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First published 7/12/14. Recipe updated 2/24/16
I am not a picky eater. You guys should know that by now from the stories of all the disgusting things I’ve eaten. However, there is one thing I do not like and that thing is coffee. Hot coffee is a waste of time, in my snarky opinion. Give me my Oolong tea any day.
As a child, I didn’t even like coffee flavored treats. Iced coffee, frappes…even mocha ice cream!…were not high on my edible foods list if I ate them at all. The older I get, the more coffee flavor I can enjoy, however. And I know I have followers who love their coffee, so I’ve experimented with a few recipes (like this popular iced coffee recipe) for their sakes. Feel special. I’ve come to enjoy me some java flavor, though. I really have. And in ice cream, nearly anything is palatable (I’m opening a whole host of new ideas with that statement).
This particular ice cream recipe had the approval of two coffee snobs, so rest at ease. Rarely do I rely solely on my own taste buds, which is probably a good thing.
In addition to the creamy coffee ice cream there is a caramel swirl. Because plain coffee ice cream was just too mainstream. If you’re pressed for time, feel free to omit the caramel part, though.
I recommend using THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder (my sweetened of choice, which can be purchased from the Trim Healthy Mama online store) to sweeten this ice cream.
I use a Cuisinart 1 1/2 qt. Automatic Ice Cream Maker for all my ice cream making adventures. It is very easy to use and the end product is…well, you can see that for yourself. 😉
Vegetable Glycerin helps keep this ice cream smooth and not icy.
You can pin this post from my Ice Cream board here.
You can find this recipe in my cookbook, Necessary Food.
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup cold brewed coffee
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- 1 T vegetable glycerin (optional but highly recommended)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1½ T cocoa powder
- 1½ T instant decaf coffee granules (or less, if desired)
- 1 tsp. THM Super Sweet Blend, or more to taste
- ¼ tsp. THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder
- ⅛ tsp. salt, slightly rounded
- 1 tsp. glucomannan
- 2 T butter
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. THM Super Sweet Blend
- Blend all the ice cream ingredients together in a high-powered blender until smooth. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.
- Meanwhile, in a small nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the cream, vanilla, and Sweet Blend and reduce until amber-colored and caramelized. Stir often so it doesn't burn. If the mixture separates, put it into a cold water bath and whisk. Once the mixture has cooled down it will recombine. Refrigerate the mixture to cool.
- When the ice cream is churned, transfer to a freezer-safe container. Using a fork, swirl the cooled caramel mixture through the ice cream. If desired, freeze for an hour or so to firm up-or you could just eat it right away.
- Yields approx. 6 servings.
- Like most homemade ice creams, this recipe is best eaten fresh (unless using vegetable glycerin, which gives you more flexibility-see below). If you have leftovers, freeze them and when you're ready to eat them, either let them sit out on the counter for 30 minutes or so or defrost them for a few seconds in the microwave.
- I recommend adding 1 T of vegetable glycerin to this ice cream to keep it from sticking to the sides of the ice cream maker and to keep it softer and not let it get hard so fast in the freezer. If you freeze the ice cream for an extended length of time in the freezer, it will still freeze hard, but if you let it sit out to soften up a little, the glycerin keeps it scoopable instead of icy. Transfer the ice cream from the freezer to the refrigerator 3 hours before serving for optimum texture, or let it sit out on the counter for 30-40 minutes.
Coffee beans would add a neat crunch to this ice cream. Add toward the end of the churning cycle.
Has anyone ever asked if using cashew milk works just the same as the almond milk for these ice cream recipes?
Thanks.
Yes, cashew milk works just fine. 🙂
Have you ever used the Foundation Milk from the THM cookbook for your ice cream? (In place of almond milk)
No, I’ve never tried the Foundation Milk, period. I’m sorry!
Sorry, I asked down below how sweet it is and THEN realized I could of course just taste it after blending. My excuse is sleep-deprived mommy brain 😂
Haha…not a problem. I actually recommend always tasting and adjusting anyway because taste buds vary so much when it comes to alternative sweeteners!
How sweet is the ice cream? Should I increase the sweetener if I am going to leave out the caramel swirl?
Could I use espresso granules? That’s what I have… I love coffee ice cream! I think I’m going to use my hazelnut coffee to brew, and add some hazelnut extract!
That should work! The espresso powder may be stronger, so feel free to adjust.
When you say 1 c. cold brewed coffee, do you mean specifically “cold brewed” or do you mean coffee that was brewed normally but is now room temperature/cold? I’m just getting into coffee myself, but apparently there’s a difference so I want to make sure I’m using the right thing.
I plan to make this tonight, swapping in the chocolate chunk recipe from your fudge chunk ice cream for the caramel swirl. (I’ve also used that chocolate chunk in the PB ice cream too!) I got my ice cream maker 5 days ago and have already made two batches–you can say I’m hooked! Thanks for posting these! I feel AWESOME about giving my kids sugar-free homemade ice cream. Woohoo!
Haha…I posted this recipe before “cold brew” was a well-known thing. I just mean cold coffee – nothing fancy. 😛 I’m so glad you enjoy the recipes!
I am so annoyed. I searched for vegetable glycerin yesterday, and it is HARD to find. The pharmacists all looked at me like I was crazy, and the one and only bottle of glycerin I found had a poison control notice: “If ingested…” 🙁 Frustrated! I want to try all your wonderful ice cream recipes, but since I don’t have an ice cream maker and I can’t find glycerin, it isn’t happening!! 🙁
First, I made ice cream without vegetable glycerin for a long time until I finally got some – the ice cream is still very good. 😉 The vegetable glycerin is definitely worth getting, though, as it improves the creaminess of the ice cream and keeps it from sticking to the ice cream maker so much. I always buy mine off of Amazon. There’s a link to it above the recipe (or here it is, for your convenience #affiliatelink: https://www.briana-thomas.com/recommends/vegetable-glycerin-2/). You can also find it in cake decorating stores or health food stores. I know that NOW brand is food grade, and I believe it can be found at Whole Foods. But just ordering off of Amazon is definitely the easiest way to go. 🙂
Thank you! I will check that out.
I’d love to make this one . coffee+caramel… soooo excited !!! Is there a replacement for glucomannan though ? I don’t think it’s available where I live 🙁 Could I leave it out ?
As far as I know, it can only be ordered online. You can use xanthan gum instead. 🙂 It should be more readily available.
WOW! Love this! I am currently eating my first batch! How would this be rated with THM. I have just started on this diet. Could you use another sweetener? My daughter. Hates the stevia aftertaste.
This is an S for Trim Healthy Mamas. You could definitely use another low-glycemic sweetener (check out this chart for suggestions on converting amounts: http://www.trimhealthymama.com/main-home/sweetener-conversion-chart/ ). However, if you can taste the stevia, you very well could be using too much. Different brands are measured differently. I use the Trim Healthy Mama brand (it should be linked below the recipe), and it has a great taste.
My concern is the raw eggs. I’m nervous about that.
You could always leave it out and substitute a little more cream.
How much more cream would I need if I don’t use the eggs?
I would use 1/2 cup total. 🙂