Salted Double Chocolate Almond Ice Cream

Loaded with chopped almonds, chocolate chunks and a touch of sea salt, this dairy-free Salted Double Chocolate Ice Cream is a salty-sweet chocolate lover’s dream come true and a must make this summer!

If I could only have one dessert for the rest of my life it would be ice cream. I don’t even have to think twice about it. It’s the one dessert I never get tired of and the one thing I can’t live without on the weekend. I’ve been guilty of eating a pint in one sitting without even blinking an eye, and you know what? It was worth it. When we go out to one of our favorite ice cream shops I’ll order the single scoop then 10 minutes later go back up and order the kid’s size in another flavor. My husband just rolls his eyes at me and wonders why I didn’t get a double scoop to start with.

Lucky for me my husband is equally as fond of ice cream as I am. I don’t have to ask him twice on a Saturday night if he wants to go out for a scoop. I’m pretty sure my love of ice cream came from both of my grandpas. I remember as a kid their freezers always having at least one flavor if not two or three in them. While a bowl of ice cream was a nightly ritual for them, I try to only indulge on the weekend. Sometimes I succeed and other times it’s a total fail.

One thing I love to do, especially in the hot summer months is make my own ice cream. I love that you can make whatever flavor you want and in the case of this Salted Double Chocolate Almond Ice Cream, even experiment with the ingredients. The idea for this ice cream came from one of my favorite ice cream shops in Denver, Little Man Ice Cream. They have a Salted Oreo flavor that is killer! If you’re ever visiting put them on your list to go try. Adding flakey sea salt to the chocolate almond ice cream along with chopped almonds totally satisfies my salty-sweet craving in the best way possible!

One thing you might not suspect when you help yourself to a scoop of this ice cream is that it’s completely dairy-free and vegan if you use non-dairy chocolate chips! By using a combination of Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almondmilk and a can of coconut milk you are able to achieve the creamy ice cream flavor you find in the dairy version. Many non-dairy ice cream recipes only use coconut milk, but I find that they can be pretty heavy on the fat and calories. By subbing some of that coconut milk with the Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almondmilk you can substantially cut calories and fat and only lose a small amount of creaminess. This dairy-free Salted Double Chocolate Almond Ice Cream is a salty-sweet chocolate lover’s dream come true and a must make this summer!

Salted Double Chocolate Almond Ice Cream

Yield: 1 quart

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes

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Ingredients

• 13.5 ounces canned light or full-fat coconut milk, light will make the ice cream a little more icy
• 1 cup Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum, this helps make the ice cream creamier
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
• 1/4 cup roasted salted almonds, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate, chocolate chips or vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Add all of the ingredients except the chopped almonds and dark chocolate to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and completely combined, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Chill the mixture for at least two hours.
3. Add the mixture to an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.
4. During the last minute of churning add in the chopped almonds and dark chocolate.
5. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container, sprinkle with a little more sea salt and freeze for at least 2-3 hours before serving.
6. If the ice cream is frozen solid when serving let it sit out on the counter and thaw for 10 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 351 Total Fat: 21g Saturated Fat: 9g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 15mg Sodium: 242mg Carbohydrates: 39g Fiber: 4g Sugar: 29g Protein: 6g

Thanks to my friends at Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk for sponsoring this post. As always all opinions are my own.