Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Luxuriously sweet and creamy, it's hard to believe that this ice cream is dairy-free and naturally sweetened--and incredibly easy. An ice cream maker produces exceptional results, but the recipe can be successfully made without one.

Yields 8 servings (approximately 1 1/2 quarts).

Place a freezer-safe container in the freezer. (See notes for additional details, but a cold container will prevent the soft set mixture from melting when transferred, thereby preventing ice crystals from developing.)

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. Tips: Make sure you scrape all of the hardened coconut cream out of the cans. It can become quite hard, depending on the age and temperature of the can (which is actually a good thing in this case). Also, I find it helpful to stir the cocoa powder into the coconut milk mixture before blending. This will prevent a poof of cocoa powder that sticks to the sides and lid of your blender.

Taste the mixture at this point. In this recipe, the sweetness level is more similar to dark chocolate than milk chocolate. If you prefer a sweeter ice cream, add a little more honey to taste, blending to incorporate.

At this point, you have two options. You can transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker, which will freeze the ice cream in about 20 minutes. Simply follow the manufacturer’s directions. When finished, the ice cream will be soft set. Enjoy immediately or transfer to the container you placed in the freezer for storage.

For a no-ice-cream-maker option, transfer the blended mixture to the container in your freezer and freeze for 4-6 hours, or until firm.

After sitting in the freezer overnight, the ice cream will “ripen” and freeze slightly harder than regular ice cream. Simply allow it to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes or so before scooping.