Dairy-Free Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream

Next to heirloom tomatoes and soft stone fruit, the best part of summer for me is all the ice cream! When we first moved to Denver, the hot nights drove Shaun and I to the streets to walk our new neighborhood and enjoy a scoop of this and that. We'd find a curb to perch and watched teen lovers awkwardly make conversation and eye contact. Young love.

Dairy and I don’t love each other, though. The 10 minutes of sweet cream on the curb always causes me a bit of a bellyache. I’ve met a few people who have the same lactose-aversion, so I'm thinking I'm not alone in this experience. I've tried a variety of dairy-free ice cream options and am entirely unimpressed with all the added junk they add to give it the look and feel of the real deal.

I’ve found that the best solution for me requires a bit of an investment that will pay for itself with exponential dividends. An ice cream maker allows me to have the flexibility and power to choose what I would and wouldn’t like to add to my treats whenever I get the urge. I keep a few cans of full-fat canned coconut milk in my pantry at all times and follow this recipe with dozens of variations to make belly-happy treats.

2 (13.5 oz) cans of full-fat coconut milk
1/4 - 1/2 cup brown rice syrup (adjust sweetness to preference)
1/3 cup matcha green tea powder

Whisk together ingredients, pour into electric ice cream maker and let run for 30 minutes. Pour into a freezer-safe dish and freeze for an hour before serving.

Vegan, dairy-free & gluten-free