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This recipe was originally published 01.20.15. The recipe ingredients were last updated 03.16.16. I republished the post 05.31.19 with updated pictures and information.
Looking for a simple but yummy solution to your late night snack cravings? This Strawberry Almond Soft Serve delivers! It only requires 8 ingredients, a simple blend, and a whirl in your countertop ice cream maker. It’s a THM Fuel Pull (low in both fats and carbs) and contains 7 grams of protein per serving! Simple, classic, delicious.
This ice cream, like this PB&J Milkshake, was inspired by my days in the Fuel Pull trenches on a Trim Healthy Mama Fuel Cycle. I wanted an evening snack that would fit Fuel Pull guidelines (low carb and low fat), so I decided to use one of my favorite new flavor combinations and whip up some strawberry almond soft-serve ice cream! This ice cream is more sorbet-/soft-serve-like than “ice cream” because it has a very low fat content, but it’s so creamy that you won’t feel deprived!
Click here to pin this recipe!
What’s the secret?
What makes it creamy? Well, that would be the cottage cheese. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! I use cottage cheese in just about everything for a creamy “wow” factor without the unnecessary calories of heavy cream. (Don’t get me wrong: I have nothing against healthy fats. I just get plenty of them in my diet already so I don’t want to abuse them if I have lower calorie options that are just as good!) Cottage cheese is mild in flavor and when blended into something like an ice cream base, you won’t know it’s there! Bonus: it adds extra protein.
People often ask if they can substitute Greek yogurt for cottage cheese in recipes. Sometimes that works, but in ice cream recipes I’ve found that cottage cheese really does work better both from a texture and flavor standpoint (cottage cheese has less of a tang). Greek yogurt can be fine if you’re going for a frozen yogurt consistency, but I find that it tends to be a bit “chalkier” than blended cottage cheese when frozen. Maybe that’s just me. 😛 I recommend sticking with the cottage cheese in this recipe.
Since publishing this recipe originally, I’ve learned that using xylitol to sweeten ice cream helps keep it from getting so hard in the freezer. You’re welcome to experiment with sweetening the ice cream with xylitol (to taste) in place of or in addition to the stevia called for in the recipe, depending on your desired sweetness level.
You can CLICK HERE to read a post I wrote to answer all your sugar-free homemade ice cream FAQs about what equipment to use and how different ingredients affect the end product!
Do I have to use vegetable glycerin?
I keep getting this question. 😛 The answer is that I highly, highly recommend it based on the info given in the notes section of the recipe below: it really improves the texture of the ice cream and keeps it from sticking to the sides of the ice cream churn. I started my homemade ice cream career without vegetable glycerin, but since I tried it a few years ago I don’t make ice cream without it. I usually buy it online (CLICK HERE).
You could go many different places with this soft serve. Substitute other extracts for the almond extract, substitute red raspberries for the strawberries, omit the extract and add defatted peanut flour for a PB&J version…the possibilities are endless! I love it as-is, and it’s the perfect pink for Christmas or Valentine’s Day! It also makes a brilliant summery snack. Enjoy it whenever you need a guilt free, fat-busting dessert that doesn’t taste like diet food. 😉
Looking for some more Fuel Pull options?
- This Angelic Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Ice Cream is my homemade version of Halo Top and rings in at only 84 calories per half cup serving! You can enjoy up to 3/4 cup in a THM Fuel Pull setting! (This size serving actually includes 12 grams of protein.)
- This basic Low-Fat Soft Serve recipe is a generic Fuel Pull vanilla that works great to top THM E crisps and cobblers.
- This Strawberry Dreamy is the perfect single-serve solution to your strawberry ice cream need! No ice cream maker required! And yes, it’s a THM Fuel Pull as well!
You may also enjoy:
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STARTING THM
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MY RECIPE INDEX
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RECIPE INDEX BY FUEL TYPE/ALLERGY/THEME
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ANGELIC PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE DOUGH ICE CREAM (THM FUEL PULL)
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CLASSIC STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM (THM S)
You can find this recipe in my first cookbook, Necessary Food.
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- 2 cups unsweetened almond or cashew milk
- 1 cup strawberries (thawed if frozen)
- 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 tablespoon vegetable glycerin
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (I use Watkins brand)
- 6 doonks (3/16 teaspoon) THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder (or more, to taste)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon glucomannan
- Blend all ingredients in a blender until completely smooth, adding the glucomannan last, right before blending so it doesn't clump. Taste and add more sweetener if desired (a lot of people like things sweeter than I do.) Churn in a 1.5 quart countertop ice cream churn according to manufacturer's directions. Serve immediately or transfer to a shallow airtight container and let the ice cream firm up in the freezer for a little bit.
- This ice cream is best eaten fresh. If you have leftovers, freeze them and when you're ready to eat them, either let them thaw for 3 hours in the fridge or 30-40 minutes on the counter, or defrost them for a few seconds in the microwave.
-Since publishing this recipe originally, I've learned that using xylitol to sweeten ice cream helps keep it from getting so hard in the freezer. You're welcome to experiment with sweetening the ice cream with xylitol (to taste) in place of or in addition to the stevia called for in the recipe, depending on your desired sweetness level.
-Xanthan gum can usually be substituted for glucomannan in recipes and is easier to find locally.
-You could substitute other extracts for the almond, substitute red raspberries for the strawberries, or omit the extract and add defatted peanut flour for different variations. Feel free to add extra strawberry chunks or puree after the ice cream is done churning (stir in by hand). You could also add chopped almonds, but that would take this out of the low-fat category (and turn it into an S for THMs).
-If you do not have an automatic ice cream churn, get one. They're awesome. Or you could blend the ice cream mixture, freeze it in ice cube trays, let the cubes soften a bit before blending to a soft-serve consistency in a high-powered blender, stir in any add-ins by hand, and either serve immediately or transfer to the freezer to firm up a bit.
-I bet this mixture would make yummy popsicles!
-Nutrition information calculated on 4 servings.
ALLERGY INFO: gluten free, egg free, peanut free
Recipe updated 3.16.16
You can pin this recipe here:
How would I make this, cannot have seeds could I use strawberry extract? If so how much would you recommend.
Thank you
You’re welcome to try that but maybe it would be better to find another recipe that doesn’t use berries for so much of its base. 🙂
Brianna,
I just wanted to tell you that your cookbook Necessary Food is my favorite cookbook!!! Thank you for your hard work and the thought put into this book…it is absolute beautiful, easy to use, the the spiral binding, and the coveted finish, not to mention the recipes are amazing!!
I often leave it on the counter when I’m done with a recipe, just to admire it’s beauty!! 💜
I guess I am going to have to order the new one soon…😊
Sorry for not posting this sooner!
God’s richest blessings,
Patti Boyd
Thank you so much for your comment, Patti! I’m so glad you enjoy Necessary Food! I’m especially glad to hear that you find it easy to use.
Hi don’t have Stevia extract powder but have THM Gentle Sweet and Super Sweet blend. Could I use any of those instead?
Yes, you could use either of those, to taste. 🙂 This sweetener conversion chart can help guide you, but I always recommend starting with less than you think you’ll need, then adding until it tastes like you want: https://media.trimhealthymama.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/05/07222306/THM.Sweetener-Conversion-Chart.pdf
Would it turn out ok without the ice cream maker? Or would there be something to do instead? Since I don’t have one.
Hi Crystal! You can see suggestions for making this without an ice cream maker in the Notes section of the recipe. 🙂
I love ice cream but am recently intolerant to dairy products. Do you have any suggestions on substitutes for cottage cheese and cream?
I know that there are a lot of dairy free ice cream recipes out there using coconut milk. I’ve worked on some myself but haven’t tweaked any to perfection. I would look up some dairy free ice cream recipes on line and just substitute for the off plan ingredients (assuming you’re following THM, as do most of my readers). You might just have to substitute a low glycemic sweetener for the sugar and be good to go!
Brianna Is that the ice-cream maker you use for all your ice-cream recipes….I am in the market
There should be a link below the recipe to the ice cream maker I have. 🙂
I bought it and love it! You are an ice cream genius and you made this diet even easier!!!! Thank you!! You are a remarkable young woman. I enjoy your recipes and blogs!
Thanks so much, Stacia!
What is a doonk?
Thank you for sharing the recipes!
A doonk is 1/32 tsp. 🙂 A lot of stevia extract powders, including the one called for in the recipe, come with little spoons that size.
I am wondering about the ice cream maker. I have a Cuisinart 2 quart, but this quantity is not working out well in it. Does the 1 1/2 quart one work well for this recipe or do you double it?
I make all my recipes as-is in my 1 1/2 qt. 🙂 they don’t always fill it all the way up, but it works fine.
Do I need to buy rock salt for the ice cream churn? I want to buy one and use it immediately, so I don’t want to have to wait until I can buy rock salt, lol.
Nope, it’s an automatic counter-top model that doesn’t involve salt. 🙂 You just freeze the aluminum canister that comes with the churn.
I love it!! Thank you so much!!!!
What is the nutritional content per serving please?
I don’t normally calculate the nutritional content in my recipes, but there are no significant sources of either carbs or fats in this soft-serve. 🙂
A very wonderful dish ! THANKYOU for sharing !!!!