maker. Depending on your machine, the churning usually takes a minimum of 20 minutes. Once the ice cream is frozen and thick, scoop it into an airtight container and place in the freezer. Or, if you prefer soft serve then you can enjoy it right away!
If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can still make this recipe! One option is to pour the mixture from the blender to an airtight container and simply freeze. The issue with this is that the ice cream won't be as light and airy, it will be more dense. The flavor, however, will still be there. Another option is to pour the mixture in a deep metal bowl and place in the freezer. Take it out every 30 minutes, blend with an electric hand mixer for a few seconds, place back in the freezer and repeat this process until it is thick and frozen. This will help put some air into the ice cream and make it less dense.
If you'd rather just have a smooth coffee ice cream, simply eliminate the chocolate chips. It's delicious just on its own!
Store in the freezer for up to two weeks. Scoop, serve, savor, and enjoy!
Java Chip Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 ice cream maker
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 1 can full fat coconut milk see notes below
- 1 tsp gelatin
- 2 1/2 tsp instant coffee preferably decaffeinated, see notes below
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup refined sugar free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Pour or scoop about half of the can of coconut milk into a small pot. Whisk the coconut milk to reduce lumps. Evenly sprinkle a thin layer of gelatin over the coconut milk and let sit for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, put the rest of the ingredients with the exception of the chocolate chips in a blender.
- After 10 minutes, place the pot of coconut milk & gelatin on the stove and turn heat to medium. When the coconut milk is warm, slowly whisk the gelatin until it is dissolved.
- Remove the pot from the stove and add to the rest of the ingredients in the blender. Blend on medium high for about a minute until the mixture is very smooth.
- Pour mixture into a bowl and place in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for approximately one hour.
- Add chocolate chips to the mixture. Finish the ice cream in an ice cream maker by churning for at least 20 minutes or until ice cream is thick and frozen. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.If you do not have an ice cream maker, see notes below.
I tried this recipe and was very surprised. The texture and taste are so similar to ‘real’ ice cream that my 12 year old can’t tell the difference. Really really good flavor.
So glad you liked it!!
My husband made two of your ice cream recipes and both were delightful. It was quick and easy to make, even for him.
Neither he nor I care for instant coffee but were very surprised at how good this ice cream turned out. You couldn’t tell it was made with instant coffee. The Mount Hagen coffee you recommended isn’t bad even as a cup of hot coffee, but it will never replace fresh ground non-decaffeinated coffee as a hot drink. But in this recipe, it worked very well.
The HU Dark Chocolate Gems seemed too large to use as packaged, so they were tossed into the blender as the final ingredient just before pouring into the ice cream maker.
Our first bowl never made it to the freezer for curing. Maybe next time.
I agree–the Mount Hagen is quite delicious for instant coffee. I’m glad that you enjoyed the ice cream! I agree, those chips can be large so blending them a little first was a good idea! Thank you for your comments!